Taranaki players will be looking to build on the province’s proud history at the New Zealand bowls championships when the event commences in Auckland on January 2.
A total of 17 players will trek north, all with aspirations of some sort, for the singles and pairs competitions. The fours and mixed pairs events will be held in Christchurch in February.
Briar Atkinson presents Taranaki’s best chance of success. She knocked loudly on the door last season, narrowly losing the pairs final with Tannih Potgieter and placing third-equal in the singles.
Atkinson should go close in both disciplines. She will lead in the pairs for Selina Goddard. The same combination will face Australia in the trans-Tasman in late January.
Goddard and Tayla Bruce, who played such a spectacular final two years ago, and reigning champion Leeane Poulson, all current Black Jacks, present the biggest hurdles for Atkinson in the singles. But the field is more open this season with Val Smith, Jo Edwards and Katelyn Inch all absent.
Taranaki will also be represented in the women’s pairs by Bridget Fletcher and Tina Atkinson-Watt, and Trish Howard and Kristin Stampa.
Atkinson-Watt also contests the singles, as does clubmate Amanda Crehan.
Dean Elgar, the winner of the men’s singles in 2017, showed enough form in the Taranaki interclub competition, to suggest that he could challenge again.
He won’t take part in the pairs, but both finalists from the recent Christmas pairs will – victors John Roberts and Craig De Faria, and the runners-up Kaylin Huwyler and Hamish Kape.
Rahotu young guns Nathan Goodin and Camron Horo are also in the field, while John Gray links up with Tauranga’s talented Dan Dickison, the 2021 Open winning skip.
Among the other Taranaki players that will feature are Kevin Gledhill, Bruce Hall and Ross Henderson.
Taranaki rates a good prospect in the disability event, where newly selected international Kurt Smith takes part in the singles and pairs. He combines in the latter with Teri Blackbourn, the winner of the world para pairs title in 2023.
The finals of the disability and women’s singles and the men’s pairs are scheduled for January 5. The disability and women’s pairs and the men’s singles will be concluded on January 9.
Grant Hassall
Courtesy of Sports News Taranaki
https://sportsnewstaranaki.co.nz/news-article?id=1874