Bush, Flapper chase Ultimate prize at Deer Park

THE second instalment of the Ultimate Bowls Championship launches this week at Deer Park Bowls Club.

The Warilla Gorillas hosted the first event, in NSW, which saw Dandenong claim the honours.

This exciting international competition is designed to revamp the sport in the same way Twenty20 did for cricket, attracting more than a million viewers for its first event.

April’s opening round reached the milestone as viewers tuned in on 7TWO, Fox Sports Australia and Sky Sport NZ.

The UBC features modified rules, resulting in faster and higher-scoring games in what organisers hope will become a more watchable spectacle.

Elite bowlers will chase a slice of the $150,000 prize purse at Deer Park, with fivetime Commonwealth Games gold medallist Alex Marshall, from Scotland, headlining the list of stars. Marshall will represent Moama Bowling Club.

Current Commonwealth Games singles gold medallist Aaron Wilson will line up for his club Cabramatta.

Geelong Bowls Region will have Eastern Park’s Victorian Champion of Champions Nathan Bush, representing the Port Melbourne Navigators, and Ocean Grove’s Matt Flapper, for Whittlesea Eagles, in action.

The match format scoring (five ends of three-bowl pairs) is: Shot bowl 10pts, 2nd shot 5pts, 3rd 3pts, with every bowl that touches the jack scoring 3pts.

UBC action starts tomorrow at 9.30am with the last game scheduled for 8.30pm and Friday from 10am with the final scheduled for 8pm.