A Stubborn Lead

I am not a good enough bowler to be a good skip; however I am accommodating to draw-masters at social rollups, so I do end up playing skip when everyone else is unenthusiastic about the role. Also, I know the World Bowls Rules Crystal Mark III well enough to protect my team from ‘pretender officials’.

At Valverde Bowls Club at Almancil Portugal a few weeks ago, I was the skip in a triples game. We (three gentlemen) were being pummelled by three ladies. They had been playing middle to long jacks consistently. Finally we won an end and had a chance to change something. When teamed with an inexperienced lead that cannot dependably change to a requested length, the best way to guarantee a change is to ask for a repositioning of the mat.

Amazingly, to me, my lead simply refused to move up the mat when signalled to do so! It is true that one rarely sees such a tactic at Valverde LBC but apparently (I was at the head and couldn’t hear what was said) even after the opposing vice spoke to him, either he didn’t think it was within the rules or he just wasn’t disposed towards it. I just shrugged and proceeded with the game since anything else would be unsociable and upsetting to the team.

Interestingly, my wife’s comment was that everyone hates when you do that.