Laurie Guy (Wellington) made the most of his chances and was the best-performing New Zealand bowler at this week’s PBA Trans Tasman Challenge in Hastings.
Guy came into the New Zealand team for the first time when veteran Dunedin bowler Ken Walker injured his Achilles tendon and was forced to withdraw.
He won three games in the five-game preliminary round and will gain automatic entry into next year’s event in Australia.
The top three bowlers played off for the Trans Tasman Trophy and Australia made a clean sweep of these games to gain its fourth win in the seventh annual series.
The three top-ranked bowlers from each country played each other in the Challenge round.
Top-ranked Australian Ben Twist became the Australasian champion when he comfortably beat Guy 10-5, 8-4,Twist is the only bowler to have played in the seven Trans Tasman Challenges but this was his first win.
Walker has played in six and was selected for this year’s event but injury forced him to withdraw.
He was manager of the New Zealand team.
In other games in the Challenge round David Holt (Australia) beat Rob Ashton (Auckland) 10-2, 9-2 and Ray Pearse (Australia) beat Murray Glassey (Hawke’s Bay) 8-7, 6-9, 2-1.
Holt, who migrated to Australia, is a former English Commonwealth Games and world indoor champion.
Glassey was the only New Zealander to take a set off the Australians in the Challenge round.
Guy and Ashton both won three games in the preliminary rounds but Guy gained the New Zealand top spot because he won more sets.
Craig Merrilees (Southland) and Glassey both won two games and Dunedin’s Andy McLean one when he beat Jamie Smith 5-19, 13-9, 2-0.
Trans Tasman Challenge
Finals round
• Ben Twist (Aust) beat Laurie Guy (NZ) 10-5, 8-4.
• David Holt (Aust) beat Rob Ashton (NZ) 10-2, 9-2.
• Ray Pearse (Aust) beat Murray Glassey (NZ) 8-7, 6-9, 2-1.
