After some solid performances at the recent nationals in Dunedin, despite not winning a title, North Harbour’s Commonwealth Games aspirant Tony Grantham will face further challenges this weekend.

The Black Jack, now playing with Browns Bay, will compete in the centre men’s singles championship and has drawn a tough qualifying section at Browns Bay.

In the same section are Takapuna’s gold star holder Trevor Forward, Orewa’s Errol Koroi and a promising player from Birkenhead, Curtis Ennor.

Defending champion, Browns Bay’s Scott Evans, will play in his qualifying section at Birkenhead, where other leading players like Bart Robinson and Steve Cox will also be competing.

Former Black Jack and national champion Kerry Chapman will be in a section at Beach Haven, while Wayne Wrack, Brent Turner and David Eades will be leading contenders at Riverhead. The fifth qualifying venue will be at Manly where prominent players include Riverhead veteran Grant Goodwin and Takapuna’s former Olympic athlete Bevan Smith.

Post section play will be at Browns Bay on Sunday.

Also held this weekend will be the women’s championship triples, with section qualifying play at Mairangi Bay and Browns Bay and post section at Browns Bay on Sunday.

Though a small entry most of the centre’s best women’s bowlers will be in action and competition among many evenly matched combinations should be intense.

Jan Jones, last season’s winning skip from Sunnybrae, will have a slightly different line-up, with the well performed Keryl Blackburn coming in for Tira Campbell.

In a wide-open entry teams which on paper appear extremely strong include the Birkenhead trio of multiple centre champions Ruth Lynch and Carole Fredrick, with Connie Mathieson, leading, and Browns Bay’s Lisa Parlane, Elaine McClintock and Anne Dorreen.