Indoor Bowls: Mat Blacks in huge field for champs

A field of 1063 players will assemble in Rotorua on Saturday to compete in the 64th Lion Foundation National Indoor Bowls Championships at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.

The championships begin with singles section play and included in the field are 11 of the successful Mat Blacks who defeated Australia in the bi-annual Trans Tasman international recently.

They include Fiona Wilson from Tauranga, Rotorua's Gina Owen and Paul Psaila, Auckland, who holds seven national titles as does l'Ami. Two other gold star holders competing are Rayner and Mike Phipps from Tauranga.

There are five players sitting on four titles who need just one more to win their gold stars. In the singles field of 635, as well as the defending champion Joseph Zino, there are seven former singles champions - Paul Midgley (Taranaki-2011), Keith Setter (Tauranga-2010), John Frelan (Waikato-2001), Vern Littlejohn (Waikato-1996), Murray James (Tauranga- 1991), Kevin Boothby (Thames Valley-1972) and Rod Fleming (Hawkes Bay-1977, 1980).

Bay of Plenty's other top contenders include Robin Porter from Lake Taupo Club who is in the North Island Academy team, as well as Keri Te Tamaki and Derek Owen from the Westbrook Club.

There are 395 entries in the pairs on Sunday with the defending champions Steve Fisher and Pam Cohen, Auckland, entered. Former champions include Kevin Childs and Ray Wyatt (Auckland-1992), Trevor and Judi Moyle (Auckland-1999), Grant l'Ami and Mike Phipps (Tauranga-2002), Simon Poppleton and Darryn Bell (Waikato-2004), and Grant Rayner and Paul Psaila (North Wellington-2006 and 2010). Grant Harvey (North Taranaki), who won the pairs in 1998 and Tim Veale who won in 2008 combine to form a formidable team.

Among the 240 triples contesting this event on Wednesday are last year's champions Grant l'Ami, Mike and Lorraine Phipps, Tauranga, as well as the 2011 champions Gary, Graham and Jan Low from Southland and the 2010 champions Grant Rayner, Paul Psaila and Teri Anderson, Auckland. In a very strong field the other top combinations are John Zittersteijn, Mark and Sean Ridley, North Taranaki and Paul Midgley, Grant Harvey and Sheree Holmes, North Taranaki.

Post Section play in the singles is on Monday, pairs on Tuesday, triples on Friday and fours on Saturday the last day of the championships.

The match to be played between the North Island and South Island Academy teams will be held following the triples section play on Wednesday.

The North and South Island teams which play in the annual Inter-Island Match on August 17 will be announced after section play in the fours is completed on Thursday.