“An extraordinary, high-level, dramatic event in lawn bowls.” This is how Wikipedia describes the rare feat recently achieved by Durbanville bowler Etienne Malherbe (66) when he physically broke in two the jack with one of his trademark cannonball drives.
The wiry Malherbe, known as ET, played second in the Edgemead Classic recently in a fours team skipped by young Edgemead WP star Armand Ascaray and WP stalwards Adré Barnard (third) and Schalk Kotze (lead).
“After so many years of trying, ET finally managed to break the jack,” Morné de Wet, Durbanville’s flag convenor, joked on a WhatsApp post shortly afterwards.
Malberbe, the WP veteran champion in 2025, defended his title at Glen last Sunday. He easily beat Gert Nieuwenhuys from Somerset West with 21-10 in the final.
With one of his trademark full-blooded drives, the marker could not get out of the way in time and was hit on the leg!
Rare occurrence
“The breaking of the jack” is borne out by the fact that the internet only comes up with one famous example, that of Scotland’s Paul Foster (52).
The 13-time world indoor champion broke the jack in a world tour event in 2017.
Malherbe is a versatile allround-sportsman, professional tennis coach, and former Free State cricketer.
He has been playing bowls, with a couple of breaks, for 24 years and won the WP Veteran Championship in 2025.
Inside ear
“A number of elements played a part in the splitting of the jack,” recalls Malherbe.
“It was right against an opposition bowl, with two other bowls a metre or so in front on both sides. It was a very narrow port to get to the jack. Armand (the skip) told me to drive to burn the head (to replay it).
“I got an inside ear from a front bowl and connected the jack at just the right angle to break it.
“It was a complete fluke. Also, it was an old jack which had taken years of knocks. A new one would not have broken,” he explains.
As stipulated by the rules, the head had to be replayed.
“When I started playing, everyone said ‘bowling is a drawing game’. They still do, but I wanted to express my personality and add an extra weapon to my arsenal — the drive!”
