AUSTRALIA v NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL PBA CHALLENGE BACK ON!!!

The successful Australia versus New Zealand International PBA Challenge hosted by the Tweed Heads club on the Gold Coast over the last three years is back on the calendar with an announcement that the East Cessnock club in the Hunter Valley will hold the 2013 PBA Trans Tasman Test Series from July 15th to 17th. The Australian PBA will defend the trophy with an unchanged team of superstars with Brett Wilkie, Steve Glasson, Ben Twist, Kelvin Kerkow and Karen Murphy, while New Zealand’s team consists of the top ranked players from the 2012 NZ PBA Race to Oz rankings.

The New Zealand team over the last three years has included the top four ranked players from the previous season, and one invited player which has been reserved for the top performing kiwi from the previous year’s International Challenge if they have not maintained a top four ranking. Last year’s Challenge champion Ken Walker (Dunedin) also topped the New Zealand Race to Oz rankings and will lead fellow top four ranked players Murray Glassey (Hawke’s Bay), Mark Watt (Dunedin) and Chris Lourie (Waikato) into battle. The fifth invitation spot has been awarded to the sixth ranked player on the 2012 rankings Duane White (Dunedin) as the fifth ranked Phil Bennett (Waikato) is unavailable due to work and surgery commitments.

The event will start with a formal dinner on Sunday night 14th July to kick off three days of intense bowls to find the champion individual and top association for 2013.

WHITE IS REWARDED FOR A HOT 18 MONTHS

Dunedin’s Duane White is now sowing the rewards for a hot run over the last 18 months which has seen his ranking rise from 31st equal at the end of 2011 to Number One in the newly released Race to Oz rankings following Queen’s Birthday Weekend competitions around the country. Since his debut in 2004 to 2011, White was never able to progress further than a quarterfinal in a singles event, however in an astonishing turnaround, he has not done worse than a quarterfinal in every singles and pairs event in 2012 and 2013.

The run started at the end of 2011 reaching the final of a Rankings Pairs event, and has included winning a Rankings Singles tournament in 2012, and winning two events last week including Dunedin’s Scottish International Open Singles qualifier. White’s form is to be rewarded next month with a debut in the resurrected Australia v New Zealand PBA Trans Tasman at the East Cessnock club in the Hunter Valley.

The rest of the top five has a familiar look to it including Ken Walker (Dunedin), Mark Watt (Dunedin), Phil Bennett (Waikato) and in fifth equal is Murray Glassey (Hawke’s Bay) and the rejuvenated PBA career of Wayne Stewart (Waikato). Former number one Chris Lourie (Waikato) has dropped significantly to eighteenth.

Southland’s Maree Jones threatens to become the first woman to break into the New Zealand top ten rankings with a career high eleventh equal placing, while Hawke’s Bay’s Jim Bentley leads this year’s batch of rookies having won a locally run qualifying tournament to win his membership and starting his career with a runner-up in the Ranking Pairs tournament in Hastings last weekend.

New Zealand Professional Bowls Association Race to Oz rankings after Queen’s Birthday Weekend:

(2012 Rank) Current Rank Player (Centre) Points

(6)1Duane White(Dunedin)274
(1)2Ken Walker(Dunedin)233
(3)3Mark Watt(Dunedin)218
(5)4Phil Bennett(Waikato)187
(2)5=Murray Glassey(Hawke’s Bay)186
(8)5=Wayne Stewart(Waikato)186
(20=)7Laurie Guy(Wellington)181
(9)8Ross Munro(Dunedin)177
(30=)9Craig Merrilees(Southland)172
(11)10Aidan Lusby(Dunedin)162

Notable others:
(14)11=Maree Jones(Southland)146
(107=)25=Bryan Hartstonge(Southland)108
(73=)48=Stephen Zino(Wellington)82
(new)87Jim Bentley(Hawke’s Bay)50

NZ PBA DRAWS FOR THIS WEEKEND

HAMILTON, Frankton Railway Bowling Club

Ranking Singles – Sat 15th June:
9am - 1st round: Wayne Stewart v David Eades; Phil Bennett v Brian Wilson; Graeme Fitzpatrick v Neil Jury.
10am - 2nd round: Gene Gregory v winner Fitzpatrick/N.Jury; Graham Skellern v Kristin Stampa; Simon Reesby v Chris Lourie; Bart Robertson v Linda Ralph; Eric Pattillo v Roxanne Jury; Sam Nelson v Gayle Melrose; Mike Pattillo v Rob Ashton.

