The Ulster Transport B team finished the NIPGL Division 4 season in 5th place with a point away at Shaftesbury.

Scoreboard

The Final NIPGL Division 4 Table

A 5th place finish, 28 points away from promotion is nothing to get excited about and the Ulster Trasnport B team will spend the 2024 season trying to get out of Division 4 again.

NIPGL D4 Table 2nd September 2023

Result Card

Another week with multiple changes away to Shaftesbury on a difficult, heavy green where very few sides have won this season.

Well done to Ronnie Trew's rink but the match, like the season, is one to forget and hopefully the prospects for 2024 will be a lot brighter.

NIPGL Division 4 Shaftesbury v Ulster Transport B 2nd September 2023

Player Team Statistics

A total of 36 players were used this season with only 9 playing 12 or more out of 16 games.

Ronnie Trew finished with the highest rink points, 10 out of 15 games played (66%) and was the only person to reach double figures.

UTBC B Team Stats at 2nd September 2023

Season Summary

A disappointing season and a golden opportunity for promotion missed.

There are enough quality players available for the B team to give it a very good chance of promotion to Division 3 but the policy of 'give everyone a game' does not lead to stability on any of the rinks, either in selection or performance.

The 'give everyone a game' policy is for the Midweek 2* and Saturday C teams, not the Saturday A and B teams, which should always be using the best available 16 players out of a sqaud of between 20 and 24.

*Midweek 1 should be using the best available 12 players out of an experienced squad of  16 and allow 4 front end spaces for a squad of 8 emerging players who need to play competitive bowls at a higher level to improve their game.

The Midweek Division 1 League is too strong (clubs play most of their Saturday A team) for a 'give everyone a game' policy.