Bowls Tactics: When you are Ahead in the Last End but Have the Mat

Fall 2020 Willowdale LBC

 

Introduction

Lawn bowls is a game where consistency is rewarded. It is not how close a particular single delivery is to the jack; it is how often your bowls finish close to the jack. Throughout most of a match, no-one should fret if an opponent builds up a big lead beating your own close deliveries. So long as your side consistently bowls well, the law of averages should be trusted to even out the difference.

When the final ends come around, however, such faith is no longer warranted. To win the match the team that is behind must act in ways that might be imprudent any other time and the team that is leading must be aware of this and take appropriate counter-measures.

The more shots a side is behind, the sooner these more daring tactics need to be invoked. As the side in the lead, remember that in this situation it is the opponents that must take lower-percentage riskier shots to catch up. 

The Specific Tactical Problem

The specific tactical problem for the side still ahead but with the mat is that your opponent(s) will have the final bowl of this last end. To be secure your side will need to have in the head at least two bowls that will reduce the other side's potential count to less than is necessary to win the match. If you do not have these two bowls, the opposing skip can potentially knock your single protector out of the head and may score enough to gain a multiple and perhaps sufficient to win the match. Furthermore, these two bowls must be disposed far enough apart that they cannot be removed together by this last shot. Moreover, though less dangerous, all your bowls should not be disposed such that this last opposition bowl can trail the jack to a position where your opponent would score sufficient shots to win. In particular, your opponent should be prevented from ditching the jack with that last bowl and scoring sufficient points to win.

Now, trailing the jack is much harder than knocking out a single bowl so getting two bowls into the head is much more important than protecting against a trail. So, when both dangers threaten, protect by placing the two bowls in the head! 

The Psychological Problem

Since your side won the last end (that is why you have the mat) in one way the psychological pressure will not be as severe as in the end just finished. Your side is at least one point further ahead and the opposition has one-half as many ends to catch up. Nevertheless, your advantage may be as narrow as a single point. If you are not playing singles but are the skip of a team, you should meet with your team before the end begins. This is your right— you have possession of the mat—don’t let your opponents rush you.

 

Nervous Inexperienced Lead

If your lead is nervous, inexperienced, or both, encourage him/her to try to deliver a jack of a length that feels most comfortable. This is usually the lead’s natural length. Then, explain that you will help in setting the mat so that when the jack gets delivered about that length it will end up about 1 meter short of the forward T. Then explain that for that first bowl, you will indicate with your shoe a point about 1 meter behind the jack and your lead should visualize getting the bowl as close as possible to your shoe. Without actually warning your lead not to be short you are asking him/her to aim for this shoe target behind the jack.

If you are playing in an intra-club tournament and your lead has hardly ever competed, do none of these things. Rather, with the mat where it is most commonly placed, call for a jack at exactly the same length as in the last end. Be as relaxed and casual as possible.

 

Under all circumstances, no matter how that first delivery goes, you, as skip, should call for the next delivery on the same hand just adjusting weight as necessary and continuing to reach to your shoe. Do not, except for the most extraordinary circumstances, ask your lead to change hands for the second bowl. Also, if your lead delivers a short first bowl do not show any irritation or frustration, just encourage an appropriate adjustment. At this point, your outward demeanor is as important as your lead’s skill.

Influence of the Rules of Play

What to do with mat and jack, when you are ahead in the last end and have the mat, can depend upon the rules in play.

Closed End 

According to the rules that formerly were in force in Ontario Canada, for example, all ends were closed with an allowance that each team could kill one end in the match after which the next dead end caused by that team counted as an end played with one point awarded to the non-offending side. In this situation, it matters strategically whether your opponent(s) have already killed an end before this final end. If they have, you do not need to worry about a kill since it would only increase your lead. On the other hand, if they still retain the right to kill an end, you need to preferably place the jack close to the front ditch making it more difficult for the jack to be driven out of bounds. If your preference is a short or medium jack, this can still be achieved by moving the mat up the rink so that the jack can still be kept near the forward ditch while the jack length is as you prefer.

 
Last End Open

When the last end is open, an opponent can burn ends that are not favorable without limit. Because of this, your side should prefer a long jack in most circumstances.

 The mat should be at the T line and the jack should be rolled full length. This maximizes the difficulty of burning the end. It is harder to strike the jack the further it is along the rink. At the same time, the closer it is to the front ditch the more likely it is to enter the ditch and be still in play rather than to shoot off at an oblique angle and exit the side boundaries.  Since you are defending a lead, keep count of how many points the other side would rack up if they trailed the jack into the ditch. Matching bowls is a good strategy  in this tactical position.

Re-Spotting (No burnt ends)

With re-spotting in effect, it is important to deliver the jack as close as possible to the re-spot location. The more possibilities there are to score, the harder it is to defend. The most common re-spot position is two meters from the ditch on the centerline. The best position for defense is to have the jack centered three meters from the ditch. So that if you can place your first bowl 1 meter behind the jack it will be sitting on the respotting position. This way you combine the merits of finishing behind the jack and covering the respotting position. You arrange for your preferred length by moving the mat up the rink. It should be set to the lead’s natural distance. The lead should try to place his first bowl one meter behind the jack on the re-spot position. It is particularly important not to be short. The more bowls behind the jack, the better the defense prospects. The first person to get a bowl close to the jack will have tremendously improved prospects.