Team Positions – Second and Third

The responsibilities of the second and third positions in a short mat bowls game are essentially the same, so the strategies of both are covered in this next post in this series of short mat bowls playing positions. 

The second and third positions are effectively there to support the lead. If the lead has managed to achieve the shot bowl, then it’s down to you to either protect the end with a blocker or if there’s no danger, attempt to add to the score with your own woods. 

Depending on how the end is panning out, a second or third might also decide to place a bowl behind the head, to counter any possibility of your opponents hitting the jack and “springing” it towards the back of the rink. Should they decide to do this and are successful, then you stand a chance of still counting shot with a strategically placed bowl ready to “receive” the sprung jack. Be sure to say thank you to your opponents in these instances!

If, however when you step up to the delivery mat you find that your lead has let you down  and your team doesn’t have the shot bowl, then it’s down to you to either rescue the end or at least give your skip a chance to rescue it.

Similar to the lead bowler’s strategy in this scenario, you shouldn’t be overly aggressive with any bowl where there is a risk of leaving the end wide open. If the lead hasn’t managed to place a bowl within the frame, then it’s usually best to make sure that you do get one there. By playing too adventurous a bowl, you can run the risk of failing in your attempt to be a hero and can give your skip an impossible task of salvaging anything from the end at all.

However, if your lead has managed to get at least one bowl in the head, then you might have a bit more licence to be adventurous and go for glory! You just need to weigh up the odds and make a decision. As someone once said “it’s all about playing percentages!”

Overall, if your team is counting shot, aim to either add extra woods into the scoring frame or protect what you’ve got. If your opponents have shot then you should attempt to beat their bowl or at least give your skip a chance of rescuing the end.