October 1998 Volume 79 Number 10 "serving the protectors"
BOWLS
By Peter Baehnk

Nick Zuvich has been an active member of the Police Bowling Club since 1978 and has served on the committee since 1980. He is our current senior vice president and has been president on three occasions.

Nick retired from SAPOL in 1992 after 38 years’ service. He is a keen sportsman and has played and coached football into his 40s. He was talked into taking up lawn bowls while he was stationed at Summertown in 1967. He found bowls very valuable in establishing relationships in his moves to numerous country postings.

Nick has won the singles championship of the SA Police Bowling Club on three occasions and has regularly represented the club as a singles player in the interstate police carnival. He was runner-up in 1984 and 1990 and eventually claimed the ultimate prize of singles champion in 1994.

He has also been a member of the Somerton club since 1975 and won his first club championship in 1979. In following years he won a further three singles championships and two pairs championships with Gordon Holthouse as his partner. He and Gordon also won the pairs champion of champions playoff in 1987.

Nick’s advice to anyone contemplating taking up lawn bowls is: “Do it now”. Besides being as competitive as you wish to make it, it is a very social and relaxing way of spending a few hours. Those bowlers who are not Police Bowling Club members are urged to consider joining us in a yearly bowling program, concluding with an interstate bowling carnival. Our next carnival will be held in April, 1999, in Perth, WA. It will be Adelaide’s turn in 2000.

Inquiries should be directed to Secretary John Minagall at Fort Largs or Assistant Secretary Trevor Gregory at Crime Prevention Section.

From the Internet

Here are some facts and figures for those who might be tempted to try the game. Of course, most of us already know them. Or do we?

• Modern bowls are made from plastic in black or brown - in earlier years they have been made from stone, wood - including lignum vitae, a very hard wood from the West Indies, and even rubber.
• Bowls are made in various weights and sizes. Diameter is 117/133mm - maximum weight is 1.59Kgs.
• The running surface or crown of the bowl is slightly higher on one side to create the “bias”, causing the bowl to curve or “draw”.
• The jack is the round white or yellow plastic ball at which players aim their bowl.
• The jack is 63/64mm in diameter and weights 227/283 grams.
• The bowlers must get as many bowls as possible closer to the jack than the nearest of the opponent’s bowls.
• The club green is divided into rinks on which seperate games are played.
• Maximum green size is 40m - minimum 37m -maximum rink width is 5.8m -minimum 5.5m.
• The faster the green, the longer the bowls take to reach the other end.
• The speed is determined by the length and density of grass and the preparation in terms of rolling and grooming the grass.
• A slow green (heavy) means there is less arc with the biased bowl which doesn’t travel as far and therefore takes less time to reach the jack.
• Slow green is 11-13 seconds.
• Fast green is 16-18 seconds.

Now all you novices should get out and try the game. Try “Night Owls” first, a very relaxed form of bowls under lights. Several Clubs around Adelaide and country areas have organised competitions and would welcome you, as single entry or with a team.

The Rules

Umpire Roy posed some questions:

• “Where must the mat be placed if an extra end is to be played?”
• “What happens if the mat is placed incorrectly?”

At the first end or an extra end – Law 18A

At the beginning of the first end or an extra end the player to play first shall place the centre line of the mat lengthwise on the centre line of the rink with the front edge of the mat 2 metres from the rear ditch.

Incorrectly placed – Law 18C

If, being a first or extra end, the mat is not placed in accordance with Law 18A, the end shall be replayed.

The Club’s opening day is set for Sunday, 18 October, 1998, at the Modbury Bowling Club, Jack High Lane, Ridgehaven.

Our calendar for the year has also been set and the event bookings are filling fast. Contact Assistant Secretary Trevor Gregory with your entry. Single entries are welcome.

I WANT TO BUY A BANNER AD!     My name Phone (Australia only)