SLY FOX MAKING A WINTER LEAGUE RETURN

After not missing winter league bowls at Fox Lane for one solitary moment during last year's abstention, why in the name of sanity have I signed up for it again?

I'd washed my hands of it and had no intentions of a return whatsoever - until I was asked to join the other team associated with some clubmates who play in the Monday night league - when my head was turned. 

Monday night is a better night for me, but it's also regarded as the higher standard of the two leagues. This team, The Eagles, has a high threshold of ambition with top four in the top division and a place in finals day being the minimum aspiration each year. All the above sounds appealing and whilst taking a few days to mull over the offer, I knew damn well I wasn't going to say no. 

It's fair to say I felt things had gone stale for me playing for Misfits in the Wednesday league. Nevertheless, this move felt a bit sly on them and particularly team captain Steve Marginson, but it is what it is. I had left the team over a year earlier so it's not as if I jumped ship directly or deliberately. I think everyone is OK about it, but if I'm secretly called Judas amongst their ranks then so be it! I just want to vary my experiences and become a better bowler. 

Getting over my general dislike and to some extent, a fear of Fox Lane's greens is going to be the main challenge ahead. It was one of many reasons I packed in on Wednesdays, but more a sort of final nail in the coffin. I need to get over that. The greens are stiff at the best of times on Fox Lane and never more so than outside the warm and drier months. I've got to find a way to feel my way around them better, be much more consistent and even gain some confidence on them. It's a tall order, but I'm hoping higher stakes playing for The Eagles will drag me through. 

First match I had just started with a heavy cold which wasn't ideal but I wasn't wanting to give up the opportunity to play and I was paired with Geoff Bibby, up against team Hornets pairing of top lady bowler Claire Russell and Nigel Carrier. I'd never seen Claire play before and she was very impressive, leading out well and knocked a good few of my decent leads out too. A real threat throughout the game.

Nigel Carrier is a more familiar face who I had never met in person and couldn't particularly warm to since hearing about him getting all fisticuffs with Croston player Mark Thompson during the Summer. I played Mark last season and if you've met Mark or know owt about him, you'll know he is a personality but a certainly a gentle soul is what I deduced. It would be fair to say to anybody getting physically aggressive with him - what the hell were you thinking and why? Maybe Nigel was having a bad day, I can only assume he is of the right mind to at least regret the incident and long since apologised. A local journeyman in bowls with more clubs than Tiger Woods, Nigel is a decent player but doesn't seem to settle anywhere for long before the proverbial applecart gets upset. Now I'm a lover, not a fighter, but if he was going to have a pop at me or Geoff that night I was ready for him!🥊😁 Nigel was quiet and polite as it turned out.

Geoff and I kept a few points ahead for most of the match, mainly down to Geoff who must have pulled out at least a dozen fantastic bowls from the back that were crucial to score or save at various moments. 

Claire was equally the star billing out of our opponents. Myself and Mr Carrier chipped in here and there. The game looked set to go their way in the closing stages until we recovered a chalk to go 19-20 and I decided on a crazy round peg mark on to the bottom corner slope but was justified in doing so, sending two rare beauties up and holding game. But Claire's second bowl was incredible and nestled between mine to save one. I thought I'd kept it simple last end, but length was a struggle for all of us playing out of the slope, thankfully Geoff and I got nearest out of a bad bunch to sneak the win.

Disappointed with how I played, but reassured by teammates it wasn't so bad. In our other match, Aaron and Martin Baker had a stinker so just the one point on the night for The Eagles.

The following week on the back green against Chorley Chuckers, Aaron snd Martin avenged the previous week's debacle with a storming 21-3 victory. A tough act to follow, this time partnered with Steve Wilson we were up against Phil Snape and his daughter Steph. 

We started with a four and won a couple more ends before the Snapes began to impose themselves. It felt as if Steve and I were on the back foot for much of the game. Phil had got his eye in and Steph put quite a few belters up. Steve got a few crucial savers and winners in though and it was anybody's game at sixteen-across rolling on to 18-17. I then fluffed a great chance on a mark I had previously done well on, Steve making two great bowls to save us losing three. Then I made up for it next end with two good ones. Steve just shy of taking the match last bowl, we had a bit of fortune on the last end with our winner becoming almost impossible to get at and the scrap was finally won for two wins and three points on the night. 

