Short Mat Bowls – 2025/26 – A message from the team manager

A message from the Short Mat Manager

Where: Played at Mylor Club House and various venues across Cornwall

When: September 15th 2025 – April 10th 2026 mornings, afternoons and evenings

Contact: David Gadd – 07865186617 (WhatsApp) or davey5678@gmail.com

Open to: All Members both new and experienced

Fees: Free for all members although green fees of £2 apply to league games and friendlies and one off competition entries

Booking: Through the club website in four slots in each day.

Look out for: Fixtures appearing at the end of August. Booking starts w/c 15th September

What is short Mat?

Short Mat is a bowls game played throughout the winter months in the Mylor club house. It is played with your own full sized lawn green bowls and any flat soled shoes you don’t use outside.

The club has two short mats which are used throughout the winter season. The mats are 1.8 metres wide (6ft) and 13 metres long (40ft) so about a third of the size of the green outside and a much narrower bowling trajectory.

At each end of the mat are two areas which represent the ditch – this is surrounded by white fenders to stop the bowls from crashing into the walls and to enable them to be used as markers if they touch the jack. In the middle is a “wood” which you curl the bowls around. Games are played in a variety of formats depending on the number of players and roughly follow the format of outside games on a slightly smaller scale. Short Mat games are typically 15 ends. Short Mat is a great way to continue social bowling throughout the winter months.

How many players play Short Mat?

The club has a committed group of a dozen or so short mat players. While some of them play in a formal short mat league (W Cornwall area), most just play casually at a roll up at 2pm on a Friday. They also join in on some enjoyable club competitions or come along to one of several friendlies which are organised throughout the winter. Some players just organise a fun game together. All members of the club can play short Mat using the booking system – but players who want to learn the game are always welcome to come along to roll ups on Fridays.

How does Short Mat compare with carpet bowls?

Carpet bowls use a separate, smaller mat with smaller carpet bowls. The inside space is shared in winter between carpet bowls and short mat. Some players play both carpet bowls and short mat.

Roll ups

These take place every Friday at 2pm so the first short mat roll up will be on Friday 19th September at 2pm. This is a good chance to come and play the game for the first time and there are always experienced players there who can show you the ropes.

West Cornwall League afternoon matches

These start on w/c 6th October for a round of 9 autumn matches with the last match on w/c 1st December. We will have 5 matches at home on selected Mondays at Mylor at 2pm and four matches away at 1 or 2pm on different days of the week – most commonly Tuesdays or Wednesdays. In Spring we will have 4 matches at home and four away. The league is composed of teams from Porthleven, Hayle, Marazion, Gweek, Penlee and one team from Mylor. We normally have two cars heading to each location so lifts can be easily arranged if you cannot drive.

The current Mylor team is picked from a pool of 6 regular players and a further 6 reserve players. In the Spring season we will introduce new short Mat players into the league if they have progressed nicely in the roll ups or the competitions. The matches are played in a light hearted manner and are a great way to socialise with your team mates and with members from other bowling clubs. Tea and cake/biscuits are normally served during or after each match. Those players who are playing in the league will have some special practice sessions in the weeks between September.

Club Competitions

We run two club competitions – a singles competition and a doubles competition. These start in November and end before Easter when the short Mat season ends, Enrolment for these competitions will be through the website or through the roll ups.  All short Mat players both new and experienced are encouraged to play – the doubles competition is seeded meaning new players will be matched with experienced players.

Friendlies

New and Experienced players will have the opportunity to play in a range of friendlies and special events through the season. We normally play teams from around our area such as Truro, Redruth and Chacewater – often with games played at weekends or evenings. The friendlies are fun, informal and at Christmas can involve mince pies, Christmas cake and mulled wine.

What to do?

Come to the roll ups on Fridays to meet other short Mat members.  Book the short Mat through the website to practice short Mat bowling or arrange an informal game with other members. Keep an eye out for short mat fixtures, competition entires and other events on the website and on the dedicated short mat notice board in the club house.

If you have any further questions or enquires please contact David Gadd in the first instance davey5678@gmail.com or 07865186617

Thanks

Dave