The Australian indoor bowls team has made a good start in their quest to defend the Henselite Trophy against the Lion Foundation New Zealand Indoor Bowls team in the biennial Trans Tasman test match over three days from May 12-15 at the Balclutha Memorial Hall in Balclutha.

Australia leads 13-9.

New Zealand won the morning session of the first day 6-4, but Australia stormed back in the afternoon 9-3 to take the lead with wins in the mixed 6-bowl and mixed 8-bowl pairs, men's and women's triples, while New Zealand won the men's pairs and drew the women's pair.

In the morning session of day one, the singles were shared with Taranaki's Grant l'Ami (NZ) beating Chris Dudman, Tasmania (Aus) 20-14 and Monika Korn, New South Wales, (Aus) beating Lisa White, Upper Hutt Valley (NZ) 21-19.

The men's singles was a closely fought match with the scores level 12-12 after 17 of the 25-end game. New Zealand's l'Ami led 15-14 after 22 ends and then took control scoring two, one and two to close out the match 20-14.

In the women's singles, the vastly experienced Korn got away to lead 20-11 against new cap White after 18 ends. White fought back with singles on the next four ends to trail 15-20 with three ends to play. Korn scored one shot on the 23rd end and then White finished strongly with two twos to go down 19-21. However, this good showing will stand her in good stead for the next two days.

New Zealand was successful in the men's fours and mixed fours while Australia won the women's fours.

White then combined with Fiona Wilson, Tauranga, in the women's pair to play Korn and Julie Zaporozec, Tasmania.

In a very tight match New Zealand led 16-12 after 15 ends of the 18 end match but then Australia fought back to go into the final end leading 17-16.

On this end Wilson played a superb bowl to secure the crucial shot and the draw 17-17.

In the men's pair, l'Ami and Ashley Diamond from Canterbury combined to beat Tony Simpson, Tasmania and Arthur Finch, Victoria to score a good win 24-8.

The rest of the matches went to Australia to set them up for the next two days.

In the mixed 6-bowl pairs Ian Ogilvie and Barbara Hill, New South Wales upset the New Zealand captain Simon Thomas, Canterbury and his wife Julie to win the match convincingly 25-13. Both of the Thomas's are in the mixed fours combination and have won the Australasian Medal in the mixed 6-bowl pairs in 2005, 2007 and 2009.

Australia also took out the mixed 8-bowl pairs in convincing fashion with Rodney Wilson and Anne Draffen, Victoria beating John Zittersteijn, North Taranaki and Maureen Pruden, Waikato 20-14.

In the men's triples Australia's Chris Dudman, David Speechley and Terry Hogan pulled out all the stops to defeat New Zealand's Blair Spicer, Grant Rayner and Mike Phipps 20-10. However Spicer had had a win in the men's four earlier in the day and Rayner and Phipps in the mixed fours.

The women's triples also went Australia's way with Meredith Norton, Jody Moore and Patricia Legge too strong for Sandra Keith, Ashburton, Carol Wright, Auckland and Gina Owen, Bay of Plenty 22-11.