Victoria’s Ray Martin, along with Stokes Valley’s Seamus Curtin, former Victoria member Kirsten Edwards and Wendy Jensen (Counties) will represent New Zealand in the Hong Kong International Bowls Classic. It is a quartet the selectors have picked with an eye to the next four year cycle.
“It’s an opportunity for them to perform on those slow greens, knowing that post next year’s World Championships all of the international events will be in the northern hemisphere,” convenor of selectors Phil Skoglund said.
“It’s very much a matter of being able to put in a high quality performance game in and game out, as that’s going to have to be the case at the World Championships if we’re to medal in those,” head coach Peter Belliss said.
He has also made it clear the Blackjacks squad for the Worlds is far from finalized. “At times with the national side it appears it becomes a bit of a closed shop, but at the moment there are some places that are definitely up for grabs. We just need the players to take this opportunity they get with both hands and put some pressure on us as selectors to make some hard choices.”
NZ team for Hong Kong International Bowls Classic (9-17 November):
Women’s pairs: Wendy Jensen & Kirsten Edwards (skip) (subject to availability)
Men’s pairs: Seamus Curtin & Ray Martin (skip)
Mixed pairs: Wendy Jensen & Ray Martin (skip) and Seamus Curtin & Kirsten Edwards (skip) (subject to availability)