Bowls: Attracting new fans goal of 'light-hearted' initiative

Jim ScottOrganisers of corner-to-corner bowls are hoping to follow the example of twenty/20 cricket and attract new fans to the sport.

A trial proved successful in Auckland last year and organisers made it a national event this season.

Most bowlers know of corner-to-corner as an informal game that is often played once official competition has finished. It offers players the opportunity to wind down and have some fun.

As opposed to normal bowls, which is played end to end on a bowling green, corner-to-corner is played diagonally across the green and uses no jack. The goal is to play the bowl as close to the corner of the green as possible.

Southern Region community development officer Jim Scott said the corner-to-corner competition had helped promote bowls and had been supported by registered bowlers and social club members.

The regional ambassadors for the event in Dunedin have been former international bowlers Terry Scott and Ken Walker.

"It is intended to be a light-hearted event," Terry Scott said. "It is open to registered and social members in clubs and has generated a lot of interest . It has become a semi-social occasion."

The Dunedin finalists include Stewart McConnell (Kaikorai), who won a bronze medal in the fours at the Auckland Commonwealth Games in 1990.

Elimination events have been held by clubs over the past 12 weeks to find winners for the regional finals. A total of 100 clubs participated in the Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Dunedin events, and the regional finals are being held this month.

The regional finalists will travel to Auckland for the final at the Point Chevalier Club on April 17. The Dunedin final is being held at the North East Valley Club tonight.


• CORNER-TO-CORNER

Dunedin finalists

Bill Hinton (Andersons Bay), Gloria Barton (Balmacewen), Ross Thomson (Fairfield), Barry Taggart (Forbury Park), Bill Rutherford (Green Island), Stewart McConnell (Kaikorai), Robert Ritchie (Leith), Laurie Moore (North East Valley, Joan Evans (Outram), Ken Stewart (St Clair), Graham Stanley (St Kilda), Dave Archer (Taieri), Jack Gibbs (Tainui), Bruce Fuszko (Wakari).