B20 cricket bowls comes to Edenvale
"The new form of bowls will add excitement and fun to something which is considered an old man's sport."
In an attempt to spice up the sport of lawn bowls, cricket bowls was recently introduced to the Edenvale Bowling Club (EBC).
Edwin Campbell, executive member of EBC, said the new sport, B20 cricket bowls, sees aspects of T20 cricket introduced into traditional bowls.
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“The new form of bowls will add excitement and fun to something which is considered an old man’s sport,” said Campbell.
In order to play the game, wickets and a scoring mat are placed at either ends of a designated rink on the green.
Teams consist of three players each, and each player is only allowed to deliver two bowls.
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Campbell said a bowler will stand near the mat and make a delivery to strike as many wickets as possible.
Next, the player moves to the wicket’s side of the rink and makes a delivery towards the scoring mat.
“On the mat there are numbers and a jack which represent the runs a player can score,” said Campbell.
He said the idea is to score as many wickets and runs as possible.
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To generate more awareness of the hybrid sport, EBC is hosting a four-week tournament starting on November 3.
Campbell said the mini tournament will be held on November 3, 10, 17 and 24. It will start at 4pm.
He said the tournament is limited to 12 teams.
“Although bowling clubs have been playing cricket bowls, EBC decided to take the bull by the horns and host a tournament for the new sport,” said Campbell.
Unlike traditional bowls, players do not need to wear all-white clothes and can make as much noise as they like while celebrating or cheering their bowlers on.
The only requirement is that players must wear flat shoes.
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Campbell said cricket bowls was the brainchild of Tony Morris and Ian Stevenson of the Benoni Lake Country Club.
He said players have to be incredibly skilful to hit the wickets and make sure that their bowl stays in the field.
Anyone interested in the tournament can contact Campbell on 083 460 8711 or edwin@thistle.org.za
Training clinics are held on Saturday mornings at 9am.
“The clinic allows newcomers the opportunity to try bowls before committing to the club,” said Campbell.
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