The young guns are expected to play a key role in Otago’s defence of the Paterson Trophy in Alexandra this weekend.
Four of the eight players in the Dunedin-based team are under 30 — Brandon Williams (22), Nick Sinclair (22), Kristen Gould (28) and Daniel Sinclair (24).
Williams, who will make his debut for the South Island next month, is playing in the Paterson Trophy for the third successive year.
Daniel Sinclair has won five Otago titles and was recalled to the South Island team after missing selection last year.
Gould, the son of former New Zealand representative Trevor Gould, won the New Zealand junior singles title in 2006.
Nick Sinclair, a tourism student, is playing in his fifth Paterson Trophy. He was the best Otago player last year, winning 12 of his 15 games.
The experienced Craig Cowan, the oldest bowler in the team, has replaced teenager Jonty Horwell who is concentrating on PBA with the big bowls this winter.
The other older player in the Otago team is John Williams (52), who reached the quarterfinals of the pairs at the open championships in Taupo with wife Jacquie.
The best player in the Otago team is Daniel French (33), who made his international debut for New Zealand in the transtasman series in Sydney this year.
The steady rock in the team is David Webb, who qualified for the New Zealand mixed fours finals this month.
The Paterson Trophy was first held in 1964 and zone six has been dominated by Otago and Southland. South Otago won in 1978 and 1979.
Since 1989, the indoor bowls districts in New Zealand have been divided into six zones and the winner of each zone qualifies for the Welch Trophy first contested in 1952.
Each bowler plays 15 games — five singles, five pairs and five fours.
Otago beat South Otago by 18 points last year but the big challenge at the weekend will come from the strong Southland team that includes New Zealand representatives Gary Low and Suzanne Mackie.
The team also includes Graham and Jan Low, who qualified for the national finals of the mixed pairs, and Brian Hotton, who won the national championships masters singles at Taupo. The best player at last year’s event was Marilyn Paterson (South Otago), who lost only two of her 15 games while team-mate Chris Moffit lost only three games.
The best Central Otago bowlers are Evelyn Bisset and Matt Begg, who has won a record 33 centre titles. Mike Howard and Andrew Robb will skip the two North Otago teams.
The six regional Paterson Trophy winners this weekend qualify for the 66th annual Welch Trophy final in Hamilton on September1-3.
Otago Paterson Trophy teams
Central Otago
A Team: Matt Begg (s), Kevin Hurley, Carol Sanford, Rick Yorston.
B Team: John Leyser (s), Dave Moreton, Ev Bisset, Gloria Hurley.
South Otago
A Team: Robert Wilson (s), Alanna Preddy, Barry Gray. Colleen Fenton.
B Team: Graeme Hill (s), Chris Moffitt, Peter Grant, Marilyn Paterson.
North Otago
A Team: Mike Howard (s), Vic Randall. Rhonda Lockerbie, Paul Daley.
B Team: Andrew Robb (s), Wally Strachan, Stefan Robb, Gordon Robb.
Otago (Dunedin)
A Team: Daniel French (s), David Webb, Brandon Williams, Nicholas Sinclair.
B Team: Craig Cowan (s), David Sinclair, Kristin Gould, John Williams.
