Broadbeach employee ready for Comm Games

Ryan Bester says he took a job at the Broadbeach Bowls Club on the Gold Coast mainly for the lifestyle.

But that relaxed lifestyle could come under some stress on Saturday when the Canadian lawn bowler and his pairs partner Ryan Stadnyk take on Australia in the men's pairs at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday.

They will face a biased home crowd - which is ironic, because they will be cheering against one of their own.

Bester came to Australia in 2006, living in Sydney for six years before accepting a job as the greens director at the Broadbeach Bowls Club in 2012.

That was before the Gold Coast were awarded the Games, but Bester will still be taking any advantage he can when he and Stadnyk compete against Australian pair Brett Wilkie and Aaron Wilson.

"Local knowledge helps, so if I can help out my teammates, the Canadians, hopefully I can get them over the line in a couple of games," Bester said.

"(But) when I play Australia I'll get a little bit of support from the locals hopefully."

Bester begins his singles campaign on Monday against Kenneth McGreal from the Isle of Man, but he warmed up for the big pairs clash against Australia when he and Stadnyk beat Shaun Parnis and Brendan Aquilina from Malta on Friday night.

Australia's Karen Murphy continued her unbeaten run earlier on Friday but was given a scare in her second match of the day before prevailing over Colleen Piketh of South Africa 21-16.

Murphy got off to a good start, leading 11-3 at one stage, but was heavily challenged by Piketh in the middle ends before finally grounding out a tough win.

Earlier, she had easily rolled over Zambia's Gertrude Siame, 21-3.

Australia also had two wins in the men's triples, against Botswana and Fiji, while the women's fours had wins over the Cook Islands and Namibia, and the men's pairs beat Brunei and Guernsey.