Four new caps are making their debut for the North Island Indoor Bowls Team on its tour of the South Island starting, Friday, August 5 and ending with the 31st annual Inter-Island Match for the Kevin Eddy Memorial Trophy at Dunedin on Saturday, August 13.

With the New Zealand players not eligible for selection, the North Island selectors have taken the opportunity to introduce three new caps in the women's team and one in the men's team and have recalled eight players, six of which were in the successful 2009 team, but who missed out last year when the New Zealand players were available for selection.

The new caps are Jason Parker, Counties, Jenny Stockford, Auckland, Denise Clarkson, Hutt Valley and Fiona Anderson, Horowhenua.

The 2009 players recalled are Teri Anderson, Auckland, Lois Randall, Hutt Valley, Margurrite Gerrand, Bay of Plenty, Matthew Ellis, Counties, Rodney Mills, Auckland and Lance Jenner, Auckland.

Keith Setter, Tauranga, who last represented the North Island in 2000 and 2001 has forced his way back into the side with outstanding performances at the national championships as has Lorraine Phipps, Tauranga, who last played in 2007.

The experience of the players that have retained their places from last year will be crucial to the team's success.

They are Grant Harvey, North Taranaki who will captain the side, Robert Lochrie, Manawatu who was a reserve for the New Zealand team, Paul Wright, Auckland, Brent Biggar, North Wellington, Paul Smith, Tauranga, Linda McCurdy, Waikato, Sheree Holmes, Upper Hutt Valley and Elizabeth Morrow, North Taranaki. McCurdy ears her 13th cap and Harvey is ninth.

The North Island commences the tour on Friday and will play seven tour matches.

The first match is at Southbrook School Hall, Rangiora against Canterbury. This match has had to be moved from the Canterbury Indoor Bowls Hall because of earthquake damage. The team then travels to Nelson to play Golden Bay- Motueka, Nelson and Marlborough combined at the Warnes Indoor Bowls Stadium at Stoke on Saturday night. Then it is over to Greymouth to play a combined West Coast side at the Grey Main Hall on Sunday night. Monday night sees the team in Ashburton to play Ashburton and then on Tuesday night they play a combined North Otago and South Canterbury side at Timaru Indoor Bowls Stadium.

On Wednesday night the match is against Otago and Central Otago at the new Dunstan High School Gymnasium in Alexandra and on Thursday night the final tour match is in the Balclutha Memorial Hall against Southland and South Otago combined.

The tour culminates with the 31st annual North versus South Inter Island Match for the Kevin Eddy Memorial Trophy at the Otago Indoor Bowls Hall, Victoria Road, Dunedin on Saturday, August 13.

In an endeavour to break the stranglehold that the northerners have had on the Kevin Eddy Memorial Trophy since 2003 in Timaru, the South Island selectors have gone back to players who have been unavailable in recent years but have now made themselves available again to add depth and experience to the team.

Those recalled to the South Island team are Gary Low, Southland, who last played for the South Island in 2005, but has a great record in national events.

This is his 11th cap for the South Island, Lynn Rance, Otago, who last played in 2007, earns her second appearance.

Those recalled from the 2009 team are Owen Ditfort, Canterbury, Mark Keen, Southland, who won his second national title in the pairs this year, Fred Persico, Nelson, Marilyn Holmes, Otago, Rhonda Milne and Elaine Carnie Southland.

The new caps are Ken Mackenzie, Ashburton, Mary Jordon, Nelson, Marie-Therese Hooper, Canterbury and Deanne Kamo from Canterbury.

Those to retain their places are Michael Lawson, Ashburton who is making his twelfth appearance, Daniel French, Otago, Chris Moffitt, Canterbury, Nigel Warnes, Nelson playing for the 14th time, Mike King, Canterbur,y who will captain the side, Ann Graham, Canterbury, Suzanne Mackie, Southland and Jean McKenzie, Nelson.

Altogether the North Island has won twenty times, the last seven years in succession and the South Island ten times.

The teams are:

North Island:

Women: Singles: Teri Anderson, Auckland; Pairs: Linda McCurdy, Sheree Holmes, Upper Hutt Valley; Triples: Lois Randall, Hutt Valley, Elizabeth Morrow, North Taranaki, Lorraine Phipps, Tauranga; Fours: Jenny Stockford, Auckland, Denise Clarkson, Hutt Valley, Margurrite Gerrand, Bay of Plenty, Fiona Anderson, Horowhenua; Reserves: Debbie Reed, Tauranga, Gaylene West, North Harbour.

Men: Singles: Keith Setter, Tauranga; Matthews Ellis, Counties, Paul Smith, Tauranga, Paul Wright, Auckland, Jason Parker, Counties, Brent Biggar, North Wellington; Fours: Grant Harvey, North Taranaki (Captain), Robert Lochrie, Manawatu, Rodney Mills, Auckland, Lance Jenner, Auckland; Reserves: Mark Ridley, North Taranaki, Kerrin Fremlin, Auckland.

Reserves: Women: Debbie Reed, Tauranga, Gaylene West, North Harbour; Men: Mark Ridley, North Taranaki and Kerrin Fremlin, Auckland.

Manager: Delwyn Hughes, Bay of Plenty.

South Island

Women: Singles: Ann Graham, Canterbury; Pairs: Lynn Rance, Otago, Mary Jordan, Nelson; Triples: Marie-Therese Hooper, Canterbury, Suzanne Mackie, Southland, Marilyn Holmes, Otago; Fours: Jean McKenzie, Nelson, Rhonda Milne, Southland, Deanne Kamo, Canterbury, Elaine Carnie, Southland.

Men: Singles: Gary Low, Southland; Pairs: Owen Ditfort, Canterbury, Mark Keen, Southland; Triples: Michael Lawson, Ashburton, Daniel French, Otago, Chris Moffitt, Canterbury; Fours: Nigel Warnes, Nelson, Fred Persico, Nelson, Ken Mackenzie, Ashburton, Mike King, Canterbury (Captain)

Reserves: Women: Christine Shand, South Canterbury, Ann Cottrell, Otago; Men: Robert Osborne, Canterbury, Ross Garner, Otago.

Manager: Stewart Chilton, Southland.