Meet Jack the lad

After the ban Sanders became known as the bad boy of bowls but, murderous instincts aside, he appears to be rather gentle, the victim of a 20-year personality clash that got out of hand.

With his long, lank hair and wiry frame he looks more like a surfer than a bowler, so it's no surprise that his laid-back attitude clashed with the etiquette of the elderly. Sanders feels persecuted but his biggest crime, other than poor time-keeping and occasional ill-discipline, is playing with a competitive spirit unusual in a sport dominated by pensioners.

As a talented sportsman who played cricket and tennis for Devon, there is no doubting his passion for bowls. He said: "I've been banned loads of times for swearing and missing games, but it's because I was winning. If you're crap, people let you get away with murder but if you're good, they'll bring you down another way.

"I got my head down for four or five years and never lost for Devon, but they were just waiting for me to fail. There are some who don't know one side of a bowl from the other, but as long as their tie's straight they're okay. I don't do anything outrageous but when you see the others it seems like I'm a bit wild. That's why the English are crap at sport, because we're not too bothered about losing. If I lose why can't I express myself, show that it hurts?"

Sanders is still expressing himself on the lawn, but his individual style has brought only mixed success. He reached the quarter-finals of the National Championships last month but is out of the Devon team after failing to turn up for a match. He offered his apologies, but the selectors were not too impressed.

He said: "I told them the truth but they thought I was taking the piss. I was working away for a fortnight and my girlfriend came round, so I decided to stay in bed all day with her." His one regret is that his run-ins with the Devon authorities hampered his international career. He made several appearances for England Under-25s but, as players are only eligible to play for their country if they are representing their county, has not yet played for the senior side. Sanders admitted to feeling "choked" at one scene in the film which saw his fictional character, Cliff Starkey, play for England, but is delighted to have been involved in the project. He turned down the chance to have a cameo role, but hopes the film will provide a boost to his beloved sport.

He said: "I didn't believe the film would actually get made. I had lunch with Mel Smith and was looking around for cameras thinking, 'they're taking the piss here'. It wasn't until I saw it for the first time that it really sunk in.

"I want to go to schools and get kids involved because it's a good sport. I want to change the image of bowls and this film can do more than playing for England. I've done more for the sport than anyone and am proud of that."