Bowls: File back in selectors' favour

By Graham Skellern

David File's on again-off again affair with the New Zealand lawn bowls side took an unexpected leap forward yesterday when he was named for the Asian Pacific championships in Kuala Lumpur.

The talented Gisborne bowler starred in the last world championships in Adelaide in 1996. His play at that high level was so consistent that it seemed he would establish a long international career.

But since Adelaide File has been dropped twice from the national side, more for disciplinary reasons than for his play on the green.

He played for the New Zealand B side in a home series against South Australia last season but missed selection for the transtasman test matches in Sydney in May.

However, five weeks later File has been given the ultimate responsibility - skipping the New Zealand four and triple in Kuala Lumpur from September 20-30.

File, a national champion of champions singles titleholder, was given another opportunity after the established international skip, Peter Belliss, made himself unavailable because of work commitments in Queensland.

The country's other senior player, Rowan Brassey, is also unavailable - he's having shoulder surgery - and he has been replaced in the singles by the experienced Andy Curtain, who sat out the transtasman series because of his own work commitments.

Mike Kernaghan, Paul Girdler and Russell Meyer, who all played the transtasman, retain their places. The latest New Zealand men's team has plenty to live up to - at the 1997 Asian Pacifics in Australia they had a clean sweep of four gold medals.

The women's team, who won four silvers two years ago, has three changes from the trantasman series. Hunua's Anne Lomas and Napier's Patsy Jorgensen have been dropped, while Marie Watson - who contracted a virus the last time she visited Kuala Lumpur - is unavailable.

The experienced Marlene Castle moves to the singles, Karen Coombe is recalled to international play and is joined by two newcomers, Hinuera's Bev Corbett and Jan Khan (Christchurch), the daughter of legendary Millie Khan.

Jan Khan broke through after winning the national champ of champs singles last season, while Corbett - who like File has been given the ultimate job - skipped the four and triple in the successfual Academy side at the transtasman series.

The next Dorchester transtasman series will be played at the Hutt Club in Lower Hutt from February 8-10 without the over 60s men's and women's matches.

Australia and New Zealand will be fielding their world championship sides in an ideal final tune-up - the women are in Australia in March and the men in Johannesburg in April.

Wellington will also host the women's nationals in February 2001.

Asia Pacific teams: Men: Singles, Andrew Curtain (Christchurch); pairs, Curtain/Mike Kernaghan (Auckland); triple, David File (Gisborne), Paul Girdler (Dunedin), Russell Meyer (Palmerston North); four, File, Girdler, Meyer, Kernaghan.

Women: Singles, Marlene Castle (Orewa); pairs, Jan Khan (Christchurch)/Castle; triple, Bev Corbett (Hinuera), Sharon Sims (Palmerston North), Karen Coombe (Wanganui); four, Corbett, Sims, Coombe, Khan,