Mix of Commonwealth Games experience levels across the two Team NI bowls squads

The ladies are all aged in their 20s - a contrast to the men’s team which has Martin McHugh and Ian McClure selected, both part of the fours that won a gold medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

It will be McHugh’s seventh tournament while McClure is set to be competing at his sixth.

High Performance coach Neil Booth, who was also part of the victorious fours in Malaysia, will be the team manager in Birmingham and feels it was important to get younger players in the squad.

“One of the things we wanted to do was change the age profile of the ladies’ team, a lot of the top countries in the world the average age of the ladies is in their 20s but they just don’t pick young players for the sake of it, they have to be good enough and these five have proved they are good enough over the last number of years,” said Booth. “I’m delighted with the squad we have in the ladies’ side, I’m delighted with the age profile and looking forward to working with them.

“Marty, Ian and myself in 1998 won a gold medal and the two old stalwarts are still hanging around and playing as well as ever!

“It is a really good foundation to have two players like that in a 10-player squad, we are going to lean on their experience a lot and certainly the girls will lean on the experience that Marty and Ian have and, hopefully, they can inspire the others to success.

“We had told the players a few months ago and we’re delighted to get it out there and really start the preparations.

“We have already started the last few months and we’ll really step it up now and it is starting to get real for everyone.

“I’m not a great one for giving predictions but we will have the best squad that has ever gone to the Commonwealth Games as far as