On the Jack – Blog #18(New Season)

🟢 On the Jack – Blog #18

“It’s a Team Game – Even When You’re Bowling Alone”

There are moments in lawn bowls when you are standing on the mat, bowl in hand, and it feels as though the entire match depends on you.

Everyone is watching. The jack is waiting. The head is looking complicated.

And suddenly you hear your skip say: “Take your time.”

Good advice.

Because although you’re the one delivering the bowl, you are never really bowling alone.

🎯 More Than Four Players

In a team game, every player has a role.

The lead sets the foundations. The second builds on them. The third helps shape the head.

And the skip reads the situation and decides how the team should respond.

But the real strength comes when everyone works together.

A great team isn’t four people trying to play four individual games.

It’s four people playing one game together.

🧠 Communication Matters

Good communication doesn’t mean constant talking.

In fact, sometimes the best communication is very simple.

“Good bowl.” “Take your time.” “We’re still in this.” “Try the other hand.”

A few calm words can make an enormous difference, particularly when the pressure is on.

And there is another important skill:

Listening.

When your skip gives you a shot, trust the decision and commit to it.

If it doesn’t work, you move on. The next bowl is a fresh opportunity.

🌱 A Tip for New Bowlers

If you’re new to team bowls, don’t worry about being the best player on the rink.

Concentrate on being a good teammate.

Encourage others.

Celebrate good bowls—even when they’re played by your opponents.

Ask questions. Learn from experienced players. And never be afraid to say:

“I’m not sure what you mean. Can you show me the shot?”

That’s not weakness. That’s how you learn.

📚 A Little Bowls History

Team bowls has always depended on cooperation.

From traditional club fours to county competitions and major championships, the roles may vary slightly between formats, but the principle remains the same: players combine individual skills to achieve a common result.

That’s one reason bowls has such a strong club culture.

You aren’t simply joining a sport. You’re joining a team of people.

🤝 Etiquette Corner – Be the Teammate Everyone Wants

A good teammate:

• Encourages rather than criticises.

• Listens when others are speaking.

• Congratulates good play.

• Accepts mistakes without blame.

• Helps newer players feel welcome.

• And remembers that it’s supposed to be enjoyable!

Nobody bowls perfectly.

Not even the skip.

☕ Clubhouse Chatter

This week’s team meeting included the words:

“We’re all behind you.” Which was very encouraging.

Unfortunately, the bowler interpreted it literally and spent the next few minutes checking whether everyone was actually standing behind them.

Communication clearly remains a work in progress.

😄 This Week’s Green-Side Quote

“We’re a team. We win together and lose together.”

“What happens if we draw?”

“Tea together.”

“It’s a Team Game” “Good teams don’t just play together — they support each other.”

Now that’s a team philosophy.

🌟 Final End Thought

Lawn bowls may appear to be a game of individual deliveries.

But look a little closer. It’s about trust. Encouragement. Communication.

And knowing that when you step onto the mat, your teammates are behind you.

Sometimes they’ll help you find the perfect line.

Sometimes they’ll remind you to take a little more weight.

And occasionally they’ll simply tell you:

“Don’t worry. It’s only a game.”

And they’re right.

Because the score goes on the card.

The friendships go much further.

See you, “On the Jack.”

Your Rink side Rambler 🟢🎯☕🤝Norman Deegan.

This Week On The Green – Club News and Activities

🗞️ Marine Gardens Bowling Club Weekly Report

Week Ending Sunday, 23rd August 2026

Alan Paterson, Press Officer.
Two excellent away victories put smiles back on Marine Gardens faces this week and delivered a very welcome haul of league points.

The first success came in a closely fought Brodie League encounter at Tarring Priory. Although the match finished 2–2 on rinks, Marine Gardens secured the overall points thanks to a superb 85–70 aggregate win. The margin was built entirely on a remarkable 29–4 triumph by the pairing of Nour Dissem and Tim Baldwin, whose performance was nothing short of outstanding.

The momentum continued at Middleton in the WSBL, where Marine Gardens produced an unbeaten display — three winning rinks and one drawn — to claim a commanding 70–43 aggregate victory. The nine points earned not only capped a fine afternoon’s bowling but also guaranteed Marine Gardens’ 2nd Division status for next season. Top Rink honours went to Mark Charlottes, John Nettleingham, Ivan Godsmark and Perry Cairns, who posted an impressive 23–11 win.

These successes provided the perfect lead‑in to three days of fiercely contested club finals, highlighting skill, nerve, and no shortage of drama.

Club Finals Results:

• Men’s Singles: Tim Baldwin 21, Graeme Poole 10

• Ladies’ Singles: Jenny Ashman 21, Pam Duffield 11

• Men’s Pairs: Bob Cole & Keith White 15, John Dorkings & Duncan Gayler 14

• Ladies’ Pairs: Angela Neale & Jenny Ashman 19, Patsy Nicholson & Helen Stirling 18

• Mixed Pairs: Pam Duffield & Brian Jones 19, Geraldine Whitehead & Bob Cole 18

• Handicap Singles: Brian Jones 18, Bob Cole 13

• Handicap Pairs: Rod Smith & Brian Jones 22, Terry Ashley & Gerry Perch 3

• Stan Wheeler Cup: Gerry Perch 12, Brian Jones 11

• Yardstick (2 woods): Bob Cole 13, Jenny Ashman 5

• Junior Cup: Brian Jones 23, Liam Clifford 7

• Veterans’ Cup: James Albon 19, Les Gritton 6

• 100 Up: Brian Jones 107, Bob Cole 63

• Triple League Winners: Jackdaws

• Aussie Pairs Winners: Dingos

The finals concluded with the traditional presentations by President Norman Deegan, including the award of the Noel Stevenson Memorial Trophy for the most improved newcomer — deservedly won by Mark Charlottes.

Nestled among these achievements was one result the club may wish to forget sooner rather than later: your correspondent somehow contrived to win the putting competition. The lengths one must go to in order to appear on a prize list.