Bowls: Transtasman test series opens up field for those left behind

The transtasman test series in Australia next week has had contrasting impacts on the two major Anniversary Weekend pairs bowls tournaments in the Auckland region, starting tomorrow and Saturday.

Because of their selection in the national squads, Steve Posa, Glenn McDonald, Philip Skoglund and Blair Barringer have been ruled out of the Manurewa Cosmopolitan pairs, which open with section play on Saturday. The final is on Monday.

But a couple of rejects from the national side, Dunedin's Paul Girdler and Wanganui's Sean Johnson, are still playing and so will have the incentive of making a point to the national selectors.

Adding to the threat from Girdler is that he is playing with another in-form Dunedin bowler, Steve Beel, who was the lead in the Richard Girvan-skipped composite who recently won the national fours title.

Girdler and Posa recently won the Burnside pairs in Christchurch.

Several other former national champions will be at Manurewa, including Canterbury's Maurice Symes and Kelvin Scott, who won the title last year, Ivan Marsic, Ross Haresnape, Nick Grgicevich, Kevin Robinson, Ken Walker, Jim Scott and Dwayne Cameron, the surprise winner of this season's singles.

The Manurewa pairs again carry attractive prizes, the championship winners getting direct entry plus $1000 expenses for one of Australian's prestigious events, the Warilla Pairs in October.

Starting tomorrow will be the Pat Campbell Memorial pairs staged by the Carlton and Rawhiti clubs. The tournament carries total prizemoney of $10,000.

Back to defend their title are the Henderson club's Steve Cox and Mike Farac.

Other leading bowlers in the 40-strong entry include Wellington's Rob Ashton, Australia-based Geoff Hawken, formerly of Taranaki, Petar Sain, Ivan Kostanich, Danny Delaney and one of the tournament organisers, Barry Greer.

Also on this weekend is the Browns Bay Two Bowls Triples Classic with total prizemoney of $8000.

Leading bowlers in the field include Aucklanders Peter Thorne and Alf Dickens, Wellington's John Earles, Dunedin's Kevin and David Archer, and Northland's John Dunn.