Indoor Bowls: Defending champ still in the running

Defending singles champion Joseph Zino from Hutt Valley has qualified to defend his title at the Lion Foundation National Indoor Bowls Championships at Rotorua.

Zino cruised through section play with four wins.

The 11 Mat Blacks entered in the championships have all qualified. They are Gary Low, (Southland), Ashley Diamond (Southland), John Zittersteijn (North Taranaki), Lois Randall (Hutt Valley), Grant l'Ami, Fiona Wilson (Tauranga), Maureen Pruden and Linda McCurdy (Waikato), Grant Rayner (North Wellington), Gina Owen (Bay of Plenty) and Sheree Holmes (Upper Hutt Valley).

L'Ami, the New Zealand captain, lost his second game to North Island representative Margurrite Gerrand (Ngongotaha Club) 7-8 but both qualified with three wins each. L'Ami led 7-2 after six ends but Gerrand fought back with a two and three singles to win 8-7.

Four times titleholders Rod Fleming and Kevin Boothby, who was runner-up in the singles last year, missed the cut but father and son Nigel and Hayden Warnes (Nelson), who each have four titles, both qualified.

Former singles champions safely through are Murray James, (Tauranga, 1991), Keith Setter (Tauranga, 2010), Paul Midgley (North Taranaki, 2011) and John Frelan (Waikato, 2001). Last year's champion of champions singles winner Graham Stronach (North Wellington) also qualified with three wins.

Other tournament favourites through include Grant Harvey (North Taranaki), Graham Low (Southland), Mike Phipps (Tauranga), Paul Psaila, Steve Fisher and Kerrin Fremlin (Auckland) and Barry McLeod and Robin Porter (Bay of Plenty).

Altogether 264 players qualified for post section play next Monday.

Bay of Plenty singles qualifiers:

Awakeri's Graham Orr, Merleen Orr; Ngongotaha's Margurrite Gerrand, Eddie Dibley; Edgecumbe's Maureen Harris, Barry McLeod; Ohope's Lance Hansen, Ron Munn; Lake Taupo's Geoff Tindall, Robin Porter; Taupo's Scott Mitchell, Les Briggs, Liz Witton; Woodlands' Ian Jeffery; St Andrews' Brian Flett, Gavin Rennie; Westbrook: Mike Bryant, Karl Rice, Nathan Bryant, Sam Bryant, Keri Te Tamaki, Shane Taare, Gina Owen, Carla Owen. Tauranga's Roger Bartosh, Tracey Bethell, Barry Chisholm, Bev Chisholm, Barry Clement, Bevan Coleman, Alex Cornes, Geoff Coughey, Wayne Gunderson, Phillip Gunderson, Sharon Hook, Dennis Hopson, Murray James, Basil Johnstone, Grant l'Ami, Bob Martin, Stuart Muncaster, Dean O'Brien, Mike Phipps, Brian Pointon, Alex Reed, Debbie Reed, Willie Rudolph, Josh Saywell, Keith Setter, Robin Simmons, Paul Smith, Bruce Sowerby, Betty Thomas, Fiona Wilson.