Bowls: Region well represented at test match

Fiona Wilson (right) has retained her place in the New Zealand Indoor Bowls Team.

Bay of Plenty is strongly represented in the New Zealand Indoor Bowls Team for next year's Trans-Tasman International test match against Australia at the Mount Maunganui Sports Centre.

Gina Owen from the Westbrook Club in Rotorua has retained her place and will this time lead in the Mixed Fours and Mixed 6-bowl Pairs.

Tauranga's Fiona Wilson, the vice-captain of the side, will again skip the women's pair and slots into the three position in the women's four while Paul Smith (Tauranga) makes his debut as the lead in the men's four and triple.

All of the players in the winning team two years ago that sought re-selection have retained their place in a reshuffled team to defend the Henselite Trophy.

The three newcomers are Teri Anderson (Waikato), Smith (Tauranga) and Paul Wright (Auckland), with Grant l'Ami of North Taranaki to again captain the side and skip the men's four and the men's pair.

The other players who have retained their places are Lois Randall (Hutt Valley) Sheree Holmes (Upper Hutt Valley), Maureen Pruden (Waikato), Linda McCurdy (Waikato), Gary Low (Southland), Ashley Diamond (Canterbury), John Zittersteijn (North Taranaki), Grant Rayner (North Wellington).

Wright comes into the side as skip of the mixed four and skip of the mixed 6 - bowl pairs while Smith will lead in the men's four and triple.

New Zealand has won the trophy 15 times including eight tests in succession from 1993-2007. Tests are played every two years and alternate between countries. Australia has won five times - most recently in 2009 and 2011.

The test match will run from May 14-16.