Road Map points to 29 March return to bowling

Bowling News

As predicted we got half of the story yesterday as regards the Road Map and what it means for bowling. Yes outdoor sports are allowed to reopen as from Monday 29 March and this is the category that bowling has always been included in. There is also reference to organised sports being permitted as from that date and this is the term previously used to signal the return of competitive bowling. However some important details are missing from the statement.

The statement includes the relevant paragraph below:

• From 29 March - Outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households will be allowed. This will include gatherings in private gardens. Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis or basketball courts will reopen and organised adult and children's sport, such as grassroots football, will also return

That means that social/practice bowling can start from 29 March but no more than six people or two households on the green or surrounds at the same time. That is if the interpretation is the same as after the lockdowns of last year. There is also the reference elsewhere in the guidance to no more 30 people being allowed to congregate at one location so curtailing the number of spectators allowed at matches.

I am sure that more details will be released over the coming days to further explain the small print behind these headline dates. Some of the things we still need to know include confirmation that access to clubhouses and toilets will also be allowed before we can start to plan the fixture programme. In addition we need to be aware of the controls that will be expected at every venue before they are allowed to reopen. Maybe that detail will become public over the next day or two.

Historically these controls have meant undertaking a Risk Assessment of club facilities and making changes to address the danger spots at each venue. The Winter League clubs learnt that a Risk Assessment completed following the first lockdown was insufficient to meet the revised demands later, so clubs can expect to work through that exercise once again before submitting for Yorkshire CCGBA approval. That indeed could be a lengthy process if several hundred clubs are seeking approval prior to an early start date.

All we need to know now is are bowlers ready to return to competitive bowling? A straw poll was undertaken by Lindley BC this week when they asked their 27 bowlers registered to play in their Veterans 10-Man League teams revealed the following. Of 27 bowlers asked if they would be ready to bowl as from 6 April only 10 confirmed that they would with 7 indicating that they wouldn't be ready before 4 May and the remaining 10 saying 1 June would be the earliest that they would consider playing again. Clearly this club will struggle to field even one team for any fixtures before May. If those sort of numbers are replicated in other clubs then the leagues need to know that before determining their start dates.

It would be helpful if leagues could publicise as soon as possible their proposed start dates so that clubs can then alert them to the likely participation of their teams from that time. It is of little use having a start date imposed that cannot be met by the teams.

Later this week we will be rerunning the survey we undertook last month about bowler plans regarding returning to bowling. This will allow the impact of the Road Map on bowlers and illustrate if it has made a difference to their decisions on when to bowl again.