Gary Kelly and Jo Edwards won the men's and women's titles at the Bowls World Cup in Australia ©World Bowls

Ireland's Gary Kelly and Jo Edwards of New Zealand became the new Bowls World Cup champions at Barrack Heights in Australia today. 

They earned respective victories in the men's and women's finals over Brendan Aquilina of Malta and defending champion Lucy Beere of Guernsey.

For Kelly, the final against Aquilina was a veritable clash of the titans, given that both men had reached the final with perfect records in their 12 preceding matches.

It proved to be unlucky 13th for the Maltese bowler, however, who earlier in the day had earned his place in the final with an 8-6, 7-4 win over Australia's defending champion Jeremy Henry.

Henry was seeking a seventh title on his home ground at the Warilla Bowls and Recreation Club at Shellharbour, New South Wales.

Kelly came through to earn the title 11-4, 9-3.

For the 49-year-old Edwards, five times a winner, an 8-5, 10-5 win in the final earned revenge for her surprise defeat by Beere in last year's semi-final.