Ladies Inter Zone

The first round of the best ladies team competition in shortmat bowls is played this Saturday. Out of the seven games four have the potential to go down to an exciting finish with the teams so evenly matched. Ladies bowls is more volatile than the men’s competition with the champions in recent years going out in the early rounds when defending the title as they fail to match the form of the previous season. This can make the competition very interesting.

Reigning champions Armagh are not expected to fail in the early rounds and will be one of the major contenders along with Western from the top half of the draw. The Armagh Armada sailed through the 2009 competition in style but if Armagh are to reach a consecutive final they will have to overcome some tough opponents. They are potentially in the hardest quarter of the draw which includes both Foyle and Western.

Mid Antrim are the first test as they travel to Richhill and while the visitors will be able to compete in some rinks Armagh should have the better all round squad to progress.

Unsurprisingly Armagh have stuck with the same team that won the title at a canter last year, with only two enforced changes due to the unavailability of Bronagh Malone and Yvonne Hayes. Eleanor Hunter from Markethill and G. Garvey from Tullysaran come on to the team and Catherine McMillen has moved to skip in place of Bronagh Malone.

Armagh's success last year was based on solid first half performances. Indeed over the five games last year the Armagh rinks skipped by May Cassells, Daphne Marshall, Catherine McMillen (2 games) and Rachel Cassells (3 games) recorded 14 first half rink wins and 1 draw. This meant the rinks skipped by Flo McNally, Pauline Beattie and Bronagh Malone really just had to keep things tight to ensure a win, and they achieved this with interest in each round.

No doubt the same tactics will be employed again this time around and as far as the OrchardCounty ladies are concerned, hopefully with the same result.

It is often overlooked how important it can be to tactically get the right rinks on in the correct half. Teams will tend to keep their strong rinks to the second half but if the foundation has not been laid in the first period of the game then the perceived stronger rinks may have an insurmountable deficit to overcome.

Mid Antrim have five new faces in their team with a further three recalls. As with many of the lower rank teams they are striving to find the right combinations to improve and maximise their potential. The visitors will have their own aspirations and will be glad of the opportunity to measure themselves against one of the stronger zones. It does not come any tougher than an away game against the current champions but if Mid Antrim can respond to the challenge as unit they will have taken a step forward. Helen Lynn and Jennifer Wilson have impressed in the past and will be relied on to bring composure to the rest of the team along with the remaining experienced personnel.

Armagh team

Rink 1: M Wright, M Hobson, D Agnew, M Cassells

Rink 2: Anne Crozier, S Whittle, A Patton, D Marshall

Rink 3: L Milligan, E Lavery, H Agnew, R Cassells

Rink 4: B Wilson, V Leckey, S White, P Beattie

Rink 5: E Hunter, S Garvey, E McDonald, C McMillen

Rink 6: Agnes Crozier, G Garvey, J Hawthorne, F McNally

Changes from 2009 final team with J Hawthorne moving from second to third. Minimal changes to a winning formula.

Mid Antrim team

Rink 1: S Kleinman, M Wilson, S Harper, I Adams

Rink 2: J Mullan, S Lynn, M Kilpatrick, H Lynn

Rink 3: M Tait, M Neeson, A Bacon, W Adair

Rink 4: I McCullough, A Hunter, H Maybin, J Wilson

Rink 5: P Peacock, M Johnson, L McIlraith, P Wilson

Rink 6: M Turtle, B Watson, A Agnew, R Morrison 
Debutants

Foyle have been consistent performers in the ladies competition over the past five years but have not been able to claim the trophy. Their first round game is at home to Lisburn and it could prove a fruitless journey for the visitors as the hosts are much harder to beat when at home. Foyle can not afford any complacency while Lisburn will be looking to set a solid foundation upon which they can build.

Donegal host North Eastern and will have revenge on their minds. They travelled to their opponents last year in the shield competition and came away with a significant loss which was not in keeping with performances in previous seasons. The Donegal management have trawled the zone but while they have a few promising players breaking into the men’s team there are very few ladies pushing to break into the zone team. They will be boasted by the return of both Rachel McConnell and Ruth Crawford both of whom will be expected to occupy two of the skipping berths. There could be some changes to the make up of last season’s rinks as Donegal strive to get the best from their squad.

North Eastern are similar to Donegal in that when they hit top form they can trouble the top teams. Their win over Donegal last year will give them confidence but they will also be aware that they do not often bring their best game with them on their travels. This game is an open opportunity for both teams to progress and start a run in the main competition.

Western were on the receiving end of a huge shock last season and they will be hoping that they can return to the form that enabled them to claim the trophy in 2008. They have a strong side and should be challenging for the title but will have to eradicate the costly lapses. North Down have some talented individuals amongst their ranks and if they can produce a top notch display then it could rub off on the others. Aspirations are realistic and if they can see improvement from last season then no matter what the outcome the game will be a success for them.

Mid Ulster dominated this competition from 1980 through to 1996 a period in which they wracked up a remarkable nine wins. They have not won this trophy in thirteen years and while they always flatter to deceive they do not produce the goods over the required number of games. Undoubtedly they have the potential to push the strong zones and if they can get their top 24 ladies available on a regular basis would be challenging for the title however they are in large group of zones in a similar situation who at present need a little extra to propel them to the top.

South Tyrone have promised much in patches and while successful at shield level they should be making more inroads in the main competition. They can blow hot and cold more often disappointing in this competition than realising their potential. There is not a significant difference in these teams and if both play to their capabilities then it would be an intriguing encounter with possibly home advantage and a loyal crowd being the deciding factor.

Another equally balanced tie could be Northern at home to South Down. Who can raise their game sufficiently to win? Being prepared mentally for a game and not just taking it lightly can be the difference between winning and losing. Northern reached the semi-finals in 2008 while South Down did likewise two years previous. Northern have been held back in progressing further due to unavailability of ladies who double up with stadium bowls, if dates clashed less then Northern could be serious challengers. South Down are a steady unit who are always difficult to beat and cannot be taken lightly.

The final game of the round will be played out between Monaghan and the visiting Cork team. This is an excellent opening for both teams to get a confidence boosting win under their belt. Neither will be challenging for the trophy but expectations are still high that they can take a step forward compared to the previous year.

There are quite a few ladies zones that struggle for personnel. This makes winning difficult which in turn has the knock-on effect of draining confidence which brings a loss of interest bringing the situation back to lack of personnel.

An overnight solution is not available but clearly there is a gulf between the top teams and the rest.

Some sort of two tiered format may better suit the teams who are struggling. If teams of equal quality played each other on a more regular basis winning may be a more achievable goal which could help maintain interest in playing zone bowls.