The position of lead in a bowling team tends to be a specialised one, such that some players rarely play anywhere else. Most team skips will say that having a good lead on their side is a major advantage, whether the game is triples or fours.
Placing the Mat on the Green
The first task of a lead bowler is to place the mat, so that it is at least two mat lengths from the ditch, and perfectly straight. The mat can be placed at any position on a straight line between the rink’s mid-point number markers at either end, as long as the front edge of the mat is no less than six feet from the bowling end of the rink and no more than 75 feet away. The maximum point is marked at either side of the green, so that it is easy to take a line from side to side and judge whether the distance is correct.
It is usually the skip who tells the lead where the mat should be placed, and the skip may also give an indication of where he or she would like the jack to go, in terms of length.
Sending the Jack
It is therefore one of the skills of a good lead to be able to send the jack to the correct length. Given that the jack is considerably lighter than a bowl, it takes a bit of practice to get the feel of it and work out how much force to give it when sending it up the green.
However, if the jack is not sent to the distance he or she wants, skips are not allowed to adjust the length.
An exception to the above rule is if the jack goes to within two yards of the far ditch. It will then be moved to the two-yard point. However, if the jack actually goes into the ditch, is not sent to at least the minimum allowed distance (70 feet from the mat), or goes off the rink on either side, the jack is sent back and the opposing lead is allowed to send the jack to the distance that he or she wishes. That lead is also allowed to place the mat at a different distance from the ditch at the bowling end. However, the lead who made the original mistake still plays the first bowl.
There may be various reasons for wanting to adjust the position of the mat and the length of the jack. One such reason is to play to the team’s strengths and the opposition’s weaknesses. For example, if one’s team has lost several ends in succession on long jacks, but finally wins an end, it might be an idea to play a short jack so that the opposition’s rhythm is broken.
Setting the Jack
The lead must ensure that the jack is placed on a point on the mid-line of the rink. This is done by the skip moving the jack to what he or she thinks is the correct place (but not adjusting its length, of course) and the lead indicating by how much it must be moved to ensure this. This procedure (called “setting the jack”) can only be done if the lead has a clear sight of the rink marker at the far end. Other players may be asked to move if they are standing in the way.
Playing the First Bowls
When the jack is correctly set, the lead plays his or her first bowl. The job of the lead is to “draw”, which means getting the bowl as close to the jack as possible by finding a perfect line and length. The lead is not aiming to move the jack by hitting it, but if this happens it should not be with so much force that the bowl and the jack end up yards apart.
An ideal position for a lead bowl is immediately behind the jack, either in contact with it or very close. This immediately sets a problem to the other side, who must hit either the jack or the bowl in order to win the end. By tucking the bowl behind the jack, the target is made smaller.
Another good place for a lead to bowl to is a foot or so in front of the jack. This is then in a good position to be hit and promoted towards the jack, with the bowl that did the hitting not being able to get any closer.
One advantage of being a lead is that one is usually free to choose the bowling hand, either forehand or backhand. Lead is therefore a good position for a bowler who bowls very much better on one hand than the other.
After the Leads have Finished
Having sent their bowls, which they do alternately, the lead bowlers play no further part in the end. Although they will doubtless be keenly interested in how the rest of the bowls end up, their job is done and they must not make any comments on what should happen next or, at the conclusion of the end, which bowls are closest to the jack.
However, when the score is known, the lead of the winning team should be quick to get the mat in position and be ready to send the jack for the next end, and the losing lead should play his/her part in getting the bowls back behind the mat.
John Welford - I was a full-time professional librarian for more than 25 years before redundancy made me take a fresh direction. I now work as a ...
