Bowls: Battle of the tall timber at Tauranga green

Bay of Plenty bowls singles finalists Dan Dickison, left, and Talor Duncan. Photo / Andrew Warner

Dickison not underestimating experience of younger opponent.

Dan Dickison and Talor Duncan would not look out of place on a basketball court but tomorrow they will contest the Bay of Plenty men's singles bowls final.

Dickson stands 194 cm (6'4") and Duncan 192cm (6'3") and the two Bowls Tauranga South Club members are as evenly matched as their height.

Duncan, 20, began bowling while a student at Tauranga Boys' College and he represents the changing, younger face of bowls, especially at national level.

"It definitely is getting younger. For me I sort of just fell into it. Nana used to do indoor bowls and I used to go there after school at Greenpark Primary School and get on one of the spare mats and just have a roll up. Then I got to college and they had a bowls team and it was an extra way of getting out of school," he laughed.

"I found I had a pretty good knack for it and have just gone from there and had the ambition to play for New Zealand."

That ambition was realised in March 2014 when Duncan was part of the New Zealand under-18 team that played against Australia in Melbourne.

Duncan has played Dickison before and is expecting a highly competitive match.

"I had the pleasure of playing him before at the nationals two years ago up in North Harbour. (Black Jack Mike Nagy) and I played in the fours and he just got the better of us that game but we made the top eight which was pretty good at my first nationals.

"It would be pretty huge for me to win (tomorrow). I managed to make the final last year but just being a little bit younger and a little bit less experienced, Hugh Jorgensen just got the better of me. There were a couple of missed opportunities as there always is.

"Now I am in a better mental state and better prepared for the game."

Duncan's opponent is the vastly experienced Dickison who made his name in bowls in Dunedin, Wellington and the Far North before moving to Tauranga last year.

He has an impressive 10 centre titles to his name.

"I am very pleased to make the finals. I only arrived in Tauranga the day before on a Friday and was playing bowls on the Saturday.

"I didn't really know anyone here but the greens were absolutely lovely to play on at Tauranga Domain and things just went my way," Dickison said.

He does not read too much into his supposed advantage in age and years playing.

"My age and experience does not count much at all really and I know Talor has a ton of experience as well.

"He has played for New Zealand and he is a very good bowler so it just comes down to one game, 21 shots and who fronts up on the day."

Dickison is the nephew of Ian Dickison, a former Commonwealth Games gold medalist and also winner of the triples gold medal and fours silver medal at the World Bowls championship held in Auckland in 1988.

"When I was younger living in Dunedin he was great. He really got me on the right path to playing competitive bowls, as did my Dad. They were both big influences on me watching them play. I was there when they won the national pairs together and then Ian went on to win the Commonwealth gold in 1986 at Edinburgh."

• Tomorrow's singles final starts at 9am at Tauranga Bowling Club at the Domain.