Bay boy ready to represent

Chris Walker from the Bay of Islands is the only Far North player in the Northland team competing in the regional zone qualifiers for the Paterson Trophy indoor bowls championship this weekend.

The Northland selection is, A-team: Marcel Ruedi (skip), Chris Watson, Kia Ward, Jeremy Bartleet, B-team: Dave Ross (s), Ton Kaan, Michael Riceman, Judy Bethel, with reserve being Connon Walker, and manager Lyn Nisbet.

Zone 1 will be hosted by Thames Valley at Waihi Beach, each day’s play starting at 8.30am. Also in Zone 1 are Counties, Roskill and Districts, Auckland and North Harbour. As current Welch Trophy champions, Auckland will be attempting to win the Paterson Trophy in order to go through and defend the Welch Trophy they won last September, in the process breaking the stranglehold of North Taranaki who won it in 1980, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016. It was noted Auckland had retained the eight players who won the Welch trophy last year.

The winner of Zone 1 will meet five regions to contest the 67th Welch Trophy inter-district final in Upper Hutt from August 31 to September 2.

As well as 2017, Auckland has also won the Paterson Trophy in 2013 and the Welch Trophy in 2007. The other strong contender in Zone 1 is Counties which won the Paterson Trophy in 2015 and 2016, while Thames Valley won the Paterson Trophy in 2014, Roskill and Districts in 2009, North Harbour in 2001 and Northland in 1999.