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Former Otago representative Grant l'Ami (Taranaki) has been recalled to the New Zealand team for the test against Australia starting in Balclutha today.
New Zealand will be trying to win back the Henselite Trophy from Australia in the 19th annual transtasman test at the Balclutha Memorial Hall over the next three days.
It will be l'Ami's fourth appearance in the black jacket and he will play in the singles and skip the men's pair. He was a member of the successful Otago Welch Trophy team from 1999 to 2003.
In 2002, he was the second player to win a gold star for winning five New Zealand titles. The first was in the fours in 1994 and his fourth and fifth in the triples and fours in 2002.
After playing for New Zealand from 1999 to 2003 and winning five Australasian titles, l'Ami took a break from the game. He returned to the sport last year and won the New Zealand mixed pairs title.
New Zealand is fielding five new caps and has recalled three former internationals. Only six of the players who lost to Australia in Broken Hill two years ago have survived.
The five new caps are Lisa White (Upper Hutt Valley), Mike Phipps (Tauranga), Ashley Diamond (Canterbury), Fiona Wilson (Tauranga) and Gina Owen (Bay of Plenty).
The other recalled players are Blair Spicer (Canterbury) and John Zittersteijn (North Taranaki).
Those to retain their places include the husband-and-wife Canterbury duo of Simon and Julie Thomas, Grant Rayner (Wellington), Sandra Keith (Ashburton), Maureen Pruden (Waikato) and Carol Wright (Auckland).
The team, selected after trials in November, had a three-day training camp leading up to the test in Balclutha to get used to the special conditions for the international.
In the early years of the competition it was decided that the playing conditions varied so much between countries and the home team held such an advantage that a level playing field would need to be created.
For New Zealanders that meant a longer, thicker mat and using Australian sized bowls, while for the Australians it is a shorter mat.
Australia has seven changes to the team that won the Henselite Trophy two years ago and one player has been recalled.
The new caps are Jody Moore (Queensland), Julie Zaporozec and Tony Simpson (Tasmania), Meredith Norton, Anne Draffen, Rodney Wilson, Arthur Finch (Victoria). Terry Hogan (New South Wales) has been recalled.
There is a good nucleus of experience from the 2009 winning team with Monika Korn, Patricia Legge, Barbara Hills and Ian Ogilvie, of New South Wales, Chris Dudman (Tasmania) and David Speechley (Victoria) in the team.
New Zealand has won the Henselite Trophy 14 times, including eight tests in a row between 1993 until 2007, while Australia has been successful four times, in 1976, 1979, 1991 and 2009.
Eleven Australasian medals are up for grabs: men's and women's singles and pairs, mixed eight-bowl pairs and mixed six-bowl pairs, men's and women's triples, and mens, women's and mixed fours.
The test is played over three days, with the same draw each day. The morning session comprises the singles and mixed fours, and the afternoon session has the triples, pairs, mixed 8-bowl pairs and mixed 6-bowl pairs.
Two points are awarded for a win and one point for a draw, and the country with the highest aggregate score wins the Henselite Trophy.
Hanselite trophy
Transtasman test
Where: Balclutha Memorial Hall.
When: Today till Saturday.
Start time: Morning session 9am, afternoon 1.30pm.
New Zealand: Simon Thomas (captain), Sandra Keith, Carol Wright, Maureen Pruden, Julie Thomas, Lisa White, Fiona Wilson, Gina Owen, Grant Rayner, Grant l'Ami, Blair Spicer, John Zittersteijn, Ashey Diamond, Mike Phipps.
Australia: Chris Dudman (captain), Monika Korn, Meredith Norton, Pat Legge, Jody Moore, Barbara Hill, Julie Zaporozec, Anne Draffen, Rodney Wilson, Ian Ogilvie, Tony Simpson, Terry Hogan, Arthur Finch, David Speechley.