Dunedin's Mike Kernaghan is back in black. He was given an early birthday present when named in the New Zealand bowls team this week.
Kernaghan, the chief executive of the Cancer Society in Otago and Southland, will turn 60 in two weeks.
The trend in the past two decades has been to select bowlers in their 30s for the national team, and bowlers over 50 have rarely been considered.
''I have been asked by the national selectors over the last three years to make myself available,'' Kernaghan said.
''If I had been available they probably would have picked me. I don't think age has been the issue.''
Kernaghan has been selected in the singles and pairs for the Asia-Pacific championships in Christchurch in November.
''I am excited about the opportunity, particularly the chance to play in the pairs with Shannon McIlroy. I really rate him.''
After he won the New Zealand singles title in Auckland in January Kernaghan told the Otago Daily Times he was not keen to return to international bowls.
But he has been persuaded to change his mind.
''There were a number of people whose views I respect who have been at me for a few months now,'' Kernaghan said.
''I also spoke to a couple of New Zealand players and they were supportive and keen for me to come back into the fold.''
Kernaghan has been the most consistent top male bowler in New Zealand over the past two years.
He gained his fifth title and national championship gold star after winning the fours in 2014 and singles this year. He also won the invitation singles at North East Valley last October.
Kernaghan has high aspirations. If he performs in November, World Bowls will be on his agenda.
''I don't just want to play for New Zealand. I want to compete at the highest level. I'm not sure if I can do that, but I will find out in November.''
It is 12 years since Kernaghan last played for New Zealand, on a tour to the United Kingdom. He won a bronze medal in the singles at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester a year earlier.
When he was not selected for World Bowls in Scotland in 2004, Kernaghan decided it was time for a break. He also missed selection for World Bowls in 1992 and 2000.
''That is part of my motivation in coming back, because World Bowls is in Christchurch next year.
''I will know in November how close I am to compete at that level. It is a chance to assess myself and tell the selectors if I'm ready.''
Kernaghan did not play bowls seriously for five years, until 2010 when he returned to Dunedin.
He demonstrated his mettle when he won the New Zealand championship pairs title with Dave Archer in 2007.
Kernaghan won the singles in 2001 and 2002 and this year became only the fifth player to win three singles titles at the national championships.
''It has taken me three years to get back to the top domestic level. It will be another big jump to get back to the top international level.''
Former Dunedin bowler Paul Girdler has also returned to the New Zealand team. Girdler (51) made his international debut in 1998 and had played 192 tests for New Zealand when he was dropped in 2004.
He played in two World Bowls and won a bronze medal in the pairs and fours in Johannesburg in 2000 and in Ayr in 2004.
He is now bowls co-ordinator at the Tweed Heads Club in New South Wales and was runner-up in the recent Australian Open fours event.
Kernaghan and Girdler replace long-standing Black Jacks Ali Forsyth and Tony Grantham, who were in the transtasman team last summer.
Former Oamaru bowler Andrew Kelly, who played in the transtasman tests this year, has retained his spot.
In the women's team, Canterbury's Katelyn Inch (19) and Angela Boyd (29) will make their international debuts.
Seventeen countries will be competing for the 10 qualifying spots for World Bowls at the Asia-Pacific Championships in Christchurch from November 24 to December 6.
Asia-Pacific team
Women: Jo Edwards (singles); Edwards (skip) and Val Smith (pairs); Sandra Keith (skip), Katelyn Inch and Angela Boyd (triples); Keith (skip), Inch, Boyd and Smith (fours).
Men: Mike Kernaghan (singles); Shannon McIlroy (skip) and Kernaghan (pairs); Paul Girdler (skip), Mike Nagy and Andrew Kelly (triples); Girdler (skip), Nagy, Kelly and (fours).