I'm very unhappy with how I've played so far in these two matches. Teammates would say I'm being hard on myself and yes, it's not all been crap and I've made a contribution for sure. But I could probably pick out a number of absolutely terrible bowls that would run in to the teens that I've sent over these last two weeks that were so bad I wondered just what on earth I was doing here again. Fox Lane's greens continue to catch me out. It's playing the correct length that is the mystery. I find it so difficult. The greens look amazing and so inviting to play on, but they are deceptively heavy. Sometimes I'm convinced I've sent a real one, only for it to give up and be well short. Sometimes I think I've put an extra yard in and the bloody thing doesn't stop and would be in the neighbouring tennis courts was it not for the greenside gutter. Sometimes I turn my back on a bowl in disgust, only for it to roll up against the jack. It's chaotic, but I'm going to knuckle down and try even harder to understand and eventually tame these hell forsaken Fox Lane greens. It's not going to come naturally though, that's for sure.

PRIDE OF THE AVENUE WIN BY A WHISKER

My last taste of bowling on home club turf for 2026 was spent the way I started it on a perfectly sunny early afternoon. So before the Eagle & Child green closed until next spring, the Hargreaves Cup was up for grabs again - taking on the might of youth, talent and fiercely competitive nature of Aaron Hayhurst. That little trophy has been on the next door's mantelpiece for two years now. I have won maybe a couple of these pride of the avenue games over the years through sheer will and good fortune, but this was the first time I genuinely felt I had every chance. Aaron's the better bowler of course and continues to improve himself, but I've closed the gap and rather than the usual psyched up state of dogged belief at these occasions, I went in to the game relaxed and really looking forward to sparring with him.

Aaron won the final warm-up end for the jack and he kept hold of it for a while, going 6-0 up playing over the middle but I was never too far away and put some good savers up. 0-6 versus Aaron has often been the gateway to capitulation, but I didn't panic and got back in, having an equally good run of my own to go 7-6 up. There wasn't much in it for a while after that, tight ends and both of us noticing how long a game it was starting to feel. Very few twos and a feeling this could end up a very close finish. First of all though, from thirteen-across I play two cracking ends and leave Aaron flapping a bit to go 17-13 ahead. Frustrated to go short with my second bowl next end, nevertheless I was holding one to potentially go five in front. Forcing Aaron to play through, a fortuitous cannon went his way to steal back in. With the bit between his teeth now, we were back on the successful mark he started on and once again it took a few ends to break him and he was right back in it.

Back to nip and tuck with both of us making mistakes now, we end up 20-19. Jack is in my hand and I was really cross with myself to send two tight bowls in to the entrance corner. Bread and butter for Aaron surely, who only had to match his own barely half decent and yet counting first one. Remarkably he rolls short. Now Aaron doesn't gesticulate and chuck things around like I do in these circumstances, but I could see he was absolutely seething with himself. I couldn't believe he had let me off.

Next end wins it then and Aaron was still in a dark cloud. His lead wasn't great and then I put a fairly good one up which he couldn't ruffle. 21-20 and that little trophy will now be spending mantelpiece time on the other side of the walls... just.
Aaron wins the second match for what we call the "tin can", but the main prize is what it's all about. I look forward to defending it, although there is talk of playing the next one on Fox Lane during this autumn in to winter period. Now that will be much more to Aaron's advantage having started out bowling there as a wee lad and still playing for one of their league teams. An extra challenge to try and overcome. 

COULDN'T GET CLOSER TO MAKING A FINALS NIGHT

Tuesday 29th September 2026

LONGRIDGE AUTUMN FLOODLIT SINGLES

At Longridge Cons BC

The ambition of making it to a finals night or finals day couldn't have come closer to fruition as my season officially drew to it's habitual close at Longridge. Initially there was a wave of massive disappointment, but it didn't take long to take stock of the situation and console myself in the fact that it will happen eventually, somewhere, some day and it will be that little bit sweeter after tonight's experience when it does.

