Adelaide Endurance set for Australian Premier League lawn bowls tournament

ADELAIDE Endurance will again look to be the surprise packet of the Australian Premier League lawn bowls when the tournament returns in November.

ADELAIDE Endurance will again look to be the surprise packet of the Australian Premier League lawn bowls when the tournament returns in November.

The SA outfit shocked most observers last year when it made the final of the inaugural competition at Club Pine Rivers in Queensland before going down to Brisbane Gold.

Speaking after last week’s season launch, Bowls SA general manager Mark Easton said the Endurance was confident of going one better in the second edition of the $100,000 event.

“We’re certainly up to the challenge and we think we’ve got the side to do that,” Easton said.

“Hopefully we’ll sneak under the radar again – that’s the way we like it with the underdog status.”

Likened to Twenty20 cricket, the APL features shortened, fast-paced games, coloured uniforms and matches televised live on Fox Sports.

The Endurance, sponsored by Messenger Community News, has made one change to last season’s three-man roster.

Modbury’s Simon Dorr will replace Mark Haines in the side which will again be coached by Faye Luke.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Wayne Ruediger and last year’s APL MVP Scott Thulborn complete the SA-based line-up which is set to begin training later this month.

“We invested in the team to ensure there was a pathway for our local products,” Easton said.

“It’s about building the profile of the sport in our state and showing that we do have homegrown talent to get more representation in the Australian side.”

Easton said the success of the APL, which features expansion teams Gold Coast Hawks and Murray Steamers, was critical to the development of bowls across the country.

He said Bowls SA would again encourage local clubs to offer the condensed version of the sport to members and recreational bowlers.

“We want to bring people to bowls through the shortened format of the game,” he said.

“It’s important that we have this different format going forward to make clubs strong.”

The APL will be held from November 18-21.