Summerland Series Singles (NMem) 2/2

As the 2nd day of the Summerland Series of Singles competition starts on January 2nd (January EST (American time)) at the Cherry Street LBC in Ballina NSW Australia; we find a dark day with a forecast for Rain. This the first big 2026 cash competition, and a large gathering of top notch lawn bowlers wishing to qualify. (and share the money)  Two Youtube streaming game providers  Youtube Live Sports  and  Australia Bowls Facebook attempt to cover some of the more important match ups.

On January 3nd, EST (North American Time), the final day of the Singles are closing and find players's last chance to reach the finals  and share  the $25,600 prize money. 

In the games videos we find at  5:30 AST  the last qualification game between  Jason Trainor (WA) and Terry McFaddon,  (TAS) whom are welcome to the green with a evening shower which quickly turns into a heavy down-pour rain.

As they finished their trail ends and starting their first end of play, the heavy rain had them step up onto the Club spectator's area to awaited the heavy rain to stop.  Seeing this condition of play offers me a chance to introduce an important aspect of Lawn Bowls, Game Time Management, as the second part of this two part blog.  Although the game had a time limit; players can leave the green for a short period of time but must know how to manage their game time.  Yes, the singles are a game of 21 points but in having a time limit, there are some interesting points of play management to know and remember. 

There is always enough time allocated for the games but often in a good Single of only a point or two per end of play, we have to learn how to manage that game time.  One would question a short absence from the green for rain when we do not know how the game will progress.

I would like to leave this Singles game for a minute as I discuss a timed Fours game because with four players teams it is the hardest to save time. But a few points well worth learning. Other games, Triples, Pairs and Singles are just a modified aspect of these "Time Saving" techniques.

First a fours game,  4 players against 4 players with each player having 2 bowls is a very good teaching game because unlike Triples with three bowls; players do not have an extra bowl to waste with a bad delivery. Also, because of the many players at the mat, we often see one of the two type of division of the players. A 3-1 or a 2-2 team division where the four players are divided into three players at the mat and the skip alone in the head. I personally peferre the 2-2 team division as  the front end two players (lead and second) are at the mat end of the green and the mate and skip are in the head. 

Three players of "Fours" game

Competition Game Rules define when the players can go to the head, but usually the two players of the front end go to the Head with the other team when their last bowls is played. (Photo from 2025 Australian Championship Men's Fours TAS / WA right & Below)

What different does these two division of players mean to the actual play of the "Fours" game?  First with the three players at the mat and the skip alone in the head it is very demanding of the skip to administrate all his three players. A skip worth his weight and ability will demand different performances from each player they uses that players strength to the team's  and game's best advantage.

Two players of 4 at mat

When the division is two players at the Mat end of the green and the Mate and Skip in the head the Mate can perform tasks which allows the skip to relax and better follow and administrate the game. The mate can receive the jack and after placing it work with the lead and second as the skip relax.In a 14 or 16 ends of play the last ends of the day can find a skip completely without "Focus" because of the lack of "self time". Not really a  relax because a skip would be busy advancing the strategy as the game starts; and as the mate is doing the skipping of the front-end, he becomes a member of that group. 

As the game progress into the 4th and 5th end of play; it is possible for the skip to use the team "Mate" to improve the performance of the front end as  his decision are carried to these players, or the "Mate" is now coaching or administrating  the four's front-end. For example, the skip can see that the lead or second are not performing as expected and send the mate to pass an end or two helping the two players work as a single unit.

Like in Pairs where the lead is busy building the head and studying the strength and weakness of the opponent; the front-end (lead and second) also have this work to do  in a "Fours" game. So with the mate is at the mat it is possible to instruct the lead and second finish their bowls and discuss their decision and deliveries. If the opponents division of players is not the same  (3-1 or 2-2), the only difference in movement of players is that the "Mate just stays at the mat" for their delivery as the lead and second go to the head with the opponent's front-end players.

Now concerning the rain which forced the Summerland Series competition players to pause their play without an official game pause; thus creating their need to save time. In a "Fours" competition we learn that if a time remaining for play is a problem  and the team must save time; it is the two players (lead and second) who must play faster to catch up on time. If one team plays faster, very often the other team develops the same method of going to the mat and doing their delivery thus creating a faster delivery.

In any timed game, it is usually the lead who will supervise the time limit and be aware when the game is at half-time. Yes the skip will watch the time but in a serious game the skip may probably allocate the responsibility to the lead. If the team is late as they pass the half way point of the number of ends to be played, it will be the Lead and Second who will modify their pattern of play to save time. 

 Ok back to the Summerland Series competition as the down-pour became  very heavy and the players step off the green for 4 or 5 minutes. In the video you can see the players looking to see if the umpire has called a short pause in play. Of course, as the camera scan the total  8 greens; the video show that other teams are still playing because no "Official Delay in Play" was called. 

As we see the two players of the singles step in out of the rain while the major down-pour they will also modify their play speed to regain that lost time. In a "Pairs", "Triples" or "Fours" game it is always the lead; and second if necessary that work to regain the lost time. The reason this task is given to the lead is because as the game time limit approaches, it is the lead who must quickly place the mat and throw the jack before the bell is rung; not concern with other tasks like collecting the bowls or placing protective screens if being used.

as the second end of the competition finishes we find as Jason Trainor checking the shots with a "Finger Measure" as weather changes to a light rain. The down-pour has not yet started.

 An interesting error happens and corrected by the players. With the 2nd end of play finished, Jason Trainor  comes to the head and after a quick finger measure for shot bowl; actually kicks the jack toward his own bowl.   This leads Terry McFaddon standing there, to believe that Jason is indicating that it is his bowl that has shot and Terry attempts to give Jason the mat. Without allowing Terry to verify or call an umpire, he believing that he has lost the shot. 

Then they both spend a long time exchanging looks before Terry realized that Jason had been given him the shot,  at which time he picks up the jack. If Jason is giving Terry  the shot, of course there is no reason for Terry to want to measure. 

 What actually had happen is Jason had pushed the jack toward Terry, as if saying "Point is yours, here is the jack". But because Terry was standing behind Jason's Bowl, he thought Jason was indicating which bowl was shot. 

An important single condition of play. A player should never move the bowls or jack until both players have agreed upon who has shot and how many. 

This video is a good example of the how the weather conditions changes the Markers communication with the players. You have to watch very closely to catch the sign from the marker. Remember to make your communication signs to the players very clear as they also are indications to the spectators as the points as they watch the game progress.

All competition players know they will eventually need to play in the rain and understand that depending upon the drainage abilities of the greens of the club; there can be various amounts of water still on the green when the play resumes. While waiting in the clubhouse for the rain to ease enough to allow the game to continue, it is sometime wise to take photo for your "Green's Rain Photo". Such a photo (below) will show the high and lows of the green as water collects and hills appear. Yes, different areas of the green can have a different drainage but usually the green drainage is consistance over most of the green.

 The Green's Rain Photo (right) is my club last summer.  From my Greens Note Book, which contains many small details; we can also see what to expect with game play in the  direction away from the clubhouse (North / South). It is also helpful indications of green's characteristic in the other direction as the water settles in the lower areas and the photo will help us remember these areas and their boundries for a future game.

 The greens at Cherry Street Sport LBC has great drainage as we will see after the downpour because although a really heavy rain, the first bowls of play as Jason and Terry return to play are both heavy by three feet. Maybe they played heavy thinking the wet green would slow their bowlsl or maybe they played their feeling of Jack Lenght and their bowls saw a green's speed increase as the influence of the just finished rain.