HERE THEY GO: Orange City's Steve Carr (left), Lee Stinson, Glen Robinson and Ben Callaway are chasing state glory this weekend. Photo: STEVE GOSCH 1018sgbowls
SEVEN wins down, four to go.
This is the situation for Orange City’s Lee Stinson, Glen Robinson, Ben Callaway and Steve Carr if they want to win the NSW State Fours Championship this weekend.
The team will represent Zone 5 at the state event at Soldiers Point.
They have already won four games to claim the district title and added the zone crown to their collection after another three victories.
They need to step up again if they want to win the NSW title.
“We’re feeling pretty good,” Stinson said.
“The expectation goes up a bit of how you’ll perform when you get to this level. We’ve got a solid side so hopefully we’ll go well.”
The 16 winning zone teams will compete in this morning’s round of 16, with every game a knockout encounter.
Stinson said a win in the round of 16 would do more than propel them into the quarter-finals.
“The main thing at these events is to win your first game. Then you get a bit of confidence,” he explained.
Winning the first game won’t be easy, though.
The Orange City team will go up against Coffs Harbour’s Park Beach Bowling Club.
Included in this team is former state champion Cory Daley as well as John Bain, Mark Menzies and Rick Southam.
“Park Beach is a pretty strong club,” Stinson said.
But the Orange boys aren’t ruling themselves out.
“On our day, if we play to our potential, I reckon we’ve got a good shot,” Robinson said of his team’s chances at the state title.
Robinson will lead the team, with Callaway bowling second, Carr third and Stinson going last as the skip.
The four have already claimed a NSW title after they were part of the Orange City team that took out the Grade 4 state pennant in August.
One thing that will make the weekend’s event more interesting is it will be played on a carpet surface rather than grass.
The round of 16 matches will be played at 9am today, with the winners progressing to the quarter-finals at 1pm.
The semi-finals will be played at 9am tomorrow and the final starts at 1pm.
All games will be played over 21 ends.
