Wellington Strong performances at the national bowls championships this week has seen several players named n the New Zealand side to play Australia next month. Australian-based world bowls bronze medallist Russell Meyer retains his place as New Zealand's premier singles player, while the selectors have matched two of New Zealand's
greats in the pairs discipline with Gary Lawson and Rowan Brassey forming a formidable combination. In the triples Glenn McDonald will skip Philip Skoglund and new cap Steve Posa. "These three players have been rewarded for outstanding form at the nationals not only this year, but for Steve and Glenn the last few years," convenor of selectors Peter Shaw said in a statement. The fours discipline will no longer form part of the series with each test comprising six games ? two singles, two pairs, and two triples matches. The reigning world pairs champions Jo Edwards and Sharon Sims have been split apart for the series. Edwards will take over from the retired Marlene Castle in the singles with Sims moving to skip the pair with Karen Coombe. The Khan sisters, Jan and Marina, also make a return to international play in triples with Val Smith skip. Besides the international sides, an under-25 men's team and women's academy side have been picked to compete against development selections from Australia. Blair Barringer's solid singles form this season sees him win the under-25 berth. Like the international side, the under-25 pairs has a solid look about it with Jamie Hill and Ali Forsyth teaming up. Cathy Fleming, the 2005 singles runner up and 2003 indoor singles winner, takes the singles berth, while the pairs combination features Anne Bateman, this years pairs champion, and Mary Campbell. The series was to be played at the Commonwealth Games venue but a freak greenkeeping incident has seen the test series transferred to the reserve facility at Knightsbury BC in Melbourne. The first test starts on February 1. -NZPA
