IRELAND, England and Scotland are all on course for semi-final spots as they approach today's concluding section matches in the triples competition at the World Bowls Championships in Adelaide..

New Zealand, South Africa and Australia are also in contention, with the host nation and the Scots currently best placed to secure berths in the last four.

Ireland are bang in contention after five straight victories and they clash with South Africa in a section B decider.

The Irish side of Ian McClure, Gary McCloy, and Noel Graham crushed John Price's Welsh trio 32-14 and went on to beat Swaziland 35-6.

Scotland are two points clear in section C with Kenny Logan, Willie Wood and George Adrain having notched their fourth straight victory.

The Scottish trio coasted to a 30-8 win over Western Samoa and now need a win in just one of today's two matches against bottom sides Brazil and Botswana to make sure of a medal.

Australia hold a four point lead at the top of section A after stretching their winning run to five with wins over Namibia and Singapore.

England's Brett Morley, David Cutler and John Bell had to survive a scare before edging out Malawi 16-14, having earlier beaten Norfolk Island 26-13.

"It was just one of those games they got every rub that was going," said English skip Bell. "Repeatedly we looked poised to stretch away but they always managed to get one more in."

Pairs matches saw defending champions Richard Corsie and Alex Marshall from Scotland beat Norfolk Island 24-16 and Israel 25-18 to all but assure themselves of a place in Saturday's semi-finals.

Ireland's Sammy Allen and Jeremy Henry beat the United States 30-8 and Cook Islands 35-13 while Will Thomas and Robert Weale from Wales won their clash with Papua New Guinea 31-9.