Innovative format test to bowlers

Three Southland-based teams will line up at the regional Tiger Turf championships, after progressing through the qualifying rounds.

Twelve teams tried their hand at the innovative format which sees three players in a team, rather than the conventional outdoor pairs.

Teams play out two sets of five ends with a one end shootout available to decide a winner in the event of a set each, with all players required to play a minimum of nine bowls per game.

Each team also has the ability to nominate a ‘‘power play’’ for any one end per set, triggering double points should they score – and a 30 second shot-clock applies throughout.

Last year’s national defending champions Barry Stewart, Darren Broome and Alan Burns were among the field, but their hopes were dashed in three tie breakers, succumbing to Hugh Andrews and Steve Sanders on the final bowl.

After three rounds of qualifying, Steve Sanders, Lyall Spencer, Bruce Ross and Caleb Hope were the last skips standing, with Spencer and Sanders winning through their respective semi-finals to guarantee a regional play-offs berth next weekend.

Hope, whose team comprised of Jonty Horwell and Trevor Burgess, were made to work hard by Ross, Stu Dickson and Phil Peters – though their efforts proved in vain, narrowly missing out on any further progression.

The final’s action saw Spencer and his Northend club-based team of Ian Brown and Phil Mahoney inflict Sanders’ only loss, defeating his team of Sam Morton and Earl Doidge.

Sanders, Spencer and Ross will now shoulder the local hopes next month against Central Otago and Oamaru.