Hat trick chance
The sport’s annual Awards Night will see 10 of the sport’s most deserving athletes, administrators and media crowned on Saturday at the Burnie Arts & Function Centre – Jim Briggenshaw helps preview the hopefuls for the Northern Star (Lismore). Can Aaron Sherriff make it a hat-trick of the top bowls award, the International Bowler of the Year? The Ettalong star, who took the title in 2012 and 2013, has been named one of this year’s two finalists and is the favourite to take it out again when the awards are announced at a dinner on Saturday at Burnie, Tasmania. His opposition is the lesser-known Matthew Flapper, of Ocean Grove, Victoria. Flapper emerged as an international of prominence in 2013 after a brilliant Northern Hemisphere tour with the Australian team. Until then he had made only 13 appearances for his country. Saturday’s male national Bowler of the Year is between Brett Wilkie (Helensvale), who was runner-up to club teammate Mark Casey last year, and ACT star on the rise, Andrew Howie (Weston Creek). Howie won his nomination after a Super Six singles gold medal in interstate competition. Casey, the current world champion, this year is vying for the Community Development Officer of the Year in which he was pitted against 14 others around the nation. The women’s Bowler of the Year award is between two who have taken it out before –Australia’s captain Lynsey Clarke (Helensvale) and vice-captain Karen Murphy (Cabramatta). Caption: Reigning International Bowler of the Year Aron Sherriff will look to claim a three-peat in Burnie, Tasmania on Saturday night.
