The six Paterson Trophy Indoor Bowls winners will be found this weekend to go forward to the 62nd Lion Foundation Welch Trophy inter-district final at Christchurch on September 6- 8.
Bay of Plenty is in zone two and will be up against Waikato, Tauranga, Hawkes Bay and Poverty Bay at the Ilminster Intermediate School in Gisborne.
Waikato are the holders of the Paterson Trophy in this zone and withstood a strong challenge from Bay of Plenty to win last year.
Bay of Plenty have retained the same players as last year.
Their star player is Gina Owen, who is a current Mat Black and who was a member of the champion four at this year's national championships. She recently won her fifth Bay of Plenty title as did husband Derek and both were awarded gold stars.
Derek Owen won the New Zealand Mixed Fours in 2005 and, along with Robin Porte,r was in the North Island Academy team. Porter was third equal in the national Pairs in 2012. The other team members are Paul Guest, Paul Gooch, Gavin Rennie, Mike Bryant and Lance Hansen. The reserve is Dianne Mackey.
Tauranga will mount a very strong challenge as reflected by their outstanding showing at the National Championships this year when they won the Patron's Cup for the best district. Mike Phipps, who holds six national titles and a gold star, was runner-up in the pairs, Paul Smith and Mat Black Fiona Wilson were third equal in the pairs and fours. The other players in the fours were Keith Setter and Geoff Coughey while Alex Reed was third equal in the triples. Setter holds two national titles, Triples 1998 and Singles 2010 and Coughey Triples 1998.
New cap Lorraine Phipps has two national titles Fours 2011 and Triples 2012 and she is a North Island representative. The other team member is Ben Thurston. The reserve is Craig Whiteside.
The teams are:
Zone 2 hosted by Poverty Bay at Ilminster Intermediate School, Gisborne
Poverty Bay: A Team: Arnold Hutchins, Malcolm Trowell, John Harvey, Lois Lamont; B Team: David Lynn, Bruce Easton, Warren Gibb, Bryan Pulley. Reserve: Wayne Morrell, Manager: Ian Greeks.
Hawkes Bay: A Team: Bruce Dalton, Erik Chilton, Philip Clinch, Mark Appleby. B Team: David Vesty, Stephen Clinch, Sue Fleming, Glenis Cohen. Reserve: Chris Chilton, Manager: Diane Hardie.
Waikato: A Team: John Frelan, Simon Poppleton, David Archer, Darryn Bell; B Team: Gheorghe Sirbu, Richard Caddy, Steve Flaszynski, Maureen Pruden. Reserve: Linda McCurdy.
Tauranga: A Team: Paul Smith, Fiona Wilson, Mike Phipps, Alex Reed; B Team: Keith Setter, Ben Thurston, Geoff Coughey, Lorraine Phipps. Reserve: Craig Whiteside. Manager: Roger Bartosh.
Bay of Plenty: A Team: Derek Owen, Gina Owen, Paul Guest, Paul Gooch; B Team: Robin Porter, Gavin Rennie, Mike Bryant, Lance Hansen. Reserve: Dianne Mackey.