Tara Murray
Four Werribee bowlers are hoping their success continues in the Bowls Australia BPL Cup next week.
The group is one of 19 to make it through to the finals of the sixth edition of the event, which started with 817 teams before being whittled down to the finalists.
The BPL Cup is a grassroots competition that allows club-based teams to win their way through qualifying rounds to compete on a national stage.
Teams had to win through preliminary qualifying rounds before advancing to regional and state finals.
Werribee’s Mick O’Neil said the team was looking forward to the opportunity to head up Queensland for the event.
Brendan Barker, Rob Panton and Gavin Joyce round out the Werribee team. They are one of three Victorian teams in the finals.
O’Neil said it was quite an honour to represent the club at the competition.
“We’re pretty pleased to get that far,” he said. “The four of us are long time bowlers, with three of us playing in the premier league for many years, but we aren’t now.
“It’s both a good achievement and we get to spend a week away with our mates.”
Joyce missed one of the rounds, but the other three have played in the other matches.
O’Neil said he doesn’t think they lost a game on the way to qualifying for the finals.
The side will play against the other sides in their pool, with the pool winners progressing through to the semi finals and the winners through to the grand final
Like Bowls Premier League which involves some of Australia’s and the world’s best players and is being played at the same time, each match consists of two sets of five ends with a one end play off if scores are level.
Players can be subbed in during each match.
O’Neil said they don’t really go in with expectations on how they will go, but were keen to give it a red hot crack.
“We’re certainly going up there to give it our best shot,” he said. “Every team in their state has gone through a similar path to us.
“The nature of the game is that one poor result and you can be done. We’ll try hard to keep our winning streak going.
“Anything can happen.”
The 2022 BPL Cup final will be broadcast live on Foxtel and Kayo on Thursday from 1pm.
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