BPL20 preview
In what is set to be the biggest Bowls Premier League (BPL) to date, the Australian bowling fraternity will all converge on the tournament’s spiritual home at Club Pine Rivers for the historic BPL20.
For the first time, 12 teams will battle it out for the coveted title across a whopping 22 rounds in an action packed week that will see 36 of the world’s best dazzling fans from right there in the arena, the live broadcasts or on Bowls Australia’s YouTube platform.
Ocean Grove’s Geelong Jets will storm the event with their pink and jet black colours and have made a huge play for a title on debut, something that has not been achieved since BPL10.
The Jets have brought in Scottish star Paul Foster MBE as well as Right at Home Jackaroo and former MVP winner, All-Star and BPL14 champion in Aaron Wilson.
Wilson’s fiancee and national teammate Jamie-Lee Worsnop also comes in for her first taste of BPL action with the trio under the guidance of tournament stalwart Matt Flapper.
St Johns Park’s Sydney Saints also bring a wealth of star power into their lineup for the franchise’s inaugural tournament, with three-time winner Ben Twist, BPL19 All Star member Dawn Hayman and English World Champion Jamie Walker making his maiden appearance in the competition.
Gerard Beath will take the mantle as coach for the team’s first running.
The defending champions in the Melbourne Pulse will be looking to become the first time to go back-to-back on two occasions and join the Sydney Lions and Tweed Ospreys as the most successful franchises with four titles.
One change comes for Dandenong Club’s team, with Emerging Jackaroo Samantha Atkinson coming in for Ellen Fife after the latter recently enjoyed the arrival of a baby boy.
Atkinson joins reigning MVP title holder Gary Kelly and three-time champion Barrie Lester under the tutelage of Jeremy Henry.
The home franchise in the Moreton Bay Pirates will make their own exciting history at the tournament, as the first Australian based team with no members born in the country representing the team.
Under the guidance of Ellen Falkner MBE, two-time champion and MVP Alex Marshall MBE returns alongside Ryan Burnett, with English star Katherine Rednall set to replace Hayman as the squad looks to go one better and take its first title since BPL08.
After finishing in third place in February, the Sydney Lions will have a new-look squad following the departures of Twist and Wilson as Brett Spurr comes in for his tournament debut alongside Jackaroo Nathan Black, who has previously featured on 13 occasions for the Adelaide Pioneers.
They will join Lions stalwarts in four-time champion Karen Murphy AM and coach Steve Glasson OAM in the bid to win an unprecedented fifth title for the team.
The Pioneers have made one replacement to the team that finished fourth in Moama, bringing in local star and 2023 Champion of Champions winner Laini McGorman for the unavailable Katelyn Inch.
McGorman joins five-time finalists in Scott Thulborn and Wayne Ruediger under coach Les Carter as the South Australian team looks to bring the trophy to the state for the first time.
Fresh off a second ever finals appearance, the Tasmania Tridents will look to build on a strong showing in February with an unchanged playing lineup of two-time All Star in Rebecca Van Asch, former top-five vote getter Taelyn Male and the clutch hero from Moama in Rob McMullen.
Chris Dudman comes into the team as coach, replacing foundation boss Mark Strochnetter.
After narrowly missing finals at home nine months ago, the Moama Steamers will look to roar back into contention, but the franchise will have to do so without its stalwart in Ryan Bester, who is expecting the arrival of another child.
Replacing the Canadian is Kevin Anderson, who helped the Steamers progress to the BPL14 decider in 2022 as well as coaching the squad to its third title at BPL17 last year.
Six-time MVP and five-time champion Aron Sherriff is once again front and centre for the Steamers, looking to build on his status as the tournament’s greatest ever player.
Cassandra Millerick rounds out the team with Stuie Whyte coming in to coach the trio.
It was heartbreak for the Perth Suns in February as Alex Marshall ended their finals hopes with the final bowl of the decisive round, but the unchanged team of Carl Healey, Kristina Krstic and Blake Nairn will take some beating in Queensland having enjoyed a solid first outing together.
Bill Brandsma returns to coach the franchise as it searches for its maiden finals win.
Like the Suns, the Ospreys suffered heartbreak in the final round of BPL19 after being sunk by two pieces of Rob McMullen brilliance to miss the finals.
The consistent team of three-time MVP and five-time winner Aaron Teys and four-time champions in Chloe Stewart and Corey Wedlock return under the watchful eye of Wayne Turley OAM as they look to become the first franchise to win a fifth crown.
It was a trying event for the Gold Coast Hawks in February after a finals showing at BPL18, but with the addition of England’s Nick Brett to partner the superstars in Kelsey Cottrell and Nathan Rice, it is safe to say that Mark Thatcher’s team will be hard to stop once more as the franchise searches for a second appearance on Friday night since returning to the event.
February was an event to forget for the Melbourne eXtreme, who started strongly but faded towards the back end of the competition.
Ali Forsyth returns to the squad for another tilt at the event, as does Nick Cahill who gets his second shot with the team.
Kylie Lavis (nee Whitehead) will look to pick up where she left off at Pine Rivers at BPL18 after an All Star nod on debut, with Kelvin Kerkow at the helm of the team that has made the final at two of the last three editions at the venue.
BPL20 runs from November 11-15, 2024, at Club Pine Rivers with live streaming on Bowls Australia’s YouTube channel, as well as live broadcasts from Tuesday to Friday from 4pm until 10pm AEST on Fox, Kayo and Sky Sports NZ.
