It's a huge call to make but, because it has come from Hawke's Bay bowler Ces Bell, take note.
"We're going there to win. There's a good team feeling, there are no big heads and there are no stars," Bell replied when quizzed about his Taradale division one team's chances at the national interclub sevens finals in Auckland this weekend. "We've got a really settled team. We'll be trying our hardest and will leave nothing out there," Bell continued.
When it comes to bowls Bell, 70, has been there and done that so his confidence levels command respect. Three national titles, multiple centre titles and multiple club titles are scattered throughout his 30-year bowling CV which first had entries posted in 1965.
He is the oldest of the Taradale team and will skip the pair which will also include his regular lead Ken Smith. The youngest of the team, 20-year-old national rep Richard Hocking, has the singles role while Phil Young will skip the four, which will have fellow experienced campaigners Frank Grantham and Lloyd Fitness at three and two respectively and former New Zealand squash representative Paul Viggers at lead. "Paul hasn't played bowls that long but you could tell he had played another sport at an elite level when he first picked it up ... he is really keen too."
Bell took up bowls at the Aramoho club with his father Ces Bell Senior. One of the biggest claims to fame for the 1992 winning skip at the prestigious Taranaki Open Fours tournament is skipping teams which regularly included three-time world champion and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Peter Belliss.