World Singles – Sun 16th June:
9am - 1st round: Gene Gregory v Graham Skellern.
9am – 2nd round: Linda Ralph v winner Gregory/Skellern; Sam Nelson v David Eades; Rob Ashton v Kristin Stampa; Mike Patillo v Chris Lourie; Wayne Stewart v Simon Reesby; Graeme Fitzpatrick v Eric Pattillo; Bart Robertson v Phil Bennett; Brian Wilson v Gayle Melrose.

HASTINGS, Heretaunga Club

Ranking Singles – Sat 15th June:
8.30am - 1st round: Tilly Carlsson v Byron Brook; Steve Love v Murray Glassey; Mike LeGeyt v Jim Bentley; Mike Isaacson v Dave Porteous; Natarsha Grimshaw v Kaaren Guilford; John Young v Dale Rayner.
10.30am – 2nd round: Mike Tamati v Jillian Ramsey; Laurie Guy v Scott Roddick; Stephen Zino v Tanya Wheeler; Ken Smith v Richard Corry; Terry Johnson v Peter Ramsey.

World Singles – Sun 16th June:
8.30am – 1st round: Mike Isaacson v Steve Zino; Richard Corry v Byron Brook; John Young v Terry Johnson; Jillian Ramsey v Scott Roddick; Jim Bentley v Murray Glassey; Mike Tamati v Mike LeGeyt; Steve Love v Tilly Carlsson.
10.30am – 2nd round: Peter Ramsey v winner Love/Carlsson; Ken Smith v Tanya Wheeler; Dave Porteous v Angela Boyd; Kaaren Guilford v Natarsha Grimshaw; Dale Rayner v Laurie Guy.

DUNEDIN, Westpac Community Bowls Stadium

Ranking Singles (7 end sets in Dunedin only):
Fri 14th June 6.30pm – 1st round: Joko Susilo v Graeme Jeffery; Duane White v Peter Bell; Sue Hodges v Ken Walker; Dan O’Leary v Terry Perham; Mark Watt v Peter Wilson; Sue Smeaton v Mike Cranstoun; Russell Dawe v Marty Kreft; Andy McLean v Trish Marr.
Fri 14th June 7.30pm – 1st round: Regan Larkin v Aidan Lusby; Jacqui Peterson v Ross Thomson.
Fri 14th June 7.30pm – 2nd round: Sandy Wilson v Ross Munro; Stephen Hughes v Doug Thomas.
Sat 15th June 12.30pm – 1st round: John Cross v Shayne Sincock.
Sat 15th June 12.30pm – 2nd round: Kelvin Budge v winner Peterson/Thomson.

World Singles (9 end sets) – Sat 15th June:
12.30pm – 1st round: Peter Wilson v Stephen Hughes; Kelvin Budge v Aidan Lusby; Marty Kreft v Sandy Wilson; Trish Marr v Mike Cranstoun; Peter Bell v Terry Perham; Shayne Sincock v Ross Munro; Duane White v Regan Larkin; Ross Thomson v Graeme Jeffery.
2pm – 1st round: John Cross v Simon Nyhof; Dan O’Leary v Sue Smeaton; Jacqui Peterson v Russell Dawe.
2pm – 2nd round: Mark Watt v Doug Thomas.
3.30pm – 2nd round: Joko Susilo v Ken Walker; Andy McLean v winner Peterson/Dawe.

INVERCARGILL, Waverley Bowling Club:
Ranking Singles – Sat 15th June:
8.30am – 1st round: Craig Chapman v Murray Swain; Phil Cross v Sonny Tautari; Bob McAuley v Bruce Ross; Brent Thomson v Lindsay Thomas; Ali Erskine v Sheldon Bagrie-Howley; Shane Elliott v Glenn Milne.
8.30am – 2nd round: Bronwyn Stevens v Ian Taplin; Craig Merrilees v Eddie Taplin; Russell Jones v Roger Stevens; Aaron Tribe v Brian Hartstonge; Brent Webster v Maree Jones.

World Singles – Sun 16th June:
8.30am – 1st round: Craig Chapman v Bob McAuley; Brian Hartstonge v Sonny Tautari; Glenn Milne v Aaron Tribe; Eddie Taplin v Shane Elliott; Craig Merrilees v Brent Webster.
8.30am – 2nd round: Murray Swain v winner Merrilees/Webster; Sheldon Bagrie-Howley v Ian Taplin; Russell Jones v Bruce Ross; Bronwyn Stevens v Ali Erskine; Lindsay Thomas v Maree Jones; Roger Stevens v Brent Thomson.

Richard Corry
NZ-PBA Chairman

0211689718