Bowls: Bowling up a winner - for most

Numbers are up at the national championships, writes BOB PEARCE.

Bowls New Zealand have good news and bad news for their national championships which begin in Auckland next Wednesday.

The good news is that after years of decline, a new format has boosted entries. There are more than 1250 players competing in the singles, fours and pairs.

But on the downside, that format has forced two of the country's top bowlers, Rowan Brassey and Steve Posa, to bypass the Tower-sponsored event.

The radical change is to complete qualification in all three disciplines over the first four days - one day each of pairs and singles and two of fours.

The lesser lights are guaranteed four days of bowls for $20, with a further $5 charge only for those who advance to post-section play, culminating in a grand final of all three competitions on January 8.

The changes were introduced after loud protests last year about the cost of accommodation in the Bay of Plenty over two weeks, when the championships followed their traditional pattern of completing the pairs and singles before beginning the fours in the second week.

Almost 300 more bowlers have entered this year, although that can be partly explained by the move to the populous Auckland area, and numbers are still down on the golden years.

Brassey (Okahu Bay) and Posa (Leamington) are unable to compete because they are in the draw for the world indoor championships in Britain. Travel arrangements mean they must leave before the grand final at Onehunga on January 8.

Former champion-of-champions winner Kerry Chapman of Henderson must also be a doubtful starter in Auckland because he has qualified for the worlds through his recent victory in the Superbowls.

But the field remains high-quality. Peter Belliss (Noosa) and Andy Curtain (Elmwood), who combined with Brassey to win the world outdoor triples title in South Africa, will be playing, as will Paul Girdler (North East Valley) and Russell Meyer (Taren Point), who took bronze in the pairs.

Petar Sain (Carlton), who won his second national singles title in the Bay of Plenty will face recent winners Justin Goodwin (1999), Kelvin Scott (1998), Peter Shaw (1997), Brian Baldwin (1995), Gary Lawson (1989 and 1994), Ivan Kostanich (1977 and 1993), Belliss (1992) and Terry Scott (1991).

And competing again after missing last year's event will be the redoubtable Phil Skoglund from Palmerston North, who first won the singles in 1958, repeated in 1966 and scored the only hat-trick in 1971,72 and 73.

Pairs champion Chris Waterson (Wanganui) returns with clubmate Rob Robertson replacing Sean Johnson (Aramoho). The younger Skoglunds, Raymond and Philip, who won in 1999, pair up again, as do Lawson and Curtain, who won in 1997.

If experience counts for anything, the Helensville veterans Kostanich and Pat Robertson, champions in 1984, should be in contention once more.

Sid Giddy from Mt Maunganui will be back to defend his fours title with clubmates Lance Tasker, Kevin Maxfield and Maurice Hickey.

Composite teams can draw from any centre now and four-time winner Lawson (Hornby Domain) will have Curtain, Kelvin Scott (Belfast) and Peter Shaw (Northern) in front of him.

A total of 40 greens at 29 different clubs from Orewa to Papakura will be used in the qualifying stages.

Headquarters for the tournament will be the Onehunga Bowling Club, which celebrates its centenary in 2001. The clubhouse has been stylishly renovated for the occasion.

Missing will be the One Tree Hill pine, which features on the club's emblem. But the club reckons it is more than ready to stand alone.