Bowls: Chapman in good company

SYDNEY - New Zealand singles exponent Kerry Chapman is picking the brains of accomplished team-mates Peter Belliss and Rowan Brassey ahead of their defence of the annual Transtasman Trophy bowls test series starting in Sydney today.

Chapman continues his baptism of fire at international level by taking on Australian No 1 Steve Glasson in each of the three tests at the St Johns Park club.

The second and third tests are tomorrow and Thursday.

Last month the Auckland 28-year-old made his test debut against Irish world champion Jeremy Henry. Chapman proved he belonged at that level by winning the first match before losing the next two narrowly.

"It doesn't get much harder than this to start things off," Chapman said. "I only just lost out to the world champ so I've got to take a lot from that and go out there and believe in myself again."

Chapman will also play lead in the triples with legendary New Zealander singles players Belliss and Brassey.

Those two, with Andrew Curtain as lead, won gold in the triples at last year's world championships in South Africa.

After years of success as individuals, the duo are now team-mates at New South Wales premiership club Cabramatta and forging a quality combination at the back end of New Zealand triples and fours combinations.

"They're experienced guys, they give you sound advice all the time. I'm actually rooming with Peter and I try to pick his brain whenever I get the opportunity," Chapman said.

He believed his form had to be good to keep his spot ahead of Curtain, who was returning to his best form, and national champion Mike Kernaghan.

Paul Girdler and Russell Meyer, who won world championships bronze medals in the pairs and fours, will pair again, alongside Brassey and Belliss.

New Zealand won the Transtasman Trophy for the first time in four years in the Hutt Valley 14 months ago.

The overall test series will be decided across four levels, also including the men's under-30 and women's academy teams. Each test will comprise 16 matches, with each team playing a singles, pairs, triples and fours match.

The New Zealand men's five-strong team are the same who beat Ireland 3-0, while the senior women's team, who had the same result, have one change, with Wanganui's Karen Coombe in for Jan Khan.

Coombe will lead the pairs with singles player Marlene Castle, and also the fours with Patsy Jorgensen, Sharon Sims and Anne Lomas. The latter three will reunite into the trio who won last year's world championships gold.

Many of the New Zealanders will be staking an early claim for selection to next year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

Seven men and seven women will be picked for the Games, meaning that at least two spaces are at present vacant in each team.

Selectors will soon name a team of eight men and eight women to compete in tournaments in England in July.

- NZPA