FIRST ROUND QUALIFIER
v ROSS HATZER (Fylde) W 21-15
There couldn't have been many tougher opening games than this one on the night. A county player whose name I was familiar with having been plastered around in competition results, Ross wins things and is a capable player at the very top end on his day, most recently a semi-finalist at the Isle of Man Festival last year.
It was clear straight away I was going to have to be right on my game to stretch this match out in to some sort of contest, but the early signs were promising. I was pulling off some really cracking bowls to keep with Ross and not allow him any periods of dominance. Confidence grew and so did my expectation. Rolling up to the scores at 14-14 I was actually getting a little frustrated with myself at not taking opportunities for twos when I felt I should have. I was starting to feel like I had a proper chance of causing an upset here. Was it not for a couple of thunderous strikes from Mr Hatzer, I'd have nudged ahead at some point.
I then had a most timely run with the jack. My leads were good if not getting even better and this further fuelled my belief, whilst starting to put my opponent under some pressure. Now a few points ahead and having sent a long lead diagonally across the green and landed a toucher, what you might relate to the equivalent of a traffic jam occurred on the green. We were waiting for an obstruction from another end, which was also waiting for another match to get out of their way too. Ross decides to ask where I'm from and we have a quick natter. He reveals he's not been happy with his form this season. All I could think was not to let this little break mess my momentum up and succeeded, sending another one close but making a target. It was an equally hell of bowl from Ross that smashed them off the green from that distance, my goodness me it was a strike. I kept on with the good work from the front though, broke back straight away when Ross got in and maintained the standard to see the game out from there.
Genuinely, I couldn't really have played any better than this. Yes I look back and think there were some imperfections, but I'm actually nowhere near good enough to nitpick myself to that extent! Whatever else was about to happen that evening, this was a great win for me and well worth the visit alone.

SECOND ROUND QUALIFIER 

v JOHN SMITH (St Anne's) W 21-19
Crown green is not always like riding a bike. It's not as if there was a huge wait until my next match or that green conditions had particularly changed on an incredibly mild Autumn evening in which shorts and t-shirt were still the attire for me at least.
But going back on for round two, this wasn't the player that had just given Ross Hatzer a hard time. I got on the wrong side of the scorecard early on and this fed John's confidence. There were actually far more opportunities in this game to take control, but I was sending some clangers and saving myself with one good wood at best just to stay in contention. I'd got wound up with frustration and knew I had to settle myself or this game could easily slip away. I refocused and tried to find the sort of buzzing energy from my last match to scrap for everything and that's what I did. Pushing my nose in front late in the game I managed to keep it there and most importantly got to twenty-one first. It doesn't always matter how you get there. John played well and didn't give the game meekly by any stretch, but whilst I felt my game dipped, I did get it back on track. If anything, it was a reminder to maintain realistic expectations of myself. I can't play as well as I did against Ross all the time - that's the goal one day - but for now and as frustrating as inconsistency can be, I need to expect it and be ready deal to deal with it at any time and without winding myself up over it.

THIRD ROUND QUALIFIER
v ALAN WARD (Blackpool) L 20-21
I've met Alan before about two years ago or more at Fleetwood Waterloo. Not on the green, but just chatting and he told me of a book he had written and published titled "Crown Green Legends", which I am sorry to say I still haven't purchased despite best intentions. Vastly experienced Alan is from the game's golden era. A Waterloo semi-finalist himself, denied a place in the final only by the greatest of all time, Brian Duncan. Alan must be of similar age to the now octogenarian GOAT and there are similarities between them in many ways, even the way they dress and their dry but polite demeanour during combat. This chap was a player back in the day and he's clearly no slouch now it must be said.
Whilst not quite managing to rekindle my form from the first round against Alan, I recovered to a level I was reasonably happy with and was doing enough to make a really tight game of it. I don't think there was more than a couple of chalks between us at any given time. I missed some opportunities, but then so did Alan. There really was nowt in it at all.
Having just won an end to level things at eighteen across, a real chance now to make a break for the finish. I was in the top left corner with a chance to round peg along the top, just where I like it and where I had taken quite a few points all night. Two decent bowls took me to all-but and round pegging back along that top side, knowing a good lead might be enough to make finals night and the last eight. I landed a perfect bowl, a toucher partially covering the jack. Alan overcooked his first, whilst I send my second one a foot and a half behind and in a good place. I wait as Alan weighs up his options. It's going to take something special to deny me now, but sure enough he plays through and takes the jack out to perfection, which then hangs on to the green edge by less than a couple of feet and the wily Mr Ward makes two for himself. Unbelievable.
He then sends a good lead to the middle of the green, I get close with both bowls but don't quite make it. Falling to my knees and then lying on my back in utterly gutted dismay probably looked a little overdramatic given what were very modest circumstances amongst this sort of company. But bloody hell! How frigging close can you get? I did everything right on that penultimate end - but that bowl from Alan - Wow!
It would have been brilliant to join clubmate Aaron who won three the following night to go though, which would have made it two Eagles on show for finals night. In a repeat of a recent final, he came close against eventual and multiple Longridge winner Josh Mordue in the quarter-finals, who beat another previous winner Alan Hudson Jnr in a tight final.

