GLASSEY AND SORENSEN WIN NAIL-BITING CONTEST
The Hawkes Bay pair of Murray Glassey and Paul Bart Sorensen came through a very close national finals contest beating Kerri Rupene and Marty Kreft from Dunedin to win their way to the World Indoor Pairs at the Potter’s Leisure Resort in January. The Naenae crowd were entertained by several tight games on Sunday with every match before lunch going to the third end of the tiebreak. The pairs final was no different with the Hawkes Bay pair taking the first set 6-5 and the Dunedin duo fighting back winning the second set 5-4. The tiebreak was tactically intriguing with neither side showing ascendancy and a lot of thought required on bowl placement to secure each end before Glassey and Sorensen came out on top. Glassey re-secured the NZ number one spot the previous day but could not achieve ascendancy over Rupene, however Sorensen was able to convert effectively when required to swing the outcome.
POTTER OFF TO POTTERS
Andrew Potter Kelly showed his class with some crucial upshots in both his semifinal and final in the World Indoor Singles playoffs snatching a win from Dean Drummond (Hawkes Bay) killing the third tiebreak end, and then driving off a shot an inch off the jack cleanly to deny Drummond a place in the PBA NZ team to play the Australian PBA next year in the semifinal. Kelly then went on to beat Wellington’s Stephen Zino in the final in another great bowl for bowl contest. Zino won five ends to four in the first set but was undone dropping two 4s. The first four occurred in a tight first end when Kelly’s four bowls were inside a foot whereas Zino’ four bowls were just outside a foot from the jack.
The second set had a lack of big scores standing at 3-3 after 6 ends. Kelly then pulled out two more crucial conversion upshots taking out Zino shots and taking the trip to the prestigious World Indoor Singles at the Potter’s Leisure Resort in January 11-9, 8-3.
Drummond’s loss means 18 year old Bradley Down from Wellington will join Bart Robertson, Murray Glassey, Craig Merrilees and Andrew Kelly in the Scotty’s Meats NZ PBA team likely to play at the Deer Park complex in Melbourne next year.
The NZ PBA takes a rest for the summer and will kick into action again at Queen’s Birthday Weekend 2018 throughout the country including the fantastic Naenae complex. The 2018 National finals have been allocated to the Hastings Club next September.
NZ PBA FINALS WEEKEND RESULTS
Henselite Shanghai Singles Wellington Qualifier:
Final ‘Murray Glassey (Hawkes Bay) 31 Tim Toomey (Wellington) 26 Robbie Bird (Wellington) 23
Henselite Shanghai Singles National Playoffs:
Semifinals – Lyall Spencer (Southland) 31 Rob Ashton (Auckland) 17 Andrew Kelly (Canterbury) 14; Dean Drummond (Hawkes Bay) 31 Glassey (Hawkes Bay) 27 Bruce Hall (Taranaki) 14
Final – Murray Glassey (Hawkes Bay) 31 Lyall Spencer (Southland) 25 Dean Drummond (Hawkes Bay) 24
Murray Glassey wins a holiday on the Gold Coast
Scottish Singles National Playoffs:
Quarterfinal – Murray Glassey (Hawkes Bay) bt Stephen Zino (Wellington) 9-7, 10-8.
Semifinals ‘Glassey bt Russell Dawe (Dunedin) 8-5, 11-6; Colin Rogan (North Harbour) bt Sonny Tautari (Southland) 10-1, 7-7.
Final ‘ Colin Rogan (North Harbour) bt Murray Glassey (Hawkes Bay) 8-7, 10-6.
Colin Rogan wins NZ representation at the Co-operative Funeralcare Scottish Singles in Perth, Scotland to play Paul Foster (Scotland) on November 6th.
International Singles National Playoffs:
Quarterfinal Terry Johnson (Manawatu) bt Ian Andrews (Taranaki) 11-6, 9-10, 2-1.
Semifinals Craig Merrilees (Southland) bt Johnson 9-2, 8-8; Rob Ashton (Auckland) bt Ken Walker (Dunedin) 2-9, 9-4, 2-0.
Final Rob Ashton (Auckland) bt Craig Merrilees (Southland) 10-6, 8-6.
Rob Ashton wins NZ representation at the International Open Singles in Blackpool, England in February.
World Indoor Pairs National Playoffs:
Quarterfinal Kerri Rupene & Marty Kreft (Dunedin) bt Steve Muller & Kevan Sellars (Taranaki) 13-1, 11-5.
Semifinals Rupene & Kreft bt Darren Broome & Brad Allan (Southland) 4-11, 7-6, 2-1; Murray Glassey & Paul Sorensen (Hawkes Bay) bt Bart Robertson (North Harbour) & Steve Hoeft (Auckland) 7-5, 5-6, 2-1.
Final Murray Glassey & Paul Sorensen (Hawkes Bay) bt Kerri Rupene & Marty Kreft (Dunedin) 6-5, 4-5, 2-1.
Murray Glassey and Paul Sorensen win NZ representation at the World Indoor Pairs in Norfolk, England in January.
World Indoor Singles National Playoffs:
Quarterfinal Dean Drummond (Hawkes Bay) bt Steve Hoeft (Auckland) 8-7, 3-9, 2-0.
Semifinals Andrew Kelly (Canterbury) bt Drummond 11-6, 4-9, 2-1; Stephen Zino (Wellington) bt Craig Merrilees (Southland) 5-10, 9-4, 2-1.
Final Andrew Kelly (Canterbury) bt Stephen Zino (Wellington) 11-9, 8-3.
Andrew Kelly wins NZ representation at the World Indoor Singles in Norfolk, England in January.
