FOUR WORLD INDOOR SINGLES PLACES DECIDED THIS WEEKEND

 

The New Zealand Professional Bowls Association has four direct entry places up for grabs this weekend around the country with events in Pukekohe, Hamilton, Hastings and Dunedin where each will provide a winner to represent the NZ PBA at the Potter’s World Indoor Singles in Norfolk, England next January. The four winners will join a fifth kiwi in the field as NZ number one Jamie Hill has a world ranking of 19th which automatically gains him entry to the richest tournament in bowls.

 

The draws around the country are still classy without Hill and there will be keen interest in the results from all four venues. Last year’s winner at Pukekohe, Neil Fisher, faces a tough first-up game against one of the NZ PBA’s best performed women Reen Stratford, and has other dangerous players such as Clive Major, Justin Goodwin and Ken Fitness in his quarter of the draw. Pukekohe also sees a welcome return to Alan Stewart who turns 19 next week, and will be playing another well-known younger star of the game in Chris Le Lievre in the first round. In his last PBA game last year, Stewart dipped out in one of the best finals ever seen in New Zealand to Jamie Hill. And Manawatu visitors Steve Wood and Desire Lambert travel a long way to face each other in their opening match.

 

The 2007 Hamilton champ, Phil Bennett faces a challenge in Bay of Plenty’s Graham Skellern in his first match. Skellern beat Bennett in this event in 2006 in straight sets in their only previous PBA singles encounter. The winner of this game is favoured to get through to the semifinals with other regular PBA high-flyers Chris Lourie, Kevin Robinson and Brian Cathro all appearing in different quarters of the draw.

 

Manawatu’s Terry Johnson starts his defence of the Hastings title against Wellington rookie Scott Roddick and if games go to form, may face a replay of last year’s dramatic finale against another Wellingtonian Kevin Rice at the quarterfinal stage. There will be a stack of top performers on the Heretaunga rink first thing on Saturday morning including Laurie Guy, Rob Ashton, Ray  Boffa, Adam Newman, Philip Skoglund and Tony Terry all in the bottom quarter of the draw. Two kiwis who have returned from playing PBA in England last year, Ian Meyer and Stephen Zino, battle it out in an afternoon game on Saturday.

 

The feature match when play starts in Dunedin lunch-time Saturday may be the all-Fairfield encounter between Blair Barringer and Mark Cowan, but most eyes will be on the performance of double outdoor world champion Gary Lawson as he makes a return to PBA action in New Zealand for the first time in two years. The Canterbury international has not played in recent years due to his outdoor commitments and preparation but has been a supporter of PBA throughout its introduction to this country, running a pre-nationals pairs event in December at his home club Hornby Domain. Lawson plays the Dunedin local David Pile in the first round.

 

The best encounter in the second batch of games on display looks to be the Paul Girdler v Andrew McCallum clash, but once again, most eyes will likely be elsewhere with defending title holder, and hottest property on the Dunedin part of the PBA circuit, Ken Walker, who opens against Evan Roberts.

 

Draws for the NZ PBA World Indoor Singles direct entry tournaments 26 & 27 July (previous head-to-head NZ PBA singles record):

 

Pukekohe Cosmopolitan Club: 1st round – 8.30am: Bruno Lourie v Glyn Judson (1-0 Lourie); Kirsty Hill v Glenn Stratford; Geoff Trappitt v Eric Patillo; Cliff Oliff v Dave Good; Don Trott v Mark Griffiths; Gail Dick v Bob Howitt; Chris Le Lievre v Alan Stewart; Linda Ralph v Michael Wenzlick; Angela Skinner v Win Cozens; Tony Grantham v Brian Wilson; Joe Whitelaw v Doug Parlane.

2nd round – 9.30am: Raewyn Renall v Parlane or Whitelaw; Gordon Smith v Dan Delaney; Sam Nelson v Kevin Dixon; Neville Hill v John Dunn; Neil Fisher v Reen Stratford; Clive Major v Justin Goodwin (1-0 Major).

2nd round – 10.30am: Ken Fitness v Jim Ballard (1-0 Fitness); Laurie Stothard v Dave Poingdestre; Di Major v Robbie Marshall; Steve Wood v Desire Lambert; Steve Cox v Paul Freeth.

 

Frankton Railway Bowling Club, Hamilton: 1st round – 8.30am: Kathleen Morrison v Chris Lourie; Gene Gregory v Frances Knight; Darral Gordon v Chris Bryant; Alan Bowler v Val Mathews; Brian Osmond v Kerry Margan; Don Christensen v Raewyn Willis.

2nd round – 8.30am : Phil Bennett v Graham Skellern (1-0 Skellern); Craig Johns v David Eades; Kevin Robinson v Ian Andrews; Brian Cathro v Richard Woodcock (1-0 Cathro); Kevin Sidwell v Cathy Andrews.

 

Heretaunga Club, Hastings: 1st round – 8.30am: Peter Wester v Guy Taylor; Laurie Guy v Rob Ashton; Lawrie Gordon v Ray Boffa; Hayley May v Adam Newman; Mike Tamati v Philip Skoglund; Angela Bell v Tony Terry; Steve Love v Byron Brook; Barry Wynks v Harry Mills.

1st round – 10am : Lou Newman v Vickie Crystall; Paul Sorensen v Dave van der Weele; Ken Smith v Kaaren Guilford; Shoota Ballinger v Warren McCarthy.

1st round – 11.30am : Mike Isaacson v Denis Biggs; Craig Faulknor v Dave Porteous.

2nd round – 11.30am : Peter Lambert v Barry O’Brien; Sue Murray v Dale Lang; Ian Mason v Kevin Rice.

2nd round – 1pm: Brian Pacquin v George Ngametua; Scott Roddick v Terry Johnson; Ian Porteous v Blake Signal; Richard Corry v Murray Glassey (1-0 Glassey).

2nd round – 2.30pm : Alvin Gardiner v Ben Sail; Stephen Zino v Ian Meyer.

 

Dunedin Bowls Stadium: 12noon report for 12.30 start: Bob Crawford v Sue Hodges; Miguel Rodriguez v Steve Kannewischer; Blair Barringer v Mark Cowan (1-0 Cowan); Peter Wilson v Wayne Stewart; Mark Lister v Doug Thomas; David Pile v Gary Lawson; Dave Archer v Colin Ward; Duane White v Bevan Clark (1-1).

1.30pm: Jim Scott v Ross Munro; Ken Walker v Evan Roberts (1-0 Walker); Andrew Kelly v Brent Webster; Paul Girdler v Andrew McCallum (1-0 Girdler); Shayne Sincock v Steve Wilson; Beth Brown v Bill Hinton; Steve Jones v Andrew McLean; Peter Unkovich v Trish Marr.

3.30pm: Andrew MacGregor v Nick Buttar; Joko Susilo v Bob McAuley; Shaun Scott v Cliff Morgan; Denis Leeden v Terry Scott; M Grey v Robert Gibson; Geoff Wilson v Bill Clements; Mike Bracegirdle v Malia Ellison; Mark Watt v Ross Stewart; Carolyn Crawford v Robbie Thomson.

Practice sessions 4-8pm Friday, 12-12.30pm Saturday.

Accommodation available at Dunedin Holiday Park , Victoria Road.

 

 

 

Thanks to Richard Corry