It's always a pleasure to play at Longridge. The green is surely one of the best kept around these parts, it's an absolutely fabulous playing surface. I cannot speak highly enough of host and organiser John Hanson. Gentleman John has time for everyone and his spring and autumn competitions here are to be savoured. 

GOOD RUN DOUBLED UP WITH KAREN

EAGLE & CHILD TIM ROBINSON AUTUMN DOUBLES

Partnered with KAREN BIBBY
First Round Group 1: v JACK WAREING & NIGEL TOMLINSON L 24-31
First Round Group 1: v JANET MOORES & GEOFF BIBBY L 27-31
Supplementary Quarter-final: v RUTH WATSON & STEVE WILSON W 31-19
Supplementary Semi-final: v SYLVIA DEACON & BERNIE LANCASTER W 31-6
Supplementary Final: v GILL BROWN & STEVE MARGINSON L 27-31

During September our annual Autumn club doubles has been on the go. Partnered with Karen Bibby this year, our first round group games didn't go particularly well, but we recovered twice from deep deficits to restore respectability and that proved just enough to scrape through to the knockout stages of the Supplementary competition.
Trailing 9-30 in our first match, it would be fair to say we were very luckless even though our opponents Jack Wareing and Nigel Tomlinson were just better than us on the night. At all-but against then, we showed a bit of steel and fought back in to the high teens before it looked like our rally was finally over. Nige and I were looking over the situation and had just agreed he was on - I think we might have even shaken hands - but before he could shout to his partner Jack to carry the mat, his last bowl was on it's way and it was travelling. Sure enough it knocks out Nigel's winner. You couldn't make it up. "We'll have to take it Nige..." I said laughing, but I could see that even the very chilled Mr Tomlinson was trying hard to see the funny side. Karen and I had suffered Jack's knack of spoiling things for us earlier in on the game. He's a great partner to have, as I can vouch for after we won the 2024 Spring Doubles together, but Jack has his unpredictable moments too and this one didn't turn out well for him. Karen and I pressed on to reach a score of 24 before we were finally caught out. We had to put good bowls up against these two throughout to get anything. When Nigel is on his game he can make the Eagle green seem very small with nowhere to catch him out. We managed to do that for a while, so not a bad result given our poor start.
We then faced Janet Moores and Geoff Bibby. Relatively new player Janet was impressive, leading really well from the off and I know all about Geoff who likes to play his doubles from the back. Once again Karen and I were caught cold and the game got away from us. We had a swap around again which seemed to work once more and put our opponents under a bit of pressure having recovered from 7-20 down. We couldn't quite turn the match in to our favour, but every single score counted as a few nights later other matches went our way and we made the Supplementary last eight on points difference by one solitary chalk.
Still something to play for then and we faced last year's main competition winners Ruth Watson and Steve Wilson. Their title defence had ended by narrow margins missing out on the main quarter-finals, but they looked a good fancy on paper to maybe snap up the Supplementary. Partnered with Ann Derbyshire last year, I succumbed to these two in the semi-finals last year, but they weren't quite the unbeatable force this time around. Karen and I had actually got ourselves off to a decent start and we were dangerous. Ruth wasn't on her usual game by any means, whilst my partner Karen really came in to her own in this match, clinching it with two fantastic bowls and we were through quite comfortably in the end.
In the semi-finals we drew Sylvia Deacon and Bernie Lancaster. Left-handed Sylvia is another improving bowler from the club's now healthy crop of ladies and Bernie a competitive vets player. Once again though, Karen was on it and together we slowly built up an unassailable lead. It wasn't as straightforward as the scoreline suggests. Sylvia in particular had many good bowls count for nothing early on and then Bernie was unlucky to find gaps, but we kept the pressure up and kept procession of the jack which was key to an impressive victory.
In the final then, we faced another improving newbie Gill Brown partnered with the more familiar company for myself of Steve Marginson. Pre-match, Gill's distraction tactics involved her asking me if I remembered my end of school Valedictory Dinner - these days known by the annoying Americanism as "prom". Yes indeed - The Pines Hotel 1990. Gill then reveals her daughter was actually a friend of mine from school, Suzanne, and shows a photo of us both at the dinner from just thirty-six years ago. It's a small and very coincidental world because only days later I bumped in to Suzanne having not seen her since a school reunion maybe fifteen years ago or more.
Back to the bowls then and I had it in my head to go up front from the start and try to put pressure on Gill and maybe force Steve from his comfort zone playing from the back. But Karen wanted to lead and I didn't want to be a fascist about it so rolled with it. But Karen, by her own admission, had a frustratingly wayward start whilst Gill put good leads up and we went six down. We fell further behind to 9-18 but didn't go down without a fight. Both of us starting to click, we recovered to 19-21 but this prompted a response from Gill and Margy who won the next five ends to regain their lead at 27-19. Karen and I put another comeback together though and things were getting very interesting at 27-28. But it was around this time Steve produced bowl of the match and a game-changer, turning over round peg to avoid the cluster and pip what looked like Karen's perfect winner. Our opponents responded well again when their lead was threatened and saw the game out. It was a really good match actually and a pleasure to play in. Mrs Bibby and I had done pretty well all in all and it was also a pleasure to have teamed up with her.
In the main competition, Pam Ward and Phil Bradshaw lifted the Tim Robinson trophy, beating Peter Bylinski and Neil Hawes in a close final.

