Summer Bowls season 2025 at The Drive Bowling Club (1st April to 31October)
Hello Drive bowlers and a warm welcome to our new members about to experience a summer season for the first time. I will be taking over the Captaincy from our Winter Captain David Sanders. Sue Newton, Martin Sugarman and Steve Rayner will be forming a Captaincy team to support me.
Please see your fixture card for all the friendly and league fixtures.
Friendly matches
I hope that as many of you as possible will play matches. They are a great way of getting to know other bowlers whether in our Club or our opponent’s. We car share for away matches and have fixtures at some very attractive venues.
If you wish to be considered:
Write your name on a sign up sheet on the notice board in the Club house. There will be one sheet for every match and they will be posted several weeks in advance of the match date.
Look out for the selected teams on either the notice board or the website.
Initial your name to confirm that you will play. Tell me straight away if you must drop out so that I have time to find a replacement.
If you are a reserve, please remember that you may get a call to play very close to the match, sometimes on the day!
Car sharing details will be given with the team selection. Please let me know if you are willing to give a teammate a lift. The website has a list of suggested payments to the driver based on the distance from the Club to the match venue. This can be found at the bottom of the “Forthcoming matches”tab.
At the match, the home Captain will set out the basic format for the match. It will include the number of ends, shots counting on first and second ends, and very importantly the time of the tea break. Tea and biscuits are served at most Clubs, it includes a speech by the Captains and there is a £1 a head raffle, often after 9 or 10 ends in a typical 18 end match. After the match the Captains give a speech with the result. After our home matches we often buy a drink for our opposite number.
Matches are subject to suitable weather but unless there is a thunderstorm or sustained heavy rain, matches tend to go ahead. So please be prepared with suitable showerproof clothing.
If you are picked for a Home match and are on Rink one, you will be the Green Stewards. Green Stewards are responsible for putting out rink equipment; the score boards, pushers, mats, and jacks. They must also check that all the equipment has been put away after the match and that the annex is shut up and locked.
Please do not enter a match if you are down for tea duty that day. The tea rota will be on the Club notice board and web site. Tea Duty involves being there at the start of the match, sorting out the tea, clearing away from tea plus being around to serve drinks at the end of the match.
For Home matches, I intend to give (small) prizes to the players in the Top Rink team. The Top Rink is the team that wins by the greatest margin.
Let’s look forward to a enjoyable and successful season.
Bill Heron
Summer Captain
07931405823