Bowls: Harbour lose players in change to format

North Harbour reluctantly discarded four of the bowlers who helped them qualify as the northern region's representatives for the national intercentre finals in Palmerston North today and tomorrow.

In the northern playoffs, centres were represented by 10 bowlers playing traditionally in singles, pairs, triples and fours.

But for the finals this weekend Bowls New Zealand has decided to use the format to be introduced for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne next year.

That means all games are in sets and with tie-breakers. There are no fours as meeting television demands is the main aim. This was also the format in the transtasman test series earlier this year.

Bowls North Harbour president Margaret Duke said her centre was disappointed that four of the players who had helped in the qualifying rounds had missed out.

But there was nothing to be done as centres had known for some time about the new format which is expected to be used as a one-off because of the Games.

There was a certain irony in the switch. Several players who were expected to use the intercentre finals as Games preparation, such as North Harbour's Rowan Brassey and Canterbury's Gary Lawson, are not in Palmerston North.

Instead of representing their centres they are competing in a rich Australian pairs tournament.

There are still top players competing in the intercentre event.

Games aspirants in the men's contest include Harbour's Steve Posa and Justin Goodwin, Counties-Manukau's Dwayne Cameron, Gisborne-East Coast's Shannon McIlroy, Wellington's Bruce Henderson, and Dunedin's Paul Girdler.

The women's intercentre qualifiers have been Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Wanganui, Manawatu, Nelson and South Canterbury.