SORRY AARON, I JUST RAN OUT OF STEAM...

Saturday 12th September

TARLETON BOWLING & SOCIAL CLUB

64 DOUBLES ONE DAY COMPETITION

Partnered with AARON HAYHURST
First Round: v GRAHAM HICKEY & DAVE SCOTT W 21-17
Second Round: v JAMIE SMITH & JORDAN RILEY W 21-18
Third Round: v GRAHAM OLIVER & BARRY WHALLEY W 21-17
Quarter- Finals: v STUART TIPPING & ANDY FLEMING L 19-21

Next up and Aaron had asked me if I fancied a doubles competition at Hesketh Bank a few weeks ago. Then with just a few days to go messaged me to say it was actually at neighbouring Tarleton. No problem, except I have never played at Tarleton - and nor had Aaron as it turned out!
With form dripping away recently I managed to find a mindset that this was a fresh a
start and certainly a blank canvas (or canvasses, with two different greens to negotiate if we made progress) I've played a couple of doubles comps with Aaron over the years when a little greener and without him expecting too much of me. Now I feel he believes in me and that I can believe in myself. No pressure as such, but an early exit would have been very disappointing.
We faced Yorkshire veterans Graham Hickey and Dave Scott in the first round. You don't travel from Halifax to West Lancashire for a 10am start unless you fancy your chances. On the smaller but much trickier front green, Aaron and I played fairly well and backed each other up. This was a tight game throughout, but going in to the teens we just managed to pull away and deserved it I felt.
Our second round opponents awaited in a fairly quick turnaround on the larger back green. Two young lads from Liverpool, Jamie Smith and Jordan Riley. Jamie with a distinctive mechanical delivery in which his arm angled wide of his body and was difficult to follow, Jordan a left-hander. We got off to a good start in this one which was key. It was looking quite comfortable at one point, but we had to ride out a comeback which we managed well really, limiting them to mainly singles. Once we broke their resistance, a few ends of nip and tuck later and we finished the job off. Frustrated Jordan kicked out a chunk of the all be it rotting wood of the gutter surrounds. I thought about my own temperament at times and realised it's just small potatoes in the grander scheme!
Back on the front green for a last sixteen match against Graham Oliver and Barry Whalley. I think it was Graham at the front and his excellent lead bowls had us under a lot of pressure. Barry at the back was never far away either and it began to feel like we had reached our tipping point for the day. 2-11, 4-14, we were really struggling with little more than damage limitation to play for. But as expressed many a time previously, crown green bowls and particularly doubles is one funny old game indeed.
I managed to lead out well for a few ends and we had a little run which seemed to settle us down a bit and particularly Aaron who started to find some belters from the back. My leads then went completely off for a few ends, but Aaron kept up the standard and eventually we fought back in to the business end of this game at 16-17 which was some feat in itself. Typically, we then had a shocker of an end. Graham and Barry were holding three with Barry's final bowl potentially sewing the match up. There seemed little danger from their point of view, but somehow we got knocked in for one and we couldn't believe our luck. A sucker punch for our opponents who must've been wondering just how the hell this game was now seventeen-across. I then sent a cracking lead next end which survived to count and we were ahead. I then decided on taking a mark we hadn't played before and although straight peg on to the big crown here, it wasn't straightforward. I managed a length with my lead, if two feet to the left. Graham couldn't beat it, Aaron sends a good one to make two, then sends an even better one and we are actually lying game. Unusually, Barry's adjustment doesn't make the danger zone and we won it. We didn't quite know ourselves how we came out on top in this game and walked off the green giggling to each other like cheeky schoolboys, but we did it and a quarter final beckoned.
