Bowls: Glassey's in head-to-head battle for England

Murray Glassey (right) with Paul "Kumara" Selby.

They are playing at five venues around the country but the mother of all battles in the New Zealand Professional Bowls Association-run qualifiers at the weekend is predicted to happen in Hastings.

New Zealand top seed Murray Glassey will be in a rumble against No12 Dean Drummond in an all-host affair from 8.30am on Sunday at the Heretaunga Club.

The pair have played each other six times already in singles since Drummond joined the PBA just two years ago but Glassey's enjoyed the rub of the green - a 5-1 head-to-head advantage. Glassey last year won all three single qualifiers here.

Around 130 bowlers are in the quest to secure the richest prize in bowls if they reach the World Indoor Singles championship at Potter's Leisure Resort, England, in January next year for a winner's cheque of 55,000.

Venue winners in New Zealand will playoff in Dunedin on September 9-11 for the right to represent NZPBA in England.

Play starts here tomorrow night at the Westpac Bowls Stadium, Dunedin, to get through the largest field.

A key game will be between NZPBA team member Andy McLean and Lou Robinson.

Australasian champion Ken Walker may be attempting to play in a wheelchair after a gardening mishap aggravated an Achilles injury earlier this week.