The APL countdown is underway
The countdown to lawn bowls’ hottest new format of competition is ticking down The countdown to lawn bowls’ hottest new format of competition is ticking down, with just over a week till the $100,000 Australian Premier League ignites at Brisbane’s Club Pine Rivers.
The innovative event, which is set to become an annual fixture on the Bowls Australia calendar, features six franchised teams from across the nation as well as a New Zealand contingent in a city versus city showdown.
Staged from Tuesday, November 19 to Friday, November 22, the glamorous action-packed tournament will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 2 nationwide, and televised across the ditch on Sky TV NZ.
Three matches over four-and-a-half hours shown daily from 5.00-9.30pm AEST, and a further 3 hours replayed the following day from 3.00pm, providing the sport with unprecedented exposure in the form of 25 hours of bowls content over four days of coverage.
The Australian Premier League is about lightning quick matches, where results can be turned on their head, with the introduction of nominated “power play” ends to double the score of individual ends and the ability to sub a reserve player into the match, catering for an array of specialty and tactical decisions.
It’s high-energy, non-stop entertainment, with each match played in a 70 minute window.
Inaugural Australian Premier League teams and players:
Messenger Press Adelaide Endurance team:
World champion Wayne Ruediger
Bowls SA’s state event player of the year Scott Thulborn
South Australian state representative Mark Haines
XXXX Brisbane Gold team:
2006 Commonwealth Games singles gold medallist Kelvin Kerkow OAM
Former world number one Mark Casey
Host venue Club Pine River’s gun Robert Wild
Blundstone Melbourne Roys team:
19 year-old Australian Jackaroo Dylan Fisher
Australian Open triples winner Matthew Flapper
Current Scottish world champion Graeme Archer
TOWER New Zealand BlackJacks team:
Women’s world number one Jo Edwards
2004 World Champion of Champion Ali Forsyth
2007 World Champion of Champion Tony Grantham
Solargain Perth Suns team:
Current world champion Brett Wilkie
Forther Northern Irish international Jeremy Henry
Western Australian ace Clive Adams
BCiB Sydney Lions team:
National Coach Steve Glasson OAM
World number two Karen Murphy
Reigning dual International Bowler of the Year Aron Sherriff