Stuart Tipping and Andy Fleming were next up in the last eight. County players and you wouldn't expect to be facing anything less at this stage of a competition. Aaron and I got off to a reasonable start and it was tit for tat for a while, but I think we both began to believe we could do it and get past these two. As we made a little break in to the lead, Aaron then gave me instructions to chuck long in to the corners as Stu wasn't quite reaching at this time. It made sense, but still up front I wasn't very comfortable with it and corner bashing is an aspect of my game that still requires a lot of improvement. It was working though, mainly because Aaron was finding a length bowl or two with our opponents not much more comfortable about it than I was. We stretched out to 17-11 with the momentum and on the cusp of a quite unthinkable (for me, at least) semi-final place. But then I didn't send the jack as deep as required and Fleming licked it with a toucher. Having said that, we still pushed on to 19-14 and just needed a good end or two. But my game particularly just dropped off a cliff at this point and I was now leaving Aaron with too much to do on his own against these two. I got really frustrated and lost sense of the situation. Perhaps I just ran out of steam and the ability to concentrate. Andy Fleming's unsporting sniggers got under my skin. I just lost my way in the match. We had a swap round but that didn't help either. Stu was now up front for them and came in to his own with perfect timing, leading really well to see out a comeback and win the match. My last two bowls were nowhere.
The disappointment from this match resonated with me like no other. Partially a feeling of letting my partner down - that short jack - and when just a couple of decent woods fom somewhere could have got us over the line at some point. This one really hurt, we were so close to a semi-final here. I know Aaron felt the same.
Rolling back to 10am that day, two lads who've never played here before and I'm pretty sure we'd have taken playing four games and reaching the quarter-finals. We did have that large portion of luck served up in round three, but you need a bit of that. We should have nailed this one when we had the chance and gone a step further.
It would have set up what for me would have been a second meeting against Darren Edgerley in a week, with Darren having got to the semis with Tim Hodges. But the Tipping and Fleming combination got past them, only to lose out against elite pairing Simon Coupe and Josh Mordue in the final.

*FLEMING STICKS IN MY THROAT 

Did Andy Fleming really snigger/scoff from behind me a couple of times when I sent some terrible deliveries in the latter half of this match?

I actually think he did. Just about loud enough to think you heard it, yet quiet enough to doubt and not confront him about it at the time.
Although I don't know Fleming well at all, it's fair to say that prior to this match I've never warmed to the fella. I find his demeanour to be somewhat on the smug side. I've entered a few of the competitions he runs over the years and found little in the way of personable attributes from him. He's got time for bowlers his own standard and above, whilst the rest of us are just jokers making up the numbers. That's the sort of impression I gathered.
It would make sense that I did hear what I thought I heard. 
May I reiterate a point that I made a few years ago that belittling those below your own grade in sport or any walk of life really, is very poor form. For that, I should go on record as thinking Andy Fleming to be a rather undesirable creature indeed. 

