Grinding to a Holt
Former English Commonwealth Games gold medallist David Holt will go in search of his first national title on Australian soil tomorrow (12/10), after booking his berth in the National Champion of Champions’ final. Having escaped the sectional rounds, Holt, who boasts nine English national titles to his name, will enter the final in white hot form, and would relish the opportunity for a shot at the world event; an honour bestowed upon both the men’s and women’s singles champions. In an interesting scenario, Holt would go on to don the green and gold uniform at the 2014 World Champion of Champions in Christchurch, New Zealand, representing his adopted country of Australia in the same vein that fellow New South Welshman and former Irish international Jeremy Henry did en route to claiming the 2013 and 2014 World Cup trophies. Holt will confront Western Australian squad member Daniel Patterson in the final of the sport’s premier club-to-international-representation pathway event. Patterson advanced courtesy of two rubber victories, but it could have been vastly different story had he not been able to stem the attack of one-time Australian representative Lee Schraner in the last encounter. Holding game on 20-15, and needing six shots to progress to the gold medal final, Schraner could consider himself somewhat unlucky, after the rub of the green glided Patterson’s draw shot in to the jack, knocking it on to his next closest bowl, earning him 4 shots and cementing his place in the decider. Queensland’s Kristy Thatcher earned passage into the blue-ribbon final after progressing through a high calibre field that boast two current world champion Australian Jackaroos. Thatcher made light work of 22 year-old world beater Natasha Van Eldik and 25 year-old Tasmanian Rebecca Van Asch, as well as ACT’s Margaret Bacchetto. The Tweed Heads ace will square off against the experienced hand of Western Australia’s Noelene Abe in the final, after she too went undefeated through the qualifying rounds unblemished. In the pairs events, the all-star NSW combination of former National Coach Cameron Curtis and 2010 NSW singles and triples winner Carl Healey will lock horns against Victoria’s Adrian Marchioli and former Australian squad member Nick McIntyre. The final matches of the 2013 National Champion of Champions’ men’s and women’s singles, and men’s pairs, will be staged at Ascot Park Bowling Club tomorrow, commencing at 9.00am, with the women’s pairs staging their three qualifying rubbers, and the final set for 9.00am Sunday. Finals – Saturday, October 12. 9:00am Women’s Singles: Noelene Abe (WA) vs Kristy Thatcher (QLD) Men’s Singles: Daniel Patterson (WA) vs David Holt (NSW) Men’s Pairs: A Marchioli, N McIntyre (VIC) vs C Curtis, C Healey (NSW)
