Bowls: Consistent Girdler rewarded with test debut

Dunedin's Paul Girdler was yesterday rewarded for his consistency over the past three seasons by being named in the New Zealand men's bowls side to contest the transtasman series in Sydney next month.

Girdler, who toured Zimbabwe and South Africa with a second-string national side last year, will be making his test debut against Australia - alongside four experienced internationals, Auckland's Rowan Brassey and Mike Kernaghan, Palmerston North's Russell Meyer and Peter Belliss, living in Queensland.

Brassey retains the singles spot and will be skipped by Kernaghan in the pairs, while the left-handed Girdler - a strong driver and shotmaker - slips into the middle of the triple and No 3 in the four, skipped by the ever-present Belliss.

The reigning New Zealand champion Marie Watson (Nelson) takes over the singles spot in the women's side after Millie Khan retired and she is joined by skip Anne Lomas (Hunua) in another new pairs combination.

Marlene Castle (Orewa) moves back to skipping the fours and triples after winning her first national championship in Christchurch in February.

Meanwhile, the Wanganui-Taranaki men and the Tridents women representing Waikato-Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley yesterday won the inaugural regional Super 8 titles in Palmerston North.

Wanganui-Taranaki beat the Hurricanes (Wellington-Wairarapa-Kapiti) 2-1 in the men's final, while the Tridents beat Wanganui-Taranaki 3-1.

Despite a thrilling 1-9 9-5 9-8 singles win by Newman (Hurricanes) over in-form Johnson (Wanganui), the Hurricanes couldn't carry on their good start. The closest they got to another win was in the fours when Peter Petherick's combination drew 16-all with Ray Savage.

An impressive singles performance from Millie Khan led the Tridents women to their win.

Her 1-9 9-1 9-7 win over past national singles winner Eryn Brightwell got the crucial first victory before the triple of Pam Clotworthy, Val Matthews and Dot Curry and Adrienne Lambert's four sealed the clash. - NZPA