FROM THE OUTSET - 2020-21

INTRODUCTION 

WRITTEN IN MAY 2021

The only close distinctions between fell running and crown green bowls that I can muster would be the entire Northernness of both disciplines and the fulfilling enjoyment of a pint when either contest is over. Other than that, poles apart. 

Such a contrasting sporting transition is currently in progress though. 

Running club pals always thought I was joking, but here I am. There was always an intention of taking up bowls should my running days hit the competitive buffers.

If I am entirely honest with myself, the fell racing game as I knew it, competing every week, was possibly up some time during 2018. 

I kept persevering thinking it might just come good again. I had finished 2017 in good shape as a very respectable time (at least for a then 44 year old) of 17:05 at Podium 5K on the tarmac testified. But by Spring 2019, a gradual and frustrating decline reached it's epitomy when I was a colossal seventeen minutes adrift of my former self at the Fairfield Horseshoe race from Rydal - the last time I pinned a number on in fact, before eighteen months of plantar fasciitis ensued. 

In thirteen years of running and racing, rarely nothing more than a month spent on the sidelines at any one time until this particular injury released it's full velocity. It felt like a bruised heel that wouldn't go away, but whilst on holiday and running along the Devonshire cliffs between Beer and Branscombe on a downhill stretch, I buckled under the sudden feeling of being shot on the underside of my left foot. It was a painful hobble back to base and then barely able to walk for a few days. I'd made a right mess of it. 

Just as I had heard with this injury, there's no fasttrack recovery or much you can do until for one day, maybe eighteen months down the line, miraculously you wake up and no longer struggle down the stairs first thing and the foot feels better again. Sure enough, it was almost eighteen months to the day when cobwebs on my running shoes could be dusted off. 

It was eventually last September (2020) when I git back running and by the tail end of Winter, the engine got firing again but there was conscious delusion with myself in overlooking the fact that now my knees were not feeling compatible to the increasing workload demands being made upon them. 

So on a glorious ninety minute run on the local moors with young sparring partner Johnny Horrocks back in early April (2021) I was feeling fantastic. During the last mile though, something twinged in my left knee a couple of times but thought nowt of it as I was having far too much fun. A week later however and that left leg-bender was inflamed and in a bad way. I simply can't do the weekly mileage, high intensity (or both) that I used to do.

Crown green bowling was already on the overlap and has since edged ahead as the priority sporting venture. I joined my most local club at the Eagle & Child - membership sorted out in advance as a birthday present from my wife Sara - but coronavirus struck and so progress and competitive experience has been limited.

Although new to the game of crown green, I am fortunate to have a bit of a feel for it. Strangely, I always felt I would have, which is one of the reasons I fancied giving it a go. Admittedly though, a little earlier in life than I had foreseen, as I once envisaged racing and running hard well in to my fifties.

Whether it was the lovely lady and keen bowler next door, Betty Watton, taking me for a roll or two in my junior years on Euxton ROF, or hours and hours spent whizzing the water filled multi-coloured plastic variety down the long lawn as a kid has aided a little natural ability as an adult is not clear, but something is there to nurture I think. 

There is much to learn and experience in the game before anyone might say I'm a player of some degree, but the essentials feel in place to try and get somewhere. I'm going to push the bowling journey to find it's true potential and just like in running, the hours dedicated to practice ought to define how far I can go. Ultimately though, I'll find I've either got it or I haven't. 

Since starting properly last year, I have attached myself to the dubious habit of reporting each bowling match I've played so far. Whilst those critical of such documentation may claim I've got too much time on my hands, I have now decided to share for those with enough time on their hands to read it.

Hopefully the odd running race report will still get chucked in to these pages. But for the foreseeable, the only running just now is over the crown behind my second bowl.

MATCH REPORTS 2020-21...

WINNING START

3/9/20 Friendly: Eagle & Child v Farington Cons

v Jimmy Lynch W 21-17 (off 4-4)

The global pandemic emerged in early Spring and the 2020 bowling season never happened. Friendly fixtures became possible towards the end of Summer at least, as restrictions were tentatively eased. 

I started my first proper match well and took the first eight points to settle some very intense pre-match nerves. At 12-4 I gave the jack away cheaply though, which allowed Jimmy to get his eye in and take control to eventually draw level. Both of us got a bit scrappy in the latter half of the match but I managed to land a few good bowls when it mattered to deny my Faringtonian opponent a taste of the lead. 

One of their brigade in the visitors end shouted, "Rude!", when I turned over peg to successfully cancel out two good bowls from Jimmy.  I don't know about rude, but it was cavelier and my best shot of the match. 

At 17-16, I then got the better of the last few ends, all be it not that impressively. But you only play your first match once, so it had some personal significance to record a win.

MARGI-NAL LOSS

7/9/20 Eagle & Child Autumn Singles Handicap 1st Round

v Steve Marginson L 19-21 (off 5-3)

A club knockout was organised for those keen enough to try and keep bowling. 

I drew Steve, who is one of the better players at the club and he quickly swallowed up my handicap advantage to go 8-6 ahead. But a few good ends from myself - and one or two sub-standard bowls from him - culminated in me sustaining an unlikely advantage once we were in to double figures. Leading 14-11, then still three ahead at 19-16, this could have been a first round upset in the making.

However, when playing for the match, instead of sending the block to a line I was more confident with, I played a tricky one which swerved acutely off the crown that Steve dealt with far better than me to score two. On the next end, Steve's opening bowl rolled up to the block and whilst I sent perhaps my best delivery to nudge him off and steal in, he then delivered another pearler to nudge mine out again. On the final end I was forced in to a repeat of the line which I'd struggled with a couple of ends earlier and Steve took the match as I didn't roll anywhere near again.

Disappointment in the heat of the moment, but satisfaction having played some good shots and made a game of it.

Perhaps I'd only given Steve a warm-up though? He seemed to notch up another gear as I stuck around to watch him cruise through his quarter final.

AWAY GAME IS ANOTHER GAME ALTOGETHER  

24 9/20 Friendly: Farington Cons v Eagle & Child

v Ken Pincock L 15-21 (Off 3-3)

Note to self: Away matches are going to be tricky. First match on an unknown green upon which I didn't even get a single practice roll, but got off to a reasonable start despite the nerves jangling again. Unfortunately though I double ditched (twice - and unforgivably down the same stretch of ditch!) and conceded a few more cheap twos to trail 8-14.

After clawing back well to 13-14, I lost my way again whilst Ken landed some decent winners to reestablish his lead and take the match. It was a little frustrating as I felt this opponent was beatable, but I didn't play consistently enough to look the more likely winner.

GETTING A SEMI ON

14/10/20 Eagle & Child Autumn Singles Handicap II 1st Round

v Barry Wright W 21-14 (Off 5-5)

It might sound arrogant in these early stages of bowling bouts to think this is a game I could win. Perhaps I just wanted it more. The fact of the matter here was that Barry probably came down just to get a game during these Covid restricted times, whilst dickhead here was wired with the sole intention of winning at all costs.

In a year disprupted by the global pandemic, this second club knockout was as competitive as things were going to get until at least next Spring. I'd set my stall out on the night to try and make the cut for the next round and saw this draw as a fair opportunity to go through. There wasn't much in it in the early exchanges, but I managed to pull away despite neither of us feeling we were playing particularly well.

When I required just a point to go though, Barry rallied for a couple of ends, memorably sending one bowl in disgust, then grumbling, "I give up". Only to find when we walked across, it was a decent delivery and he had actually won the end!

14/10/20 Eagle & Child Autumn Singles Handicap II 2nd Round 

v Terry Grayston W 21-17 (Off 5-5)

Straight on to the next match and I quietly fancied my chances against the very friendly chap known as Tez, drawing another player that I believed I had half a chance against.

