Two of last year's champion mixed fours team members, Taranaki's Grant l'Ami and Michelle Watt, will defend the mixed fours title this year, but this time will combine with Dennis and Pauline Behrent in the 47th national final of the New Zealand Indoor Bowls Mixed Fours.

Last year they won the title with Mike and Lorraine Phipps, who are now resident in Tauranga.

L'Ami has one other mixed fours title from 2001 and has a national championship gold star.

He skipped the champion four at this year's national championship which gave him his sixth title.

He is a current New Zealand representative and won an Australasian medal in the men's pairs in the recent trans Tasman test match.

They will have strong opposition from the Canterbury combination skipped by New Zealand representative Ashley Diamond, who skipped the champion pairs at this year's national championships and combined with l'Ami to win the Australasian medal in the men's pairs. He won a second medal in the men's fours. He combines with David Philpott, Julie Dalley and Bev Diamond.

Also in the mix is Southland's South Island representative Mark Keen, who was Diamond's lead when they won the champion pairs this year.

He won the mixed fours in 1998 and the champion of champion singles last year.

He combines with Mervyn Ryder, South Island representative Rhonda Milne and Maree Swain.

Upper Hutt Valley is another very strong combination with Blake Signal, North Island representative Sheree Holmes, New Zealand representative Lisa White and Jason McAdam all of whom have come through the junior ranks.

White was in outstanding form at the trans Tasman test match and won both the women's singles and pairs Australasian medals.

Holmes performed well at the national championships skipping her team to the last eight in the triples.

She was also third equal in the champion of champion singles last year.

Signal was in the North Island Academy team this year while McAdam won the junior singles in 2002.

Nelson will be led by one of the most experienced and successful fours skips in the country in Nigel Warnes from the Tapawera Club who along with his son Hayden has won four national championship titles. Nigel has a mixed fours title from 1992.

They will combine with Denise Powick and Louise Mason for the second year in a row. Nigel Warnes is a South Island representative this year.

Counties will be represented by Roger Andrew, Joyce Wilson, Trevor Coleman and Nancye Wright. Coleman was runner-up in the singles at the Lion Foundation National Indoor Bowls Championships.

Bay of Plenty was the surprise winner in the North Island Eastern Zone when they overcame the strong Tauranga side that included Mike and Lorraine Phipps who were in last year's champion team and Paul Smith and Fiona Wilson.

They played with passion in memory of the late Dave Reynolds who passed away recently after having been in the winning Bay of Plenty champion mixed fours team.

Simon Hatcher is the skip with Marge Taare at three, Barry McLeod at two and Gill Reynolds at lead.

Hawke's Bay is represented by David Vesty, Michael Brown, Priscilla McLean and Michelle Vesty. David Vesty is always to the forefront at the national championships and was runner-up in the pairs in 2010.

Play is on a round robin basis and to reach the final, players have already won

their district and one of eight regional zone competitions.

Play is in two sessions commencing at 10.15am and 1.30pm.

Two matches will be played in the morning and in a new initiative there will be five games in succession in the afternoon with the presentation of the Trophy at about 7.20pm followed by an after match dinner.

The finals are at the Hogg Crescent Indoor Bowls Complex, Hogg Street, Masterton next Saturday, July 30 commencing at 10.15am.

Competing Teams

Counties (Roger Andrew, Joyce Wilson, Trevor Coleman, Nancye Wright)

Bay of Plenty (Simon Hatcher, Marge Taare, Barry McLeod, Gill Reynolds)

Taranaki (Grant l'Ami, Dennis Behrent, Michelle Watt, Pauline Behrent)

Hawkes Bay (David Vesty, Michael Brown, Priscilla McLean, Michelle Vesty)

Upper Hutt Valley (Blake Signal, Sheree Holmes, Lisa White, Jason McAdam)

Nelson (Nigel Warnes, Hayden Warnes, Denise Powick, Louise Mason)

Canterbury (Ashley Diamond, David Philpott, Julie Dalley, Bev Diamond)

Southland (Mark Keen, Mervyn Ryder, Rhonda Milne, Maree Swain)

Draw

Abbreviations: Bay of Plenty (BP); Canterbury (CY); Counties (CS); Hawkes Bay (HB); Nelson (NN); Taranaki (TA); Southland (SL); Taranaki (TA).

Round 1: TA v NN; CS v HB; CY v BP; UV v SL

Round 2: TA v HB; CS v BP; CY v SL; UV v NN

Round 3: TA v BP; CS v SL; CY v UV; HB v NN

Round 4: TA v SL; CS v UV; CY v HB; BP v NN

Round 5: TA v UV; CS v CY; BP v HB; SL v NN

Round 6: TA v CY; CS v NN; UV v BP; SL v HB

Round 7: TA v CS; CY v NN; UV v HB; SL v BP