Lower Great Southern Bowling League quartet selected for Country All-Stars side to face WA State team

Four Lower Great Southern bowlers will get the chance to rub shoulders with the best players in the State as part of the curtain-raiser for the Bowls WA Men’s Country Week Championships. Emu Point duo Matt Mitchell and Jon Sharpe along with Albany’s Craig Hitchcock and Mt Barker Golf’s Paul Garbellini have been selected in the Country All-Stars side. The country team was selected from the recent Men’s Inter Zone Round Robin carnival with the best-performing players from the four zones chosen to take on the State side. Mitchell, Sharpe and Garbellini have all made appearances in the annual challenge in the past but it’s a maiden selection for Hitchcock, who is relatively new to the sport. They will be playing in a fours competition with Sharpe to lead a team containing Hitchcock, Garbellini and York’s Aaron Smith. Narembeen’s Greg Vaughan leads Mitchell’s team that also includes Tammin’s Rodney Stokes and Augusta’s Jamie Conway. The WA Country All-Stars will face the WA State side at Osborne Park Bowling Club on Thursday, March 3 at 6pm, with the annual men’s country week competition starting the following day. “Always an honour to be selected in the country side and I take great pride in representing your country regions,” Mitchell said. “Super-excited to test myself against the metro side. “I think the country side has a great chance, with lots of quality new talent mixed with some experience.” Sharpe, an experienced bowler, said it was an honour to be selected. “Playing against quality opposition brings out the best in all players,” he said. “I expect with the side selected we will be very competitive and look forward to some close games.” It has been a dramatic rise through the ranks for Hitchcock, who is only in his third year of bowls. “I feel honoured and surprised but looking forward to the opportunity to play with and against some of the best players in the State,” he said. “I’m very privileged the selectors have shown faith in me. “I’m going to embrace the experience.” Garbellini said the game would be a great challenge. “I’m happy to get the opportunity again, and especially playing with Jon and Craig, two players from our league,” he said. “I’m expecting a rink win and to play consistent bowls.”