Tez landed some excellent points at times, but not consistently which helped me stay ahead through the latter half of the game, despite my own agitations at sending some wayward deliveries.

Tez stuck at the task though and started closing the gap once I could see the finish line. At 20-17 I was lying two down and starting to get very worried. Thankfully though I pulled out a really close second bowl to pop the insuing pressure bubble and book a place on the following night's last four card.

15/10/20 Eagle & Child Autumn Singles Handicap II Semi Final

v Alan Marginson L 20-21 (Off 5-3) 

I waltzed in to the Eagle & Child ground on a chilly Autumn evening and with tongue-in-cheek humour purely for the amusement of my twisted self, announced to the first person I thought might listen that, "I'm here to make history tonight...". This received a justifiably puzzled look from the recipient, Andy Sexton. So I enlightened, "...Nobody has ever played a match on this green wearing a Dunfermline Athletic bobble hat" - and I was probably right. Apparel of an unfashionable Fife football club on show at a central Lancashire bowling green was hustory in the making indeed.

A semi-final of any description felt above my station so early in to this new crown green voyage - even just this knockout of sixteen that didn't include many of the club's best players.

There was at least a determination to try and justify my place in the last four with a decent performance. I tried to convince myself the pressure was off as I had already exceeded expectation.

The reward for a place in the last four was to get a much anticipated match with one of the best and most experienced veteran players. I was drawn against September champion Alan Marginson - no pressure at all then!

I actually got off to a really good start, winning the first few ends and with a two point start from the handicap system as well, I dared to believe.

Alan slowly reeled me back in and on to level terms at eleven apiece, having just clunked my seemingly ritual double-ditcher. I remember thinking strongly at that time how I needed to cease the moment and not let the score get away from me - next news, I'm 11-15 down and witnessing the reality that this far classier opponent was only just getting in to his stride.

But somewhere around this point I disrupted a couple of Alan's touchers and made them mine to surprise myself at still being in with a shout. Such was my intensity I don't recall much detail after that, but I did win a few vital ends from there to get back in contention to 17-18. I kept having to ask our scorer, Tez, for an update at almost every end by this point. If only by the nature of competing, anyone who says you can't get an adrenaline rush from bowls, well I beg to differ. 

A couple of nip and tuck ends later and I was stood on the mat at 19-19. How the frig did I get here against this chap? In my short and disrupted first season of anything like competitive bowling, this was by the biggest by far. 

I had already given Alan a game so felt I had won the battle, now there was a very real sniff of winning the match and making an audacious bid for a place in the final.

A big deep breath and I land my first bowl near enough to take a single and I'm "all- but", as they say when you are just one point shy of victory.

Next end and I forget the deep breath, for I face distractions at the double...

Distraction One: The two areas I would prefer to play the jack towards are occupied by the other semi finalists. So I play finger peg against the slope of the crown, but rather longer than I would like in order to avoid the path of the other game.

My first bowl finds a decent line but runs on by a distance. Alan plays a bit short, but he's in. There's still a chance with my second delivery which I am about to release until... 

Distraction Two: Jimmy Sloan starts walking with the mat from the other match. Jimmy has been a regular practice partner over the Summer and had also won through to the semis against the odds. He sees what's what and stops in his strides of course, but still in my periphery vision, I consider telling him to get past - then I think to myself I should just send it rather than over-think it. Bad move!

I run it long again and it's child's play for Alan to then mop up a match winning twosome.

A lesson learned there. Sloany chuckled afterwards when I tried to blame him for losing. In a way it was a relief though, for as I said at the time, I'm not sure I could have handled another match straight after that!

Of course, the real truth is I would have revelled in it. But it was nevertheless an education to just sit back and watch the final. Jimmy had run his equally more illustrious opponent close until bowing out 15-21 to Geoff Bibby, who then got the better of Alan in a quality final by a similar scoreline.

Walking back home, I can't deny I felt a warm glow having managed to raise my game on the night, if smarting ever so very slightly at not seizing that unlikely and unexpected moment to take the win.

There's still acres of room for improvement, but giving Alan a good match and getting a few positive comments from him afterwards will certainly do for now.

I suppose as Sweet Sensation once sang to the Sad Sweet Dreamer, "It's the kind of thing you put down to experience".

LOCKDOWN II

Then it was lockdown again. Some time was spent thinking a good game. Going out running again and thinking about bowls. Thinking my way in to coming back a better player. Is that possible? Not sure, but I didn't come back any worse.

MARGI-NAL WIN

28/4/21 Eagle & Child Team Pre-Season Friendly

v Steve Marginson W 21-17 (off 3-3) 

Over six months had passed since any sort of game under proper match conditions. Another lockdown later and another prolonged period away from the green but we all had a good few weeks under our belt before warming up for the possibility of a league season with this in-house pre-season friendly. 

I was one of Harry Glynn's 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars', up against Steve Wilson's 'Rebels'. Some practice fire for a bowling season that will hopefully materialise this term.

I was most pleased with myself to pull off a victory against this very well respected player in the club's ranks. 

I lost to Steve last September in a fairly close match but managed a good fightback to come out on top in this encounter. Buoyed by some good practice sessions in recent weeks, on finding out who my opponent was gave me a little buzz of excitement for the challenge. Despite being the clear underdog, I fancied my chances. Maybe I had no right to such flighty ambitions on paper, but if you want to win in this game, you have to at least believe you can or you might as well not bother stepping on to the green.

Winning the toss was as good as it got early on, getting off go a treacherous start in which Steve would admit to missing opportunities to punish me harder. After over a month of dry weather, rain earlier in the day and some light showers on the night provided a much slower surface to which I took longer to adjust to, particularly with match nerves still pumping around.

Trailing by at least five early on, I scrapped some points back to hear our scorer, the great Arthur Parker, announce that we were level at ten across. But then my chances seemed to take a turn for the worse again when the course of the other three matches on the green forced me to send the block over the crown and on to Steve's favourite marks. I got trapped there for what felt like an eternity as he put me through the mill with consistently excellent first deliveries. Trailing 12-17 and fearing the game about to get beyond me, there was a ray of hope as Steve exercised his trademark slap of the thigh and stamp of the foot in frustration. Sure enough his first bowl finally blipped to leave me a vitally important opportunity to get back in and I did so with a much needed two.

I rode my luck a little to win the next few points over very tightly contested ends but was able to place the block fairly short and around the sides of the crown as I have been practicing and was getting my first bowl near enough to put Steve under a bit of pressure. At 17-17, another timely two opened up the chance of rolling for the match. This time I did play over the crown, but not very far in order to restrict Steve's options should he get the block back. No such worries however, for although my two bowls queued up behind the jack by maybe twelve and eighteen inches short, they obstructed the line and he wasn't able to negotiate a route around them. That sealed another double to take a significant scalp which assured me that despite the long break over Winter, progress is still being made.

VICTORIOUS LEAGUE DEBUT

17/5/21 Chorley & District League Div-4: Eagle & Child 'A' 165-115 Horwich RMI 

v Peter Schofield W 21-17

After two weeks waiting in the wings of the reserve list doing a bit of scoring and plenty of observing, team captain Steve Marginson finally gave me the nod. I am very much the new kid on the block and Steve was rightfully obliged to start with the previous season's regular line-up.

The team started the new season with two convincing victories, but one player had two consecutive defeats to his name which, in an unwritten rule of crown green circles, can constitute being dropped for the next fixture. As such, opportunity knocked for yours truly.

This was my first proper match in the leagues. I've been lucky to get a few practice matches in with young starlet Aaron Hayhurst and this is really helping to raise my game. Only 18 still, I believe Aaron is a very good player with huge potential to go to the very top if he wants it enough. The fact he also lives next door though means I can't even claim to be the best player on Hargreaves Avenue.

