BLAYNEY’S Lee Stinson helped the NSW State Reserves to an emphatic 98 shots to 35 victory over their Zone 5 opponents at Orange City Bowling Club on Monday.

The State Reserves played in fours over three rinks, winning 33-9 in the first, 37-11 in the second and 28-15 in the final rink to round out the 98-35 win.

Played as part of the 2010 NSW Reserves State Side Country Tour, the State Reserves will now go on to compete against the first NSW Indigenous Selection side.

It’s the first time an NSW Indigenous Selection side has assembled to take on the NSW State Reserves.

And on Monday they enjoyed their first success.

Taking on a Zone 5 Indigenous side in a practice match, the NSW Indigenous side won 40-16.

They then played at the Dubbo Railway Bowling Club yesterday before facing off again at the Walgett and District Bowling Club today.

Royal NSW Bowling Association state president Ian McKnight is expecting the whole tour to be a success.

“It’s going great at the moment,” McKnight said,

“We’re creating a little bit of history here.”

McKnight said selecting the best Indigenous side NSW has to offer to play on the representative scene had been in the works for some time.

“It’s something we have talked about for a while now,” he said.

“I went to Narrabri last year and they had the John Binge Memorial Day on.

“It’s an annual event and the club is full of Indigenous bowlers and I thought it was great.

“It started from there and it’s gone on to this.

“It’s something Indigenous bowlers can aspire to be part of.

“And there is the future of bowls right here.

“Dylan Skinner is only 12 years old and he is in the Indigenous side.”

McKnight said the standard of competition, particularly from the State Reserves side, across the tour promised to be excellent.

“It’s very high at the moment. These players are verging on state selection,” he said.

“And as you can see they’re just getting younger and younger. If you’re 30 you are just about washed up in the state side. All the bowlers are so young.”

Orange’s Tom Leonard and Blayney’s Rex Cochrane are part of the Indigenous side.