PBA bowls: Glassey in search of sweeter success

Murray Glassey. PHOTO/FILE

Getting himself out of a jam is a daily ritual for Murray Glassey who is a cook at Heinz Wattie's factory in Hastings.

That's because, as the 39-year-old stresses, if he makes a custard of the jam recipe then it's a truckload of moolah down the gurgler for his employers.

Consequently it seems to be fair to draw the analogy that Glassey is quite capable of handling pressure-cooker situations and isn't about to make a dash from the kitchen when the Graham Dorreen Family Trust PBA Finals Weekend starts simmering in South Auckland from today.

The Bowls Heretaunga player can potentially chalk up to eight matches if he keeps winning in all three qualifying events for the World Bowls Tour, after sweeping all the qualifiers during the winter season in Hastings.

His remarkable run caused some scheduling headaches for organisers and has closed the gulf with Dunedin's Ken Walker to just one match win in the race to be NZ PBA year-end No1 - win or lose any titles.

Glassey has never been year-end No1 whereas Walker claimed that honour in 2008, 2012 and 2014.

Walker also has the chance to build on his points tally this weekend competing in the World Indoor Singles play-offs.

"Ken has only possible two games and I have eight. He's on 10 points and I'm on nine so if I win one more than Ken then I'll be No1," Glassey said last night after a sponsors' evening of matches at the Pukekohe Cosmopolitan Club which is hosting the weekend.

Walker and Glassey are the only two players assured of making the NZ PBA team to play the Australian PBA in the 2016 TransTasman Challenge.

Five players (Andy McLean, Craig Merrilees, Rob Ashton, Aidan Lusby and Duane White) have mathematical chances of taking the other three spots.

Information on this year's Challenge, to be held at the Cabramatta Club in Sydney on September 22-23, was expected to be released by the end of this week.

Glassey plays North Harbour's Bart Robertson in the International singles quarterfinal from 8.30am today.

The irony is Glassey has never locked horns with Walker although the pair have represented their country against Australia.

"It's just the luck of the draw, I guess," said Glassey.

"I know him well so I'm just looking forward to it this weekend."

A record three women will feature in this year's NZ PBA playoffs.

However Natarsha Grimshaw, who bowls under the Auckland banner and is originally from the Big Smoke but has competed as a member of Bowls Heretaunga after shifting to live and play here for a few years, has enough of a lead to claim the top-woman kudos for the second year in a row.

The 37-year-old, who was PBA equal No9 last year, plays Southland's Shane Elliott in the Scottish singles quarterfinal today.

Kristin Stampa and Debbie Wilford will represent the New Plymouth venue this weekend.