So confidence, yes, but come match night and those dreaded nerves kicked in. Words of advice came in from all angles. Harry Derbyshire told me not to take any shit off anybody. Captain Steve could tell I was giddy and called for me to relax, then the club's maestro Phil Bradshaw turns up to add more to the sound advice overload once he caught wind of my personal landmark that evening. He reiterated the need to stay calm and that I "Wasn't playing for the town clock". True enough, for this was in fact a relatively low key affair of the Chorley & District League Division Four. To me though, it might as well have been the Waterloo Final.

I was ridiculously all over the place for the first few ends and soon lost top man Bradshaw's early interest in my game. I didn't feel I was doing anything naturally and was playing some really disappointing shots. Somehow though I didn't let Peter get away too far on the scoresheet.

Peter was an experienced player and landed some very decent deliveries. However, his own bouts of inconsistency on away turf and the odd revert to form from me did keep the scoring relatively even and I muddled my way up to 17 across.

Peter also seemed to be a gentleman too, so I was disappointed as the finish closed in on what turned out to be the penultimate end. He spoke out to me just as I was delivering my bowl - not once, but twice when I sent my second one too. Duly, my distracted efforts weren't close enough for my liking, so I felt a relieving wave of justice as his second bowl whizzed by closely but without disruption to join his other one in the ditch, thank you very much! 

At 19-17, I took a straight line in front of our clubhouse that I felt comfortable with, only for my souped up energy to inexplicably fire the block off the green. Absolute schoolboy error, but I guess I am but a bowling schoolboy with much to learn.

So, what a let off it was then when Peter also ditched the jack and wasted his chance to send me elsewhere. I sprinted around half the circuit to retrieve it, but if my opponent thought it was a chivalrous act of respect to save an elder gentleman's legs, the truth was that I just wanted to get that bloody block back to the mat as quick as I could to send my intended line again whilst it might still be available.

This time I kept it in play and landed two well weighted efforts. Although far from perfect, each bowl just within a foot either side of the block left a wide target for Peter to cause some damage, but my tensing buttocks relaxed again as his second bowl just curved away and I notched a scrappy and nervy first win to help the team take a convincing victory to make it three out of three.

BRASSED OFF TO LET LEAD SLIP

24/5/21 Chorley & District League Div-4: Walton-le-Dale 110-156 Eagle & Child 'A'

v Clive Priest L 20-21

My first taste of league action outside the familiarity of home turf at the Eagle was played out to the dulcet tones of the practicing brass band in the Walton-le-Dale clubhouse. Perhaps I was blowing my own trumpet to start thinking I might be on my way to victory as I eventually sank to a narrow defeat.

Leading 15-8 and then 19-12, I was relaxed and fairly happy with the majority of my deliveries and felt relatively in control of proceedings. At least I thought I was, but as my lovely wife reminds me from time to time, "You know what 'thought' did? It followed a muck cart and thought it was a wedding".

The turning point seemed to be when I lost the block on a relatively straight and short line that I thought could sew up the match for me. I let Clive in and from there, he sent me long, including to the corner much like a saucer which is a basin where bowls do things I've never seen before. He sent a pearler that dropped off the rim of this saucer-esque contour and back on itself to almost perfection. "You've played that one before", I said. "I only go there when I'm in trouble", replied Clive. 

I wasn't too far off with my own effort to be fair, but the stage was set for a comeback from the home bowler.

Clive chipped away relentlessly at the deficit, continuously rolling out good length on this big long green and, crucially, getting his first bowl close enough. These were distances I hadn't chucked before and whilst I could reach, anything remotely construed as accuracy went out of the window. It got worse when team mate Andy Sexton clinched his victory, for as he and his opponent departed, Clive had even more access to utilise the extremities of length.

I suffered a bit of tough luck here and there it must be said, but Clive had me under the cosh with this long game and eventually the scoreboard of 19-20 became a stark reality. Temper lost (I threw the mat) expletives sounded (I won't repeat them) but although it didn't seem so at the time, this was all good experience and a harsh lesson of how momentum in a game can slip from your grasp.

Next end and Clive is holding one fairly close with a cunning second bowl to block and even he must've thought it was time to tap elbows and head for the clubhouse. But one thing I can blow my trumpet about in this match was venturing to switch peg over quite a distance to sneak in and save the match. It was a shot I will not forget in a hurry.

On the deciding end, I tried to go short, straight and simple, but such lines are rare in crown green and both my bowls strayed too far left. Clive was too good a player not to take advantage.

Club mate Steve Wilson saw the closing stages and later pointed out to me that I sent the final end on the line where all my woes started.

To summarise though, I've taken an experienced home bowler to the wire, so positives ought to outweigh the negatives - well at least in the long term - it took me perhaps an hour and a half to get to sleep with bowls whizzing around in my head and I was jiggered for work the morning after.

On the team front, we won this top versus bottom affair to remain at the summit. A rare defeat for our skipper against Walton-le-Dale's form player, but solid performances as usual from Mrs Anderton and Mr Derbyshire, Kershaw, Robinson and Sexton.

27/5/21 Pre-Season Friendly: Eagle & Child Reds v Bretherton 

v Kath Watkinson W 21-7

I got the home green gig in Harry Glynn's team as the Eagle & Child and Bretherton hosted each other's first and second strings in a pre-season friendly of the Leyland & District league .

At first, I wasn't down on the playing list which wrankled a bit as I had rushed about and forgone a feeding time to get down there in time to warm up. I'm thinking not to kick up a stink, just do my bit by scoring a game before sloping off unnoticed perhaps.

All of a sudden though, it's bowls out again and I'm first on. Harry apologised for the mistake and I played it cool prentending that my bottom lip hadn't wobbled one bit about my initial omission.

I was paired up against Kath Watkinson, a very experienced and former county player I was informed. I felt I'd seen her before and sure enough it turns out later my wife used to play racketball with her maybe five or six years ago. She hasn't aged one bit.

Kath had the better of our early exchanges and took a 4-1 lead which prompted some very serious concentration to get my game together and come back before the Brethertonian bowler could get too far away from me. Once I got my nose in front I seemed to hit a bit of form and even over ends defined by a bit luck, I seemed to get the rub of the green. These factors, along with Kath losing her way, culminated in taking a big lead. It's strange how this game can twist and turn in and out of one's favour. It was difficult because I was feeling for my opponent a little, but after surrendering a significant advantage on Monday night I was taking nothing for granted. Sure enough when I got to 20, Kath hit back with two glorious deliveries. However, I managed to sew the game up with a not too pretty single on the next end.

RATTLED

3/6/21 Leyland & District League Sec-5: Hoole Village Hall 'A' 171-175 Eagle & Child RedsA 

v Paul Cafferkey L 11-21

I was happy enough playing in the Chorley Monday night league, which I missed this week whilst away for a few days. Now I'm playing Thursday's too it seems, for if I hadn't gone down for a quick practice last night I would never have known! Harry Glynn just stuck my name down on his team sheet and that's that really. I wouldn't argue with Harry.

Whether consensual or not, more match practice has got to be good and will hopefully help stifle the nervousness eventually. Life in the basement section of the Leyland & District league began with a trip to Much Hoole.

I wished I hadn't had that confidence breaking half an hour on home turf the previous evening. The green was running so fast it was like an alien landscape. Like a new friend had turned on me. Like I'd never rolled a bowl before. I couldn't cope with it and it put the wind up me that the really good players love it like that.

At Hoole though, it wasn't quite as fast as the Eagle and I started the first few ends well to leap in to a 5-0 lead, then up to 8-4 before my opponent starting finding length and line with increasing accuracy. When Paul was first to edge his way in to double figures, the tide had fully turned in this match. He was relentless from thereon, forcing the pressure on more or less every single end. Only a couple of instinctive turnover shots helped get me out of single figures. My performance withered away and as defeat loomed, the red mist descended and I was rattled. I was desperate to kick something, but every object around me was rock hard - it was only after the match I noticed an old traffic cone in the corner of the ground - in the heat of the moment I'm sure it would have been perfectly fine to go over and put my foot through it? Maybe not.

