Three bowlers will be keen to dominate the singles events at Balclutha this weekend.
Sarah Scott (Dunedin), Christine Buchanan (Central Otago) and Eileen Grant (South Otago) will play a key role in the final result in the zone six women’s intercentre tens.
It will be the last hit-out for all teams before the national intercentre sevens finals at Wellington next month.
Scott, a member of the New Zealand development team last year, had a lapse in form in the sevens in Christchurch last weekend and lost her three games.
Buchanan, an accurate draw bowler, has already won three Central Otago titles this season and 23 during her career.
She has also performed at national level and has won a New Zealand open title in Auckland.Buchanan has won two Northeast Valley women’s invitation pairs titles.
Grant, an international indoor bowler, heads the South Otago women’s outdoor table with 35 titles.
Central Otago has a strong team and is expected to win the event. It is strong in the four disciplines of singles, pairs, triples and fours.
The pairs combination of Margaret O’Connor and Debra Lloyd have both won New Zealand open titles at Auckland. O’Connor has won 30 Central Otago titles and Lloyd 12. They are members of the strong Queenstown women’s club.
The strongest opposition is expected to come from the South Otago pair of Christine King, who has won 32 South Otago titles, and Marilyn Paterson.
The Dunedin combination of Carolyn Crawford and Beth Brown could surprise.
The triples and fours competition is less predictable but the Central Otago four of Imela Holdom, Linley O’Callaghan, Ruth Grant and Andrea Dowman is strong.
Grant won her seventh Central Otago title in the triples late last month.
Experienced South Otago fours skip Wynette McLachlan is a sound tactician. She has won 33 South Otago titles and was a member of the winning team at the Festival Fours played in Dunedin last month.
