Bowls: Selectors singles-minded

By TERRY MADDAFORD

The New Zealand selectors have continued their revolving-door policy in choosing singles representatives.

Mike Kernaghan has been handed that responsibility for next month's transtasman tests and the Commonwealth Games in July.

Kernaghan has been rewarded for back-to-back national singles titles, after his win over Terry Scott in the national championships in Dunedin yesterday.

But the experience of playing singles obviously counts for something. All members of the four have played singles for New Zealand.

In what appears a particularly strong line-up, Andrew Curtain, the singles player at the last World Bowls, will lead for Sean Johnson, Rowan Brassey and Peter Belliss, who will skip the side.

Johnson was the silver medallist in singles at November's Asia-Pacific championships and will play at No 2.

Brassey, who confirmed his standing as one of New Zealand's best players by skipping the Avondale four to victory in Dunedin yesterday, will play at No 3.

The bronze medal-winning pair at the 2000 World Bowls in South Africa, Australian-based Russell Meyer and Paul Girdler, have been retained.

The women's selectors have also stuck with the tried and tested.

Former world indoor champion Marlene Castle will again play singles, but in a change to the gold medal-winning four from World Bowls, Sharon Sims switches from No 3 to lead for Jo Edwards in pairs.

Jan Khan, who led for the champion four, will drop to No 3 with Wendy Jensen coming in at lead in place of Patsy Jorgensen who will play at No 2. Anne Lomas remains at skip.

Jamie Hill, who played in the winning Avondale four yesterday, will play singles for the under-30 team. Another member of that four, Kerry Chapman, was a late withdrawal, and Glen McDonald of Christchurch takes his place in the five-man squad for the transtasman series.

Those tests will be played at Pakuranga from February 5 to 7.

Normally the transtasman is played with five-person teams doubling up in singles, pairs, triples and fours, but both countries have agreed to play their Commonwealth Games teams in the senior tests.

The four-discipline format will remain for the under-30 (men) and academy (women) series.

Men's team for test series and Commonwealth Games, Singles: Mike Kernaghan. Pairs: Russell Meyer/Paul Girdler. Fours: Andrew Curtain, Sean Johnson, Rowan Brassey, Peter Belliss.

National women, singles: Marlene Castle. Pairs: Sharon Sims/Jo Edwards. Fours: Wendy Jensen, Patsy Jorgensen, Jan Khan, Anne Lomas.

Men under-30, singles: Jamie Hill. Pairs: Hill/Sean Robertson. Triples: Ian Meyer, Glen McDonald, Andre Smith. Fours: Meyer, McDonald, Robertson, Smith.

Women's academy, singles: Mary Campbell. Pairs: Campbell/Lisa Dickson. Triples: Doreen Schumacher, Val Smith, Mina Paul. Fours: Schumacher, Dickson, Smith, Paul.