Getting pissed off and wound up does not inspire a fightback in this game. I have to admit that in the long term, temperament when things don't go my way is going to be a challenge in itself. Psychological flaws aside, I should take nothing away from the home bowler who was by far the better player once he got in to the groove.

Getting to eleven contributed to a team win at least, as Eagle Reds took a very tight match by just a few points difference.

TOPP MAN TOO GOOD

10/6/21 Leyland & District League Sec-4: Eagle & Child Reds 201-132 Leyland & Farington

v Kevin Topp L 14-21

It might just be that I got the toughest draw on the night when paired up against their captain Kevin Topp (the fact that I'd actually vaguely heard of him was a worry) and so a third successive defeat was ominous. I did dare to believe, but this opponent had far superior quality on the night and delivered it consistently enough to make sure I didn't trouble him.

Tight and well played ends was the pattern of the early exchanges. On declining to play my second bowl to equalise at 5-5, walking with the mat seemed to be the catalyst for Kevin to go in for the kill. Ever so slightly pissed off with my safety play, I got some stick from him for that and he then won a series of ends up and down the same marks to direct the match beyond me at 13-5. Somewhere during this haemorrhage of points, frustration got to me and I kicked a bowl off the green with my left instep. After an eighteen month spell unable to run with plantar fasciitis in said left hoof of recent years, this was a really fucking stupid reaction. 2lb 10z of solid composite plastic versus fragile human bone and tissue? Only one winner. Very, very fortunately indeed I have got away with bruising and a bit of swelling without disablement and serious damage.

Even when red mist reaches it's claggiest density again in future, I know for a fact that I will NEVER crack my foot in to a wood like that ever again!

It wasn't so much losing ends that provoked my little tantrum, for Kev was bowling well. It's that I lost the touch I had at the start and wasn't getting anywhere near his woods.

My opponent's game did finally glitch for an end, but to say, "I gave you that two there, John", was a little unkind by him given the tidy proximity of my two very reasonable winning deliveries. "Thanks, but I just gave you thirteen", was my cheeky retort. Cocky Kevin was not going to walk all over me in the war of words as well.

The next couple of ends reverted to form though and I am trailing 7-16. Somehow though, I took a couple of two's and started bowling better again and found myself stood on the mat at a far more respectable 14-19. Sadly though, on a mark I was confident with I bonked both bowls and opened the gates for Kevin to wrap up the victory. He didn't win the match cheaply by any means, but even he would agree that the last end was a giveaway.

There are positive elements to take away from this match and not just that Mr Topp honoured the rule that winner buys the round. I'm told he could be playing at a higher level than Leyland League basement and this looked obvious from the off.

Whilst my home green running quick is something of a menace to me, he picked it up no problem. Whether the final score flattered me or not, I felt better for coming back and averting a thrashing.

The Eagle Reds team won convincingly on the night and of just the nine points dropped, I registered seven of them! To quote Bruce Hornsby and The Range, "That's just the way it is..."

SLOW TO GET TO GRIPS WITH FAST

14/6/21 Chorley & District League Div-4: Eagle & Child 'A' 168-94 St Paul's 'B'

v Danny Kay W 21-16

The fast running of our home green at the Eagle was getting inside my head. I wasn't dealing with it at all well. This prolonged dry spell and baking sun had changed the whole dynamics of the game I thought I was getting to know and prompted an unprecedented 'back to the drawing board' mentality just as I should be taking small steps forward.

A long overdue match against my most usual practice match suspect two days earlier did little for my confidence. I don't recall losing more than the odd game to Jimmy when we got back playing regular in Spring, yet now he's won the last three of our bouts. Much down to his own improvement as my own inadequacies it should be added. 

Couple this loss of belief that I could play on fast greens with news that I had been reinstated in to the Monday night team and it felt like my head was put before the guillotine.

The challenge was there though and fortunately I was able to get on the green earlier in the day and knuckle down to some practice. Of even more fortune, it had drizzled early morning and the thin cloud cover prevented the surface re-baking. It was still quick, but not crazy quick.

Thinking perhaps I habitually chuck bowls too quickly on my own, I slowed right down and as such rolled out a much more controlled session that succeeded in restoring a little confidence.

Cometh the evening and the match, nerves kicked in and my first two bowls were poor to give my opponent Danny an early lead. From then I stuttered from good bowl to bad bowl and at a guess I was probably trailing 9 or 10-12 after producing two of the most ridiculously hurrendous bowls I've ever sent! This was witnessed by my teammate Michelle Anderton at the greenside who was convinced I'd sent both bowls the wrong peg, but I had to confess to her that in fact they were both just absolute shite!

Danny had been on a roll around this point of the match but I started to get my act together, forgot the score and decided not to ask for it. I took myself back to the place I was in during a practice earlier in the day.

I started getting both bowls in close and whilst some of Danny's spoiler shots were a whisker from disruption I was suprised to hear the shout, "All-but, John", from our scorer Mr Vurley, who bollocked me mid-match - and not for the first time - for picking up the mat straight after sending the last bowl. There's a lot of shit to remember in this game.

So it's 20-16 and I just ran on perhaps a foot or so on a bendy finger peg in to the delicately running corner. Danny produced a good bowl to better it, but fortune sometimes favours the brave so I turned over to thumb peg and landed a winner by an inch on the measure. Relief.

I just started to play quite well near the end and dare I say deserved the win to halt a three match losing streak. The team won all eight matches on the night to end a run of two defeats and shift back up to second place in the table.

ANOTHER TOUGH MATCH ON THE ROAD

17/6/21 Leyland & District Laegue Div-4: New Longton 'B' 172-138 Eagle & Child Reds 

v Graham Dewhurst L 13-21

It's three out of three defeats on Thursdays in the Leyland & District League. This was another harsh lesson against a steady home bowler who had me under pressure from the off. I hadn't done much wrong at all in the first few ends and yet found myself 1-6 down. 

I didn't fall for Graham's claims he was lucky on the first few ends. I could see I was in for a tough match ahead. But it was then disappointing to find myself going off the boil and not making a match of it. As Graham increased his lead, fear took over. My arm tensed up, I began over-thinking things and basically couldn't get to grips with most areas of the New Longton green. Graham on the other hand looked the accomplished player. I was told he'd been playing on there all afternoon so was well oiled (in more ways than one, perhaps. The bar was open) but when he did have a straggley spell I failed to take much advantage. 

At 7-17 the abyss was imminent, but I did get my act together for a few ends and much like my match against Topp a week earlier, rallied with a bit of a fightback. At a much more aesthetically acceptable scoreline of 13-18, crucially I lost the next end to give Graham the block back. He then took a marginal single from me which set up another trip to his favourite corner. Despite actually taking some points off him from there earlier, I stuffed up badly when the chips were down to unforgivably roll both my bowls in to the ditch for the second time in the match on that mark. It was a crappy way to concede defeat, but once again I avoided what could have been a more severe spanking.

VETERAN JUNIOR SHOWS HIS CLASS

21/6/21 Chorley & District League Div-4: Farington Cons 'A' 160-115 Eagle & Child 'A'

v Matthew Brown L 11-21

Monday evening came around again and it's a top of the table clash as our second placed Eagle team visit leaders Farington Conservative Club. As if there wasn't enough pressure, the thought of potentially getting beat by a Tory again here wasn't sitting well either.