BARELY MUSTERED A THREAT

Tuesday 8th September 2026
SABDEN FLOODLIT SINGLES
First Qualifying Round
v DARREN EDGERLEY L 9-21

For the very first time I've got behind by a few weeks with the bowling diary. It's been a very busy period with one thing and another, but also my experience at the Sabden competition was the least memorable yet on my fifth consecutive appearance there. I didn't play very well, just wanted to go home and forget this happened. Back well before half eight and the last thing I wanted to do was make notes about it..
Time to face to music though and put the disappointment in to words. Anything less than playing well was never going to be good enough against Darren who was pretty relentless and didn't give much on the way of reasonable opportunities. Having played him at Bretherton during the summer I assumed he was from that end of the world, but it's his work that links him to West Lancashire, when in fact he's from the Burnley end and so probably knew the green very well I suspected.
Having said that, I've played a good few games on here now but I just wasn't getting it on this occasion. Length was the main issue, land sometimes frustratingly off. The green had been cut harder than I've known it before and with some damp too, I found it a bit tricky. Couple that with Darren putting me under pressure from the off and the game had started to run away from me at 2-14. I broke a couple of times with good ones that had to be to win, but couldn't send a decent lead in return.
I did have a little run with the jack and started settling down, putting up some much better woods and at 8-14 I sent two beauties which threatened to make things really interesting. But they were a big target and Darren played through absolutely perfectly to split them and follow through on to the jack for two himself. What can you do?
Another opportunity to lead at 9-18 was fluffed, sending a short lead and then well over with my second. Next end a typically great lead from my opponent and I couldn't wait to get out of there quick. I've enjoyed some good nights at Sabden but this wasn't one of them. I'd had enough. My own expectations are higher, maybe too high, but this was well short of the mark. Bitter disappointment to not bring a decent game to the mat. Darren played very well but I barely mustered a threat. 

FAILURE TO SIEZE THE MOMENT AGAIN

Thursday 27th August 2026

Leyland & District League Div-1: Eagle Blues (194) 9-3 Lonsdale (149)

v NICK DAWSON L 19-21

The final league game of the Leyland & District League season and a repeat meeting around the very same time of year against Nick Dawson.

It wasn't the best of starts, perplexed at being sent to the long corners on my own green and Nick looking like he was going to batter me. But I got a grip to find a long wonder wood required to stop the rot at just 0-4. 

From there, I just couldn't find consistency with both bowls - a howler was often followed by something beautiful and viceversa. Not enough beauty though as I remember hearing the scores at 7-12. Nick was playing very well and solidly. Only very good bowls made an impact and despite starting to feel I was matching my opponent end for end now, I just couldn't seem to catch it back. 

Somewhere around 12-16 though I had a really good spell and got myself in to contention. 

At 18-19 Nick made a very rare mess of things playing in to the middle of the green and I missed a great chance for two to go all-but - yet having to settle for squaring up at nineteen across.

In the end it was once again poor decision making as much as sending two important bowls that weren't good enough that cost me the match. Restricted as I was for options, in hindsight I made the wrong choice for jack placement and Nick made no mistake to take full advantage. 

So 21-19 last year against Mr Dawson, 19-21 this year. Two good games. I should give myself a break and at least take a positive from salvaging a position where I could have won in the first place against this mon. Here I am disappointed not to beat a player of Nick's calibre. No bad place to be in. 

Having said that, I finished the season in this division with two rather annoying defeats that I feel could easily have been two wins had I just nailed key moments when they were mine to dictate. 

It's been a good year though with thirteen wins from twenty-one and just inside the top thirty of the averages table. It could have been better though and combined with the feeling I still have more improvement to come, I feel relatively satisfied but not entirely dancing with joy. 

For the Eagle Blues team, we finished with an excellent result against fourth placed Lonsdale riddled with good quality players. I scored Steve Marginson's game and it's the best I've seen Margy play, almost impeccable against county player Steve Singleton. 

