There
is interest in both ends of the table heading into the final week of round-robin
in the Bowls3Five televised league.
The top three sides to contest the title have yet to be confirmed, nor have the
bottom three that will fight to avoid relegation.
The seventh week of competition at the New Lynn Bowling Club in Auckland will
open tomorrow night (Tuesday, December 3) when the bottom of the table
Parajacks play the sixth-placed Hinuera Heat.
The Parajacks have to win to keep alive their slim hopes of not being a part of
the relegation playoffs, while a Hinuera win will boost the Heat’s chances of keeping
their place in the league for a second season.
Both teams have made just one change to their triples, with Pam Walker replacing
Lynda Bennett in the Parajacks line-up, while Paul Casey Junior returns for the
national interclub champion Heat.
The second-to-bottom Pt Chevalier Pirates will then face the
competition-leading Stoke Thunder in the second match of night 19.
The Pirates sit three points above the Parajacks and three points behind the
Heat, and have returned to the triple that delivered them the inaugural Bowls3Five
title with Alex Reed re-joining Jenny Stockford and Aiden Takarua.
The Thunder have made two changes to the line-up which helped move Stoke three
points clear of the competition, with Selina Goddard and Jimmy Pugh replacing
Kirsten Edwards and Robbie Reed.
Goddard returns after representing the Blackjacks at the Multi Nations and
Trans Tasman.
Stoke can all but seal top spot and direct path through to the final with a
straight sets win over the Pirates.
The Thunder will also play on Wednesday night against the inform Royal Oak
Rockets, who only trail the third-placed Stokes Valley Vipers on shot
differential and are in the running to play in the final after being in the
relegation match last year.
Unsurprisingly the Rockets have named an unchanged trio of Philly Akaruru,
Martin Dixon and Mike Galloway for their final two round-robin matches.
Royal Oak and Stoke will square-off in the final match of night 20, after
another two crucial fixtures.
First the Heat will play the Gore Rams in a match which may decide who’s
consigned to the relegation playoffs and who’s safe for another season.
Caleb Hope and Sheldon Bagrie-Howley are back from representing the New Zealand
development team on the Gold Coast to join regular Gore team-mate Ashleigh
Jeffcoat.
Also on Wednesday Lance Pascoe, Jan Shirley and Mandy Boyd will turn out for
the Elmwood Park Saints in their match against the Parajacks.
The Saints will also play on Thursday against the Vipers, who will then meet
the Rams in the second match of their double-header.
Stokes Valley have made two changes to its line-up, with Finbar McGuigan and
Blake Signal returning in place of Bradley Down and Euan Wong.
The Auckland derby will close the regular season, with Royal Oak potentially vying
for a top three finish, while Pt Chev may be attempting to move out of the
bottom three.
All eight of this week’s games will be broadcast live on Sky Sport 9.
Bowls3Five – week seven:
Tuesday, December 3
Hinuera Heat vs Parajacks – 7:10pm
Stoke Thunder vs Pt Chevalier Pirates – 8:15pm
Wednesday, December 4
Gore Rams vs Hinuera Heat – 6pm
Elmwood Park Saints vs Parajacks – 7:10pm
Stoke Thunder vs Royal Oak Rockets – 8:15pm
Thursday, December 5
Elmwood Park Saints vs Stokes Valley Vipers – 6pm
Gore Rams vs Stokes Valley Vipers – 7:10pm
Royal Oak Rockets vs Pt Chevalier Pirates – 8:15pm