Bowls: Leonard out of nationals for using illegal bowls

Timaru bowler Leo Leonard has been disqualified from the national championships for playing with illegal bowls.

A Bowls New Zealand subcommittee found no evidence that Leonard had tampered with the bowls, which he bought second-hand in Australia. But it decided that it was the player's responsibility to ensure he played with legal bowls.

Leonard will have to return the $100 he won for reaching the quarter-finals of the singles, ironically with legal bowls. The 60-year-old from the Kia Toa club will also be liable for the costs of having his bowls airfreighted to Australia and tested at two factories there.

Leonard's disqualification has not affected any other tournament result. He was challenged by Aucklander Wally Marsic after Marsic's Carlton four lost to Leonard in a fours qualifying game. Neither qualified.

Marsic is incensed that he was deprived of qualification by the loss and is pursuing the matter with the Tower tournament committee.

Leonard's bowls were alleged to be running too narrow, with less than the legal amount of curve. At the Australian Henselite factory the bowls failed by 12.5 inches. At Drake's Pride they failed by 1.5 inches.

Both testers indicated that the bowls had unusual surface scratches inconsistent with normal wear and tear.

The Bowls NZ inquiry accepted that there was no evidence that Leonard had interfered with the bowls or caused them to be interfered with. But the subcommittee recommended that he be disqualified for using them and the tournament committee took that course.

Leonard pointed out the discrepancy between the tests, and suggested that a third might find the bowls legal.

He questioned the disqualification on the grounds he had been the subject of public embarrassment, which was punishment enough.

The Bowls NZ subcommittee, Don Manson, Stephen O'Driscoll and George Alley, recommended that using illegal bowls result in automatic disqualification, whatever the circumstances.

However, there will still be no authorised tester in New Zealand and anyone using second-hand bowls without a pedigree will do so at their own risk.