New carpet already runs close to original speed

According to installer Steve Foddering, Dales Sports' head technician, who has fitted indoor bowls carpet all over the world, including Australia, Malaysia and Hong Kong, the surface is running at 17.4 seconds, just 0.6 of a second slower over a specific 27 metre length, than the previous carpet before it was ripped up on Monday.

Having briefly delivered four bowls up and down the new surface on the distinctive rink five, I can reveal that equates to just over half a yard of pace slower over the standard distance. But Steve reckons that with regular stretching once the club is open for play again, it will quickly regain its initial speed but without the little idiosyncrasies in line for which it was renowned.

The current coronavirus pandemic led to the club's closure on March 14, preventing its 500-strong membership completing the climax to the 2019-20 season, leaving county, club and domestic matches unplayed.