Another practice game against a man more in touch with his socialist side, Jimmy Sloan, on Saturday afternoon didn't go well - beaten convincingly on the re-parched Eagle crown. I rolled short, long, narrow, wide, everything wrong imaginable and just lost hope whilst the steady Sloan showed the adjustment to fast greens isn't so much of a problem for him.

In the early hours of Sunday morning though, rain! And a decent downpour it was. Not forecast, but seemingly sent from the bowling Gods to give me half a chance. Cooler and overcast conditions that followed might just be enough to take the sting out of the playing surface.

Sure enough that was the case at Farington. It's a superbly green green - by name and nature - in excellent condition and held up nicely for an non-purist thrower like me.

I got a tough draw against the young lad in their pack, Matt Brown. I had a feeling he was going to be a good player and I wasn't wrong. I managed to stay in touch during the early exchanges and trailed 5-7 before Matt held the block for a long enough spell to take the game beyond me. On the very odd occasion his opening delivery didn't quite make it, I failed to take advantage and he would mop up with his second. 7-18 became 11-19 with a late surge and I did play maybe four or five very good end-saving shots in the match, but ultimately I was clutching at straws against a far better player.

In the small world of bowls it turns out Matt is doubles partner and top bowling mates with the lad next door. He's been playing since he was eight years old - so something of a veteran at just sixteen - the game has a bright future with young lads like these coming through. He's not even old enough to vote yet, so technically not a Tory either?

Despite a second Covid jab bringing on some excessive weariness towards the end of this Summer Solstice evening, it was another case of 'loser's sleep' as I was kept awake going over shots again and mistakes I made.

It wasn't a great night for the team as a whole with my own reverse being one of six defeats from eight games against a strong home line-up.

No love lost between two local rivals, highlight of the evening for me was Harry Derbyshire's outburst when someone on the sidelines fifteen yards away called a two for his opponent... "How the fucking hell can YOU see from THERE??".

Class.

GOOD WIN AND GOOD TEA (JUST)

24/6/21 Leyland & District League Sec-5: Eagle & Child 166-186 Farington St Paul's

v Margaret Worden W 21-15

What a crazy old game this is. Less than a week ago the surface was so fast, even the most gentle roll would send the bowl afar and take an eternity to stop. By the end of this evening though, players were literally launching their bowls just to get across the green before rearing up abruptly in the surface water.

Tonight's match was quite possibly the most enjoyable match so far of my maiden season. Not just because I currently prefer a sodden surface to an arid one, not just because I won either, but because it seemed to be two bowlers who just liked to get on with it. I've played one or two slow paced players and let it drive me to distraction.

With the drizzle getting progressively heavier and heavier, I over-estimated the stiffness of the green on the first end and shot through by a few yards to hand Margaret an easy two for starters. From there though, I got my nose in front and just about managed to keep it there. It was a good match, a few raggy ends but generally decent bowls from both of us in tricky conditions.

My only spell of keeping hold of the block seemed to happen just at the right time towards the end of the match as I pulled away to take the win, but it was a close encounter that could have gone the other way. The difference in the end was perhaps that I bagged more two-pointers than Margaret, who won her fair share of ends but mainly singles.

This was my first win at the fourth time of trying in this league, but our team went down to a home loss on the night.

Offering Margaret a drink at the finish, it was important and good manners to make her a good cup of tea.

Strong, no sugar, bit of milk... I knew exactly what she meant. So when team captain Harry Glynn took over with the teaspoon and threatened to take the tea bag out before it had barely coloured the water, I had to step in. After a conflab about what constitutes as a strong brew, importantly I rescued the situation and allowed for some proper brewing time.

 

EAGLE & CHILD SPRING DOUBLES

On a smashing Sunday afternoon down at the Eagle green, I was drawn with the lovely Dorothy Daggers as my partner for the club's later than advertised Spring Doubles competition. We lucklessly lost our first match in the main knock-out, but then got one or two knocks our way and proceeded to go on a winning run and claim victory in the final of the consolation cup. Now we weren't playing for the town clock - a phrase I've now heard numerously from various sources in crown green circles, and jealous Jimmy Sloan made Europa League analogies - but it was nice to get to a final. It was also nice to win it, not least because who I am informed to be one of the best bowlers on the club's books, Trevor Bibby, tried to wash over three very reasonable calls for a measure - so reasonable in fact, they all measured up in our favour. He was never going to get anything past Dorothy though.

So if not the town clock, it must have had significance to Trevor, partnered by the comparitively chilled Sylvia Deacon. Trevor seems to be an interesting subject in terms of his demeanour on the green. Very serious - and that's fine - but I'd argue overly so in the environment of this particular competition, barely cracking his stern game-face during the whole match. I think perhaps he thought he was good enough to win the thing on his own. But in fact it was a tight game which Dot and I were just about victorious by 7-6 over the eight end format. More down to Dot's shots than mine I might add.

This was my first taste of a club day and whilst warm weather always helps, it was a lovely atmosphere down there and brilliantly organised by Mr Steve Wilson.

I guess my only deflation on the day was that the frittata I'd made that morning for the dinnertime spread didn't go down as well as I would have hoped. I suppose what the hell was I thinking? Going Spanish and vegetarian for a good old Lancashire Jacob's Join? 

Supermarket sausage rolls, cocktail sausages on sticks, mini pork pies with huge splirts of ketchup meanwhile were all the rage. Perhaps I'll take my fryer down next time and bang.out fresh chips. That'll win this lot over I reckon.

AWAY DAY SUCCESS AT LAST

28/6/21 Chorley & District League Div-4: Bretherton 'B' 125-129 Eagle & Child 'A'  

v Kath Watkinson W 21-14

As fate would have it I was drawn against Kath for a second time following our first meeting in a friendly at the end of May. This time it was on Kath's home turf at Bretherton and what a lush little green and fantastic set up it is over there.

I knew Kath didn't play well in our first meeting at the Eagle and I was expecting a much tougher match. The first eight ends were close one pointers with neither of us able to win off the mat. Finally Kath broke the mould to hold on to the block and held on to the lead for a good few ends further, landing some good bowls whilst I had a poor spell and took my frustration out with a ridiculous smash shot that went wholly wrong, sending my own off to leave Kath picking up the mat for another two.

Strangely that submissive release of tension was the catalyst for a turnaround of fortune, landing a close, delicate and perfect twosome on the next end to poke momentum back in my direction. Although never managing a solid period in charge of the block, I heard our two scorers sharing 17-9 to my advantage and was surprised to hear I'd shitfted so far ahead in what felt like a really close game. I just can't keep score in the heat of a match at all and it seems to work out better when I don't try to be honest.

Kath heard the scores too of course and reacted positively to immediately lessen the deficit over the next few ends. But I did enough to get over the line and record my first away win in all competitions.

Prior to my own match, scoring duties forced my eyes upon a masterclass from home bowler Barry Chambers. He was absolutely ruthless against a very decent and experienced bowler in our camp, Andy Vurley - who didn't play badly at all - but when your opponent rolls so close on every single end, it's another level. I watched in admiration, for ultimately that's what this game is all about and for me it was a source of both inspiration and aspiration.

MELTED IN LAST MATCH PRESSURE POT

1/7/21 Leyland & District League Sec-5: Bretherton 'A' 158-160 Eagle & Child Reds

v Paul Ascroft L 17-21

Same place, different league three nights later, but the Bretherton green was running much quicker and was a different beast. It was a beast I didn't manage to tame.

My usual shaky start came as no surprise, then trailing 4-8 I started to settle and send some better bowls.

Nerves are still a problem, I get in a right tizz and tonight I caused chaos by accidentally picking up another game's block, then nearly rolling when it wasn't my turn. Such is my will to win or fear to fail, I can get a bit giddy. As I am often reminded though, it's my first season and winning was never going to come easy.

I enjoyed a good spell which turned the match around to 14-9 in my favour. All was looking well to see this one out. But Paul had other ideas and he then went on a run of much better bowling, drawing back level before I edged ahead again to 17-14. I didn't realise at the time, but those few points would seal a victory by just two chalks for our visiting team. Some great consolation it would turn out, for I couldn't keep hold of the block for long. Our duel became the last remaining match on the green - all eyes descended on us. This was my first experience of this scenario and I started to melt in what felt like a paranoid pressure pot.

The next end was a key contest right in the corner near the clubhouse where Paul got in with a good bowl on a tricky mark that wobbled about with interest over the last few yards. I send an even better one that just wobbled past his by half a wood, but Paul delivered a sensational shot which somehow brushed past both with barely inches to go at. I had to go in with a bit of pace to try and disturb things but was a good few inches shy - it did get an "Oooh" from the watching gallery though! 

Sadly, I didn't land a respectable wood after that. I wasn't even thinking straight. Paul gets his nose in front with a few singles and then I conceded a poor two - sending both mine down the wrong and yet very same channel - when frustratingly, Paul's nearest effort was actually quite beatable.

My opponent is then all-but, gets quite close with his opening bowl and then idiot me here sends my first one the wrong peg. Thankfully it rolled off in to the side ditch and didn't hang around too long to look as ridiculous as it was. With Paul's first shot still to beat, I remember Harry Glynn's gripe at rolling short when two down, but I went in with too much pace and shot through. The whole thing seemed like a tensed up fuzz in those closing stages. It was a good comeback from the home bowler and whilst a tough defeat to accept, much learned in the process.

Banter from the sidelines or even on the green doesn't half make me chuckle in this game. But the stand-out quote of the evening for me came from my opponent when I suggested he asked for a measure to avoid waking up at 3:30 in the morning still thinking he should have done. There was a perfectly timed pause before Mr Ascroft's reply... "The only thing I'll be up at half three for is a piss."

COOL KEPT

5/7/21 Chorley & District League Div-4: Eagle & Child 'A' 161-132 Bretherton 'B'

v Janet Blezzard W 21-19

Bretherton yet again, but this time at home as the second half of the Monday night Chorley League rolls out with the previous fixtures in reverse order. I was drawn against Janet who I knew to be a good player having edged out our own Michelle Anderton during last week's meeting.

After going away at the weekend I hadn't been on our home turf for over a week but was delighted to see plenty of green on it and rolling quite stiff. Thanks recent rain, much appreciated.

I got off to an unusually good start, a cracking first bowl and then on to a 5-1 lead. Janet hit back and narrowed the score to 5-7 and holding two great bowls right in front of the visitors stand - which I managed to smash up and kill the end. 

There seemed little in it after that, although I felt a good four or five chalks ahead generally, but when Janet asked for the score my advantage had shrank to 15-13. Team captain Steve later pointed out I lost seven points over four ends around this time as I beat myself up over crap shots and lost concentration. A repeat of last Thursday's lead loss scenario threatened as I ended up trailing dangerously at 16-19 with Janet landing some of her best bowls of the match. Luckily though, rolling for the match, she let me off sending two less than accurate shots by her standards. I knew I was good for one winner at least as my second bowl drifted a little wide. 

Then came a contentious moment when Janet gave me the two... and I disputed it! 

It didn't look obvious at all on my approach, I was just trying to be fair really, but she had moved her bowl out before I'd had a look so probably shouldn't have opened my big mouth and questioned it. There was a tough moment where she asked if I wanted one or two? Steve was giving me the eyes and a firm two finger signal on the sidelines. I thought if I don't take two then I'll be rattled and then even more likely to lose. "I'll take two then Janet if you're happy with that?" - I'm not sure she was entirely, but accepted she had moved her bowl and so rules is rules. 18-19.

In an act of stupidity, I then make things tricky by sending the block much further than planned and near edge of the green. I run up two yards short, but it counts. Janet then plays a brave and excellent shot that looked likely to run off but held up and looked impossible to beat. But I gave my second bowl a bit more and somehow got even closer, much to our Vernon's delight watching closely from greenside. 

Crucially, I landed very good lead bowls on the next two ends. A useful back up bowl on the last end proved to be a winner as Janet came close to drawing level, but knocked the jack off my first bowl and on to that second one. A bit of luck in the end, maybe even controversy, but I was chuffed to get the win and finish the match with some solid bowling.

UPDATE... 20/7/21

Such is the protocol of team selection, going on holiday cost me my place in both teams. As much as I value and appreciate the fragility of my place in the teams, I would never have traded in such a wonderful week in Anglesey for a part in another reverse at the hands of local rivals Farington Cons and an even worse night at the office in Wymott. No offence intended to Monday and Thursday evening parties concerned at aforementioned fixtures, but Anglesey was beautiful and we also got the weather.

Now coming up three weeks without a match and the best part of a month looming, I've been putting in the practice hours since returning from hols and getting to grips with a fast surface a little better - well at least on our home green anyway - I couldn't negotiate the very tricky green at Adlington's St Paul's last night. That was just the quarter of an hour taster in the warm-up, for perhaps being a reserve was a blessing in disguise and spared me a spanking. Perhaps a spanking would do me good? But just envisaging what a spanking would feel like will do for now. I'm not daft enough to think I would have got anything less than a spanking against any of the St Paul's lot last night whose home green knowledge turned the league tables upside down for a convincing victory.

One of my best pals Lee, who started playing just a few months before I did at Penwortham, has recently taken a good spanking and I know it will hurt when it finally happens to me.

I need a game to focus on though and so just arranged the latest 'pride of the avenue' so-called 'Hargreaves Cup' fixture with the wonder lad next door, Aaron. I may have already mentioned I really enjoy playing him, even though he spanks me most of the time. Nevertheless it's fast paced and competitive. I'm still nowhere near his standard, but it's where I aspire to be and it lifts my game to play against him. It's like being in match mode but without the added nervousness of carrying responsibility for the team. 

It's practice, practice, practice now whenever possible to see If I can give Aaron a decent game on Friday night.

 (Result: 13-21 and then 10-21. Played ok, but still not enough to worry him!)

A WEEK ON...

The following weekend and a practice morning went really well. Something has clicked and dare I say it, I was just starting to almost enjoy the bone-dry green running so quick. Typically, the first spell of rain in weeks has now been forecasted.

Rested again Monday, no fixture Thursday, still on the bench the following Monday... it's fingers crossed for this Thursday to get back in one of the teams. 

In between the frustration of not playing though, there has been some consolation in finding myself enjoying the more social side of things on the green and much to my surprise really. Not that I am an entirely anti-social git, but just that my interests in the game are mainly selfish ones focused on developing and improving my game to eventually compete in good competitions. But some friendly doubles nights and the iconic all-dayer 'Jolly Boys Outing' at the magnificent green of the Black Horse in Croston have been a really good crack and showcased what a good club I have joined.

Whatever happens in my time bowling, wherever else it may or may not take me, I have to say that this current crop of folk at the Eagle & Child Bowling Club - of whom I haven't known long - are a very fine bunch of ladies and gentlemen indeed.

BOB ON

5/8/21 Leyland & District League Sec-5: Eagle & Child Reds 193- 168 Bretherton 'A'  

v. Robert Coupe W 21-18

A match, at last!... And as the fixture Gods would have it, versus Bretherton yet again. For me personally, a fourth consecutive outing against the West Lancashire villagers, of whom I'm getting quite familiar with.

Scepticism is reasonable when considering the integrity of some members of parliament and to wonder how in the name of sanity they can be bestowed with the title of 'Right Honourable'. But should decorating anybody with such a description be thoroughly justified, then look no further than the very honourable gentleman who was my opponent tonight. Bob is a most right honourable chap indeed and as much as I wanted to beat him, I could rest assured losing wouldn't be quite so irritating against this good fellow.

After a few tight early exchanges I started to put some score between us, but couldn't hold the block for more than a couple of ends as I seemed to wave from sublime to ridiculous. Bob mopped up any mistakes I made and whilst claiming he's not particularly fond of the Eagle green and has never got to grips with it during his many visits here, he showed enough flashes of his ability to assure me that whatever lead I had, nothing was certain until I got to 21. When I got the call that I was on 19, I sent a very good lead bowl to take me all-but. With Bob on about 12 or 13 and momentum on my side, the nerves then returned and I started losing my length over the next few ends as Bob stayed steady and launched a comeback. After a great chance to take the match when turning over to a fairly straight finger peg down the side of the crown, I rolled outrageously short and the bum was now officially squeaking as the scoreboard tightened to 20-18. Next end and alas I landed something decent again. Bob didn't make it with his second and I was relieved of further tensions. He was most complimentary of my game for a relative beginner and said I deserved the win. Mr Coupe has no doubt played better, but few opponents could be quite so graceful in defeat as he as we talked a little afterwards. In fact they are all a good crowd at Bretherton, even Mick Haworth.

A team win was also sealed with six winners on the night and I suspect I might well have got my place back on Thursdays... for now.

ROYD TO HELL

9/8/21 Chorley & District League Div-4: Eagle & Child 'A' 124-121 Walton-le-Dale 

v Billy Royds L 9-21

My big chance to impress back in the Monday team fell flat as I slumped to my heaviest defeat of the season. There was absolutely no doubt about the better quality of my opponent. He played well and looked more like the home bowler from the off. Billy Royds was never going to need the assistance of me playing poorly to take the spoils, but just for good measure I did. I was shite and the fact it was easily the worst I've played in either leagues so far is testimony to the magnitude of my shiteness. Four or five good bowls are all I can recall rolling against Billy's consistently decent ones - it was a miracle I managed to score nine.

Losing was not such a disappointment, but the manner of the loss is what got under my skin. I didn't give the vastly experienced Royds a game.

So, apart from losing to the far better player, what happened? This is my home green, it's where I practice and practice reasonably well most of the time. Match nerves is one thing, but I lost composure and as I clearly haven't learned, concentration crumbles once the composure gets rattled.

A stalwart bowler in our team with much experience, guile and skill, Keith Anderton, said to me about a month ago, "It's a game of concentration, John", and rarely a truer word spoken about crown green bowling.

I thought during the match that I was making genuine attempts to refocus and concentrate. In fact I had lost control of what I was doing and thinking. When the head goes, everything becomes unnatural. All the details I try to pay attention to in practice go out of the window and my home green became a stranger. If I got the land right, the length was wrong. If I got the length right, the land was wrong. Who am I kidding? Much of the time I got both wrong.

Once a few points behind I got twitchy and when heavily behind after battered by a succession of two's, my head had completely gone!

Billy, who I don't think would be offended if I put him well established in to his seventies, informed me he'd been playing since he was 17 years old. You cannot put a price on experience and I got a harsh lesson this evening.

My two heaviest defeats have been against left-handers now, which is perhaps a coincidence but I do find lefties trickier to play against. Excuses are futile, reasons are debatable. I was just nowhere near good enough.

It was a case of Johnny Sulky Pants for a while but now I'm just looking to the next game and however it pans out, trying extra hard to hold on to composure.

ARCHITECT OF MY OWN DOWNFALL  

12/8/21 Leyland & District League Sec-5: Farington St Paul's 192-155 Eagle & Child Reds

v Chris Pilkington L 18-21

"What a good game that was", said the suitably entertained opposition's scorer. Granted, it was a decent contest. We both played some good shots, we both played a few howlers too. The scoreline doesn't lie, it was a close game, but I never got in to a winning position.

After taking the first couple of ends, Chris has a long run in charge of the block and emotionally I was sent back to Monday night's feeling of helplessness.

The St Paul's green was stiff. Very stiff. I had opted to play a match with my new slightly heavier 2lb 12oz high density babies for the first time. They really took some sending and I ended up short too often which contributed to trailing by seven or eight points before I got back in and started finding a better relationship between my new bowls and the green.

Chris had some good shots, but not as consistently as Billy Royds the other night, so there was scope for a fightback.

When I dared to check the score after feeling I might be back in contention, it was 14-17 and got a lift from seeing I was still very much in it. Playing a bit better by this time I continued to knaw away at Chris's lead and narrowed it to 17-18... and that's when the self destruct button was pressed not once, but twice! 

One point behind and on the mat, I send the block pegging against the slope of the greenside, just veering in to the slope towards the ditch over the last metre. My first delivery followed the line perfectly up towards the target, yet the slightest bit too much weight sent it slowly wobbling ever so painstakingly off the green. Chris plays safe, nowhere near, but it counts.

I adjust my second one maybe six inches left to compensate and all looked good until half way there when, like a Scalextric car switching lanes, my bowl suddenly dipped on to the same track as the first one and with an unfortunately perfectly replicated outcome. An easy two for Chris who rightfully picks up the mat and walks to go all-but.

He sends us back where we came from but I got back in again for a single. With jack in hand and nowhere else very attractive available, I went back in that same direction again but this time staying away from the sloping edge. I inexplicably scuffed the ground with my first bowl that didn't even get half way and wobbled off the green. Chris duly sends a perfectly timed pearler almost resting on the block and so I go in with pace, only to scuff the ground yet again and misfire by a yard. What a pillock.

It just wasn't to be. I played much better than three nights previous though and if smarting at not sneaking the win, wasn't so miserable in defeat having at least provided a contest.

MUCH TO LEARN AGAINST LEFTIES

16/8/21 Chorley & District League Div-4: Horwich RMI 132-146 Eagle & Child 'A'

v Bill Wilding L 14-21 

Last week's pants performance rightfully sat my bum right back on to the sub's bench, but late shouts of injury and absence opened the door for all three reserves to get a suprise call up on the night. Getting a match was a bonus, although every game seems to be a stiff learning curve just lately and this was no different.

I started the match playing my best opening bowls yet, smothering the jack with my first delivery to take a five point lead from the first four ends. If I did get a fleeting thought that I could maintain this standard and run away with it, this was soon enough banished. Self-confessed slow starter Bill started to get his eye in and on winning a tight measure to get hold of the block, seized it to crawl back level and then cruise beyond.

I still felt in contention though and wasn't playing altogether badly until bemused by a bowl pegging away ridiculously in to the ditch... followed by another. This is when I first suspected my left-handed opponent was perhaps getting a little shifty by turning the jack over before sending it. Pre-occupied by watching him roll the jack around in his hand before delivering - which seemed to be a trait of his - I was missing watching some of the land where he sent it. Later on there was another end in particular where even though his shots were way off the target, mine were even worse. Steve Wilson is gesticulating in the background that I sent the wrong peg... I waved my hands in the air and said, "I don't even know what fucking peg it is!?!?".

I inspected which way Bill's bowls were sent and he assured me he sent his thumb, which he did, but I don't think that's what he declared. By now though, my head had gone to mush and I was losing the plot.

My only previous experience of suspected subtle gamesmanship came against the same team in the reverse fixture and so my suspicions may not be entirely unfounded. With no concrete evidence though, perhaps I have already cast such speculation further than I ought to and the crux of the matter is that if I was good enough, I would have put these contentions aside and won anyway.

As it was, Bill's first bowl continued to put the pressure on and particularly along a distant stretch in front of the clubhouse on this vast fifty metre squared green. Whilst still landing some good shots myself, these became fewer and further between as the match wore on until a twosome at 12-19 gave me a zip of belief again.

Next end and my first bowl looks bang-on, but I've not put enough clout behind it on the slightly lusher grass at the road end and I'm cursing at rolling short. Bill gets close so I need to get close too or it's an easy two and Bill's game. Still reeling at my opening bowl, the next one is better, but this time a little long and my opponent mops up and it's handshake time.

According to my post-match research, Bill played much better than recent form would suggest. Either way, the home bowler was the deserved victor and bought me a consolatory can, recommending Red Stripe which took me back to the early nineties when said Jamican beer was very trendy in pubs and clubs. It's still good stuff, too.

Despite the sinking feeling on a personal note, it was tight but nonetheless a win away from home for the team.

NEW KID KEEPS THE BLOCK 

19/8/21 Leyland & District League Sec-5: Eagle & Child Reds 195-149 New Longton 'B' 

v Peter Moxham W 21-7

Despite a run of three defeats there was a feeling I was banging on the door for a win. This switch of psychological positivity was exacerbated by good form the previous evening when hosting my fine old friend Lee Dalton for his first taste of my home green at the Eagle. Mr Lee started bowling just a few months before I did and was initially my first sparring partner at his local green in Penwortham. I played well and solidly well for an hour and a half and if only because I was relaxed.

I had nothing to fear for a home fixture the following evening then, if I could just replicate that relaxed state.

Nerves jangled on the first few ends but despite losing an early advantage as Peter drew level at 4-4, I felt settled and was ready for a long game.

As things transpired though, I was having success round pegging to and fro in front of our clubhouse and for the first time yet I mastered a bit of consistent accuracy to put my opponent under the cosh.

I heard our scorers conferring it was 16-5 before I finally slipped up and lost an end. It was satisfying to have my first ever solid spell in charge of the block and frustrate my opponent. I certainly know what it feels like to be on the receiving end by now. Peter had gradually started chucking the mat down with more and more venom and I can relate to that too!

Although I didn't find my length over longer marks that evening - even during practice - fortunately for me neither was the New Longton man. We both got a couple more cheap scores before he sent us long and quite near the ditch. I found good length with these two though to go all-but before winning the final end unspectacularly with both bowls over a yard off the target.

So it got a bit raggy near the end, but good work earlier over that clubhouse mark did the damage and for the first time I even won the team sweep - and let everybody know about it.

A confidence boosting performance ahead of the Eagle & Child President's Cup First Round clash against my Monday night captain this weekend. No less than the third time in four home competitions that Mr Marginson and I have been drawn together.

I've been looking forward to this competition and privately challenging myself to gain a place to play in the last sixteen on President's Day itself. This is a really tough qualifying match to get there, but not unattainable.

FINALS DAY BOOKED WITH VERY GOOD WIN  

22/8/21 

Eagle & Child President's Day Trophy 1st Round

v Steve Marginson W 21-15 (off 3-1)

The Eagle & Child President's Cup winners are listed on a wooden board in the clubhouse dating back to 1983. It makes for an interesting who's who of esteemed members both past and present that have lifted the club's prestigious singles handicap trophy.

This is obviously my first entry in the competition and I had set my stall out with no more ambition than to reach the last sixteen and finals day the following week.

The problem was that I got a tough draw against Steve Marginson, who I've been drawn for a third time in just four various club contests. 

Our two previous matches have been close encounters with one win each and I would start with the benefit of a 3-1 lead from the handicap system. I had to have a bit of faith in myself and especially on the back of a week when I started to play better.

The good form continued and the most challenging part of the game for me - composure and concentration - was barely ruffled. It's taken a while to get there.

I got off to a great start winning the first two ends. In between those two chalks, Monday night captain Steve asked me what happened Friday night? Oh shit, Friday? We had a rearranged match and completely forgot! Apology accepted, Steve hit back to go four points ahead at one stage, but for once I refrained from pressing the panic button and stuck to the task to bring things back to eleven across, I remember being announced.

I was playing quite well and got my nose in front again, but then Steve cancelled that out with a super bowl in front of the clubhouse to knock my toucher out and make a two for himself. A scrappy two for me followed, but they all count and from then I seemed to just turn the screw a bit and get good shots in more regularly. A key end came at 17-15 I think, with my adjusted second shot, long and over the centre of the crown, landing very close to the jack. Steve went in with controlled pace and looked for all the world like he was going to wreck my good work, only for his effort to peg short by an absolute whisker. It was literally like all vascular activity stopped... and then started thumping again.

In a match, the match is all that matters. My sporting escapism was once running up and down mountains, now it seems to be rolling heavy objects over an undulating lawn. They couldn't be more different and yet both equally absorbing at times.

On the next end back to the corner where we came from, my second bowl is a good one but Steve didn't get near and so luckily my less impressive first counted too. Our scorer Barry Wright says, "All-but, John."

This is it. Don't rush it. Have a think. Wait if you have to. Don't go anywhere you don't fancy. My sense of calm in this situation was unprecedented!

A pair were about to finish their end just to the left of the visitors stand and I sent a round finger peg jack and followed it up with a toucher - it was a ridiculous shot under the circumstances.

Steve rolled up close by, but didn't quite reach to nudge anything. I only needed the one so rolled a straight thumb peg to try and block the path for a smash. I ought to have stayed on my mat to see if it came off, but with an instinctive rush of adrenaline I went running off down the greenside to catch up with it and have a look from behind. I'd sent it a little shorter than intended but the line was spot on. With his own first bowl also obstructing the jack line in, Steve had no choice but to fling his last bowl and just try and hit something. It just whizzed by and whilst it's not the thing in this game to punch fists in the air and run around with your shirt pulled up over your face, (knee slides are most definitely prohibited) that's how I felt inside!

ALL GOOD THEN WENT WEST

26/8/21 Leyland & District League Sec-5: Leyland & Farington 'B' 187-148 Eagle & Child Reds

v David West L 14-21

To say this was my best defeat yet would be like gold plating a wooden spoon. But it was certainly my strongest performance away from home so far and I don't think my opponent, who played a solid game, would dispute the margin of victory being slightly flattering in his favour.

I took to this tight little green on the backstreets of old Farington suburbia quite well and was maintaining the much better form of late. There wasn't too much in this game at all, with many closely contested ends, but Dave had a little surge and pulled away to lead 6-11. I recovered well though and had a run with the block myself to get level at 13 across.

One end in particular springs to mind when I stole in on Dave's excellent first bowl and then put a second in there at the exceptional high risk of knocking him back in. On the sidelines, my opponent in the reverse fixture, Kevin Topp, is saying I was lucky and should have taken the mat and walked in for the single. The sheer cheek of the man!... I was quick to remind him about the stick I got off him when I picked up the mat in our match!

I then went in front for what I assumed was the first time since the opening end. I then sent two very reasonable, if slightly short, wide pegging efforts to the far corner at the main gate. Home green knowledge to the fore though and Dave hooked around them both to take a very good two.

This was the last time I threw something that might count though. Suddenly I lost my length. The green conditions change when the sun goes down and I lost my feel for it. In successive ends I conceded two's, running both bowls short, then both long, then another two trickled in to the ditch and then the final nail with one short and the other counting... until just spilling beyond the point of no return and clunking quietly to rest in the ditch again.

That was that. Eight points down in just four ends and whilst Dave got as close as he needed to, I claim full responsibility for this sudden demise which eradicated all the good play that got me 14-13 up. The home bowler had the edge on me and might well have run out the winner anyway, but I was sticking with him and felt most aggrieved at the margin of loss rather than the loss itself.

My opponent Mr West sure enough deserved to win and his consistency to the end was the key to his eventually comfortable looking victory. I've no reason to believe he's anything other than a decent enough bloke, but a couple of things just left me with a little retrospective disomfort.

Dave spoke out a few times when I was about to bowl, particularly after I'd just sent the jack and even more particularly when I had a spell in the ascendancy. Naively, