Anticipation is building as the Mat Blacks prepare to take on their Australian counterparts in what will be the 25th Indoor Bowls biannual Trans-Tasman Test Match. The three day clash will take place at the Pukekohe Cosmopolitan Club on May 9th, 10th and 11th, with the opening ceremony setting the tone on Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m.
New Zealand has had a stranglehold on the Henselite Trophy for over a decade now, with Australia’s last victories dating back to 2009 and 2011. While the Mat Blacks have enjoyed some big wins in the past, the two most recent tests have come down to the wire. 35-31 and 34-32 were the final scores in Ballarat (2022) and Invercargill (2019), and a similar scoreline can be expected again.
Mat Blacks Captain, Simon Thomas, backs the team in front of him. “We have a real mix of experience and fresh blood, and the motivation levels are high. The team has been actively putting in the work and we look forward to fine tuning as a group when we get together for a few days before the test.”
Thomas is also keen to see kiwi spectators flooding the venue, dressed in black, noting that “boisterous hometown support goes a long way.”
I am sure you will join us in wishing our Mat Blacks the very best of luck!!
𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝗦:
𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗨𝗘:
Pukekohe Cosmopolitan Club | 78 Nelson Street, Pukekohe
𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗦:
Thursday 9 May (9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.)
Friday 10 May (1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.mm)
Saturday 11 May (9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.)
𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘SCORING: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1I5OhICR-7j5YsJgsxLKkcnbc3tQ6gfIK7A2Wd6RKxd8/edit?usp=sharing