KUALA LUMPUR: Asia had two wins and two halves in the five foursomes matches at the EurAsia Cup on Friday, with Europe needing a late rally in the other match to hold a 7-3 lead after two days at Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand and South Korea’s Kim Hyung-sung had a 4 and 3 win over the Danish pair of Thomas Bjorn and Thorjorn Olesen in the first result of the day. Then Anirban Lahiri and Siddikur Rahman closed out a 1-up victory over Joost Luiten and Victor Dubuisson after Asia led 2-up with two to play.

Europe, which led 5-0 after winning all fourball matches Thursday, then gained two halves before Graeme McDowell and Jamie Donaldson combined to give the visitors their only full point of day two.

McDowell and Donaldson, 1-down with three to play, rallied for a 2 and 1 win over Gaganjeet Bhullar and Nicholas Fung.

“It wasn’t really anything to do with complacency on the European side,” McDowell said of the turnaround on day two. “I think it was a lot to do with the fact that the Asian team came out and played very well today.” The teams will play 10 singles matches Saturday, when Europe will need just 3.5 points to clinch the first trophy in the Ryder Cup-style event.

Asia could have been in a much better position had the Thai pair of Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat maintained their 1-up lead at the 18th in their second consecutive match against Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal.

And the Japanese pairing of Koumei Oda and Hideto Tanihara also let their advantage slip to be all square with Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Stephen Gallacher. Oda and Tahihara were 3 down, took the lead, then had to be content with a half-point.

“We have a lot of confidence coming back tomorrow. Things got better today after the captain worked so hard to change the partnering in the team,” Aphibarnrat said. “We almost had five points today but we still managed to get three. So I still think if we can get couple of points from first few matches tomorrow, we can turn things around.” Donaldson said it was crucial that he and McDowell held on to ensure Europe maintain a buffer.

“At one point, I looked up at the board and it was all red,” he said, “so it was very important to turn that game around after being down early.”

Creamer, Uribe lead

In Carlsbad, United States, Paula Creamer and Mariajo Uribe, of Colombia, fired five-under 67s to share the lead after the first round of the LPGA Tour’s Kia Classic on Thursday.

American Creamer won for the 10th time on the Tour earlier this year at the HSBC Women’s Champions, while Uribe claimed the title at the 2011 LPGA Brazil Cup.

“I played pretty solid. I had one bogey, but I gave myself a bunch of opportunities, and you know, putted really well, made some good two-putts,” said Creamer.

Cristie Kerr began her tournament with a four-under 68 at the Park Hyatt Aviara Golf Club. She was joined in third place by China’s Feng Shanshan, England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Lee Mi-Hyang, of South Korea.

World number one Park In-bee was one stroke back at three under and shares seventh place with Lexi Thompson, Tiffany Joh, Azahara Munoz and Lizette Salas.

Stacy Lewis fired a two-under 70. She is one of 18 players tied for 12th. Japan’s Ai Miyazato and 2011 US Women’s Open champion Ruy So-Yeon are also in the group at two under.

The 27-year-old Creamer had consecutive birdies at Nos. 13 and 14 after beginning her round on the back nine. She added two more birdies on 17 and 18 to make the turn at three under.

Creamer birdied No. 2 to reach four-under and she tied for the lead with a birdie at the eighth hole.

“And I think it’s an advantage playing early in the morning, and I wanted to take that advantage and try and get as many birdies, but eliminate the bogeys,” Creamer said.