Short Mat Bowling

Short mat bowling takes place on an indoor mat that is a minimum of forty feet long and six feet wide.
At both ends, there is a wooden fender, and twelve inches in from the fender there is a white line. Any bowl crossing this line is taken out of the game.
The mat also has a 15″ block placed across it halfway along its length. Any bowl that touches the block on its way along the carpet is declared ‘dead’ and removed, as is any bowl travelling off the mat.
Another line called “The Dead Line” is marked across the the mat about a third along the distance from both ends. Bowls must cross this line to be counted in the end.
The game starts with two bowlers taking it in turns to roll there two bowls along the mat trying to get as close to the jack as possible. Their partners then do the same trying to improve on the position of their partners bowls. The winner of the end is the team with their bowl, or bowls closest to the jack. Ten ends are played taking it in turns to bowl from each end.
To see a match in progress click on the photograph.

Anchorsholme Bowling and Social Club have short mat Round Robins on Tuesday afternoons throughout the winter period. These afternoons have proven very popular and regularly attract up to 30 people.
Due to its popularity with club members, two teams were entered into the Blackpool Short Mat League for the 2022/23 season.
Games were mainly played on Tuesday evenings with some away games taking place on Monday.
The winter season games started on 3rd October 2022 and both Anchorsholme teams did very well against tough opposition ending up 7th and 8th at the end of the season on 28th March.

Photographed is one of the teams that entered the short mat league.

The 2022/23 Tuesday afternoon short mat round robins came to an end at the end of April with a competition. The 2023/2024 season is in full flow.
The three prize winners from 2022/2023 are shown below.