Pietersen back with the green and gold
Matthew Pietersen never gave up on his bid to return to the Australian men’s open lawn bowls squad. Pietersen, 25, of Kemps Creek,returns to the national men’s squad ending a two-year exile. The squad is locked in for 15 months of international competition. Pietersen said he never gave up his dream of wearing the green and gold for Australia again. ‘‘Since I got dropped from the main squad in 2012, I was determined to perform well at major events. ‘‘I had a really good year in 2013 winning the Silver Nugget and Golden Nugget singles events at Tweed Heads.’’ Pietersen plays for Cabramatta Bowling Club where he also works part-time. ‘‘I was also determined to play well for Cabramatta and repay the faith shown in me by Barry Watkins and the club’s board,’’ Pietersen said. Pietersen said he would be lost without the support of his parents Sue and John and wife Kathleen and son Oscar. ‘‘I always believed that if I performed well and kept playing well, I would make it back into the Australian squad. ‘‘Even though I have achieved most things I have wanted to achieve in Australian bowls, such as winning a state title, winning a state No.1 pennant flag, winning a premier league title, representing my state and winning a Golden Nugget title, I always had the burning ambition to represent Australia again.’’ Pietersen said his events will include the zone 12 pennant competition against St Johns Park Bowling Club and Mount Lewis Bowling Club, as well as zone and club championships. He said his early skills were honed at Parkes Railway Bowling Club and St Johns Park Bowling Clubs.
