KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's successful staging of the world bowls championships in Christchurch is being overshadowed by a looming controversy over the next tournament in Adelaide.
The South Australian capital was the only applicant to the World Bowls Board at its meeting in Christchurch last week to host the 2012
event.
But their bid is based on a playing format which means the use of sets in all disciplines, which was the case for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006, rather than the traditional way the world championships were played in Christchurch.
World bowls director and Bowls New Zealand chief executive Kerry Clark said two major factors had contributed to Adelaide's proposals.
The funding from Australia to stage the championships was on the condition that they were televised.
And Australian television would only do this if matches were played in sets, thereby improving the chance of a wider audience. This, though, raises fears among the purists and traditionalists that in order to satisfy the interests of television the integrity of the game is being compromised too much.
It is a similar situation which many other sports such as cricket face with an excessive emphasis now of Twenty20 slogathons. Or a little bit like rugby converting to sevens tournaments for major telecasts.
Clark thought that since the Adelaide tournament was four years away there was still plenty of time for solutions to be found. But the opposition, mainly from Northern Hemisphere countries, appears to be strong.
Their case, apparently, was put forcibly in Christchurch last week by former world champion Tony Allcock, who was part of the England team management.
It is not only the British and Irish who are uneasy with the suggested format for Adelaide, which would also mean a reduction to two bowl triples and three bowl pairs, rather than the four bowls per player used in Christchurch. Former national champion and national representative Jim Scott, emphasising he was speaking personally, was among those in Christchurch reluctant to see sets used in future for major international or national championships. He believed this would be the opinion, too, of most bowlers.
"For the professional bowlers association I understand the use of sets," said Scott.
"And I'm well aware of the issues we are having in selling the game to the wider public. But for world and championship events I prefer the traditional way. With sets it's more than a touch too flukey."
Scott said he was happy to see two bowl triples, rather than the four bowls being played in Christchurch, and three bowl pairs, rather than four, and, though it was unlikely to happen, would like to see singles extended from 21 shots to 25.
* New Zealanders Gary Lawson and Val Smith were named the male and female bowlers of the world championships, each winning two gold medals.