The return of six-time New Zealand PBA year-end number one Jamie Hill headlines a strong field for the first qualifying weekend of the 2021 NZ Professional Bowls Association programme at the Remuera Bowling Club this weekend. Hill who was nicknamed “the kiwi bomber” in the UK for his booming drives reaching the semifinals of the 2006 World Indoor Singles has not played PBA since 2011. Dan Delany also returns having not played since representing the NZ PBA in the 2009 World Indoor Singles. And Mark Hall last played PBA in 2005.
In addition the Auckland lineup has been bolstered by the closure of the Hamilton branch with several name players travelling north including last year’s NZ PBA International Singles champion Tony Fabling.
A key first round match in the Scottish Singles qualifier will be Rob Ashton up against Linda Ralph. Ralph won a similar match-up in this event in Wellington last year though Ashton has a 4-2 career head-to-head advantage. Meanwhile Fabling has drawn a tough second round encounter against debutante Mike Bradshaw.
The branch precedes the bulk of the other venues around the country that start on Queen’s Birthday Weekend.
NZ PBA Draws for this weekend:
(2020 rank) Name v (2020 rank) Name [head-to-head PBA singles career record]
Saturday 29 May – Ranking Singles at Remuera Bowling Club in Auckland
1st round at 8.30am: (debut)David Motu v (debut)Judy Smith; (221=)Estelle Hickey v (debut)Douglas Thomas; (31)Colin Rogan v (178=)Frankie Lim [2-1 Rogan]; (-)Danny Delany v (debut)Pat Curtis; (16)Tony Fabling v (212=)Norman Scott-Morrison; (118=)Brian Wilson v (-)Mark Hall; (249=)Neil Fisher v (126=)Kevin Beasley; (debut)Alison Rennie v (187)Lindsay Gilmore; (debut)Dean Edge v (33)Jesse Russell.
2nd round at 8.30am: (203=)Ashleigh Jeffcoat v winner Edge/Russell; (260=)Kimberley Hemingway v (50)Lisa Mundell; (debut)Nick Thompson v (17)Alan Bowler; (debut)Mike Bradshaw v (42)Joe Whitelaw; (9)Bart Robertson v (74)Phil Taylor [4-1 Robertson]; (98)David Ball v (18)Rob Ashton; (56)Linda Ralph win by default; (188=)Steve Ramsay v (269=)David Eades; (82)Steve Hoeft v (59)Gary Cotter; (178=)Janine Young v (debut)Ron Hayden; (138=)Richard Watt v (144=)Ian Fisher; (-)Jamie Hill v (260=)Hetty Bolscher.
Sunday 30 May – Scottish Singles Qualifier at Remuera Bowling Club in Auckland
1st round: (118=)Brian Wilson v (269=)David Eades; (82)Steve Hoeft v (debut)Alison Rennie; (debut)Pat Curtis v (-)Danny Delany; (59)Gary Cotter v (203=)Ashleigh Jeffcoat; (50)Lisa Mundell v (debut)David Motu; (18)Rob Ashton v (56)Linda Ralph [4-2 Ashton]; (91)Graham Skellern v (260=)Kimberley Hemingway; (debut)Judy Smith v (debut)Ron Hayden; (9)Bart Robertson v (188=)Steve Ramsay.
2nd round: (31)Colin Rogan v winner Robertson/Ramsay; (42)Joe Whitelaw v (260=)Hetty Bolscher; (260=)Leanne Poulson win by default; (187)Lindsay Gilmore v (debut)Dean Edge; (17)Alan Bowler v (221=)Estelle Hickey; (126=)Kevin Beasley v (debut)Douglas Thomas; (16)Tony Fabling v (debut)Mike Bradshaw; (-)Mark Hall v (212=)Norman Scott-Morrison; (98)David Ball v (-)Jamie Hill; (debut)Nick Thompson v (138=)Richard Watt; (178=)Frankie Lim v (249=)Neil Fisher; (144=)Ian Fisher v (33)Jesse Russell.