We scored more points and placed higher than 2025. We couldn't have done any more. All this despite losing form player Chris Thompson midway through the season when he unfortunately fell ill. As was discussed in the pub afterwards, as well as being a decent set of lads who all get on, we still have the potential to push on a bit more next season. We have other players in the squad like myself who are still developing and on the up. Our captain Aaron still has more to come, so does young Henry and his dad Matt, meanwhile Phil Bradshaw really started to show his class again during the back end of the season. Some of the other more experienced players can do it on their day - like Margy tonight - and playing for a side on the up, this will hopefully bring more of the best out of them next year. 

WHITEWASH FROM WORTHY CHAMPIONS 

The Leyland & District League title was won by Lostock Hall Cons for a third successive year. Chorley St Joseph's still had a chance to pip them going in to the final evening's fixtures, but Lostock went to Hoghton all guns blazing and came away with ten out of ten winners to seal a remarkable 12-0 victory that made them undisputed and fully deserved holders of the trophy once again.

GOOD NIGHT FOR ME ON A BAD NIGHT FOR TEAM

Monday 24th August 2026

Chorley & District League Div-2: Coppull 'A' (161) 9-1 Eagle & Child 'A' (111)

v DAVID GROVES W 21-14

Coppull is always a wild green to come to. Unpredictable lumps and bumps in places, some absolutely crazy marks and the dreaded slope down to the sheds that can be a no-go zone. Despite recent dampness, this parched landscape hadn't really soaked much up and a few more dry days made for a super quick surface during practice. Bowls wouldn't stop towards the shed end. I spent most of the fifteen minutes warm-up trying out really silly round peg marks and without much success, but it didn't matter. I'd given myself an idea of what to expect when my opponent gets the jack because the home guard won't be playing safe on their own patch, I knew that.
Meeting Dave at the mat I was also fully aware he's one of their best players and was having a good season. I'd sort of already prepared myself for imminent doom here because of the green conditions too, but also adamant I wasn't going to sink without a fight. There would be some scrappy ends and it was about picking up what bits of points you can at times. 

I hadn't done a whole lot wrong and in actual fact had sent some belters but found myself trailing 7-11. Dave kept finding a cracker just as I threatened to get a break together, but get a break I finally did at this point, finding a couple of areas of the green that worked for me and put my opponent on the back foot. Second to last game on, the green just slowed a little and I adapted well, even playing down the slope and catching Dave out on length to now lead 18-11. My opponent got a couple back but I shuffled up to all-but before an incredible penultimate end. Dave sends the jack on a long horseshoe peg off the crown and down to the precarious edge of the green where the sheds are. He fluffed his lead, then I sent a more or less perfect bowl, trickling down to finish eight inches short of the jack. Hell of a bowl to be fair from where the mat was and surely enough to win the match. But Dave follows up with a replica delivery and in front of gasps from the nearby benches, rolls up right in front of mine. Absolutely unbelievable bowl. My second one wasn't bad at all either but just gave up. What an end.
Dave then leads out again on a contrastingly rare straight mark hoping to smother the target, but gave me a few feet to get past and I sent a decent length that he couldn't beat and the job was finally finished.
Despite the challenges at Coppull, I seem to do alright here and was well pleased with how I had played this evening. The only winner on an otherwise dour final night in the Chorley league for our team, this win knocked Dave down to eighth on the final merit table and pushed me up to seventh. Not that I get too engrossed in the averages tables, but it's been by far my best season in this division with thirteen wins and only four defeats. Two of the four could and maybe should have been victories, whilst the two that I can have no complaints about were against first and second on that merit podium, Roy Webster and Carl Whitfield.
For the Eagle team it was a better campaign than last. We had possible promotion interests for a while but we just didn't have the strength in depth to sustain a real challenge. I'd like to have a bash in the top Chorley division eventually. Division Two is certainly no walk in the park, so I won't be getting twitchy feet unless there's a threat of falling to Division Three which is unlikely. Hopefully captain Margy has a couple of new signings up his sleeve, but if not I'm just as happy to do it all over again next year with these guys and see if we can improve further.