History of Short Mat Bowls
(taken from the WSMBA rule book)
The origins of the game are lost in the mists of time but it is thought that the game was first played by two South Africans living in South Wales, who, fed up with the wet climate and not able to play bowls outdoors, simulated the game indoors. They later moved to Northern Ireland and introduced the game there.
This is similar to another version of the origin in which the game is reputed to have started in the 1920s in Northern Ireland when an outdoor team had their bowls match rained off and took refuge in their local church hall. To pass the time they started bowling on the bare floor until someone suggested it would be easier to bowl on a carpet.
The first record of a club is that Ballymacarret Presbyterian Church which has a photograph dated 1929 showing the Minister bowling on a 3ft wide mat through a hoop. Other references to that past period mention playing with no fenders or touchers and even a flat multi-sided wooden jack which is still in existence.
The Welsh Short Mat Bowls Association was formed in 1987 to introduce and develop the game throughout Wales. County associations were formed before this, the earliest being Clwyd, followed by Gwynedd and then Montgomery. All clubs and counties who play short mat bowls in Wales are eligible to affiliate to the WSMBA and to take part in its activities. The Governing Body of the WSMBA comprises elected members from the counties or regions and has subsidiary committees specifically covering umpiring and coaching.
The WSMBA is responsible for organising and selecting the Welsh team to play in international matches as well as arranging the national competitions.
Here we look at five reasons why more and more people are taking up the game.
There’s No Need to Worry About the Weather
Unlike lawn or crown green bowls, you don’t have to worry about the weather if you fancy a game of the short mat version, as it’s played indoors. Some say it was invented by two South Africans who were working in Wales in and fancied a game of bowls. Frustrated by the wet climate, they put a mat down and began playing in a church hall. However, players in Northern Ireland insist that the game originated in Belfast.
Wherever it was invented, it’s since been played in all sorts of venues, ranging from community centres, village and church halls, and even on oil rigs.
It Teaches You the Basic Skills of the Sport…
The game follows the basic principles of lawn bowls. Players send their bowls down a mat, rather than across a green or down a carpet, trying to ensure their bowls end up closer to the jack than their opponents’. This means if you ever do decide to graduate to the outdoor version of the sport, you will already have a good grasp of the basic rules.
…and Improves One or Two Others
With short mat bowls, a block is placed midway down the rink mat. If you hit this, then your wood does not count and is automatically removed from the end. This puts a premium on accurate drawing shots, on either the forehand or the backhand sides, as fast firing shots are ruled out.
Although the mats are of high quality, the playing conditions and the under-surface can vary tremendously, which means players are constantly having to make subtle changes to their lengths and lines.
There’s a Level for Everyone
One of the beauties of this type of bowls is that it takes very little time to set up a game. All you need is the mat, the bowls, a jack, some players and a venue big enough to accommodate the mats.
So this version of the sport lends itself to informal play. However, you can also compete at a high level as well.
It’s Good for Your Health
As with all forms of bowls, the short mat version is good for your mental and physical health. It can improve the strength of the muscles in your arms, shoulders and legs. It is also mentally stimulating as each end will throw up its own challenges and problems which you need to solve. There’s also a social aspect – if you play regularly, you can make lots of new friends.
The game is extremely popular with older people because it can be played at quite a slow pace, and the presence of the block means you can’t play any really aggressive shots which require a lot of physical strength. This, coupled with the ease of setting up a game, can also help children to take up the sport.