Bowls: Bowler fulfils NZ No1 dream

Murray Glassey is NZ PBA No 1 this year. Photo / Anendra Singh

Having polished his bowls since the inception of the NZ PBA tournament began in 2000, Murray Glassey always harboured a desire to become the top seed.

Fifteen years on the Bowls Heretaunga player travelled to the Pukekohe Cosmopolitan Club in South Auckland on Friday for the PBA finals simply content to defer that dream.

"I had thought about it [becoming No1] because I hadn't been ranked No1 before but it was something I was hoping to achieve next year - I had enough points this year to carry forward to next year so I wasn't expecting to do it this year," a tired but grinning Glassey said last night after claiming his maiden bragging rights as NZ No1.

"It's a great feeling. I've been playing in the PBA since its inception in 2000 so it's good to finally get it," said the 39-year-old, revealing he was hovering around No2-4 several times in the national rankings.

The Heinz-Wattie's cook endured two tough sets and a three-end tiebreaker to overcome Taranaki's Craig Johns to also clinch an entry to the International Singles in Blackpool, England, in March next year.

It wasn't a given despite having eight games to become the Kiwi top dog, with Dunedin's Ken Walker nipping at his heels, and just two games away from retaining his No1 berth for an awe-inspiring fourth end-of-season crown.

However, a few minutes earlier Rob Ashton, of Auckland, did Glassey a favour in beating Walker 7-6, 7-5 for the World Indoor Singles entry, thus denying the Dunedinite his top perch.

"It was tough because the standard of bowls is quite high so I had to knuckle down to make sure I had the last game," said Glassey who was locked 6-12, 7-6 with Johns yesterday before prevailing 2-1 in the tie-break.

He had the wobbles on Saturday, losing to Shane Elliott of Southland, 4-10, 7-5, 2-0. Elliott had beaten Aucklander Natarsha Grimshaw, who is a fellow Bowls Heretaunga member with Glassey, 9-6, 8-7 in the opening match.

For Glassey, Johns was a familiar foe considering they faced other in Bay rep fixtures against Taranaki, although they were pretty even in bragging rights going into the weekend.

The Bay bowler is upbeat about retaining his crown next year.

Glassey went to the Welsh International in 2003, after qualifying for several previous Welsh and Scottish Masters but was unable to make the trip to compete because of work and other commitments.

The World Bowls Tours at Blackpool will be his first.

"I'll have to go to work tomorrow and have a chat with the bosses [for some time off]."

Glassey, Walker, Ashton, Duane White (Dunedin) and Craig Merrilees (Southland) jet off to Sydney for the annual Transtasman clash against the Australian PBA on Monday next week.