Wanganui Bowls weekend of champions

Clint Park will be among a handful of bowlers trying to win multiple centre titles on the same weekend as Bowls Wanganui will host all their 2016-17 championship playoffs on February 11-12.

For the first time, all of Bowls Wanganui's 2016-17 champions will be decided on one weekend as the body is combining all their centre finals at the one venue on the Victoria Bowling Club greens.

The competitions will be held in a week's time, February 11-12.

Previously, the winners of the open singles, triples, fours and pairs tournaments were decided at different times and venues on the local bowls calender.

However, spokesman Mike Morgan said bringing all of the finals together turned the weekend into a spectator-orientated event.

"This format is new to Whanganui, it's been in other centres.

"Playing the finals at one time allows the public to see all the finalists play off.

"We're hoping it will be a success to see all the finalists of the open tournaments."

The winners of each title will go to Dunedin for a chance to play the other centre winners at the national club finals.

Starting on Saturday with the singles, the men's and women's finals will be held side-by-side, except for the 2-4-2 Mixed Pairs final in the afternoon.

Morgan said the draw had to be constructed carefully as a few competitors are in more than one final.

In the mixed pairs final, it will be a battle of the two current Bowls NZ coaches as Aramoho's Peter Belliss will team with Reen Stratford to take on the head Blackjack coach and his fellow selector in Manawatu's Sharon Sims, along with Mark Noble.

Both Sims and Blackjack assistant coach Belliss are multiple time world champions.

Peter Belliss will team with John Belliss in the Men's Pairs final against their clubmates Lindsay Bourne and Gavin Scrivener, with John Belliss also pulling double duty by appearing in the Men's Fours final.

Wanganui Bowling Club's Lesley Bourke will have a very busy weekend as she seeks a triple crown by winning the Women's Singles, Triples and Fours titles.

Clubmate Clint Park is another who will be looking for a double with the Men's Singles and Fours championships.

The game's begin at 9am on Saturday, February 11, with the singles finals, and at 10am on the Sunday with the Fours championships.

Finals draw

February 11.
9am, Singles - Men: Chris Waterson (Castlecliff) vs Clint Park (Wanganui); Women: Elizabeth Anderson (Laird Park) v Lesley Bourke (Wanganui).
12.15pm, Triples - Men: Graeme Belk, John Reyland, Alan Paris (Gonville) vs Ian Porteous, Keith Slight, Kevin Coombe (Aramoho); Women: Lesley Bourke, Sue Masters, Carol Morpeth (Wanganui) vs Glenis Pidwell, Robyn Jacobs, Shirley Bates (Durie Hill).
3pm, 2-4-2 Mixed Pairs: Peter Belliss, Reen Stratford (Aramoho) vs Mark Noble, Sharon Sims (Manawatu).

February 12.
10am, Fours - Men: Clint Park, Ray Park, Bernard Anderson, Alan Dickson (Wanganui) vs Ian Porteous, Kevin Coombe, John Belliss, Brendon Kenny (Aramoho); Women: Dianne Patterson, Pam Burgess, Lesley Bourke, Karen Hunt (Wanganui) vs Marilyn Constantine, Eileen Anderson, Marlene Foster, Judy Johnston (Wanganui East).
1pm, Pairs - Men: Lindsay Bourne, Gavin Scrivener (Aramoho) vs Peter Belliss, John Belliss (Aramoho); Women: Sonia Wooding, Wendy Stuthridge (Wanganui) vs Anne Loveridge, Kiwi Mathews (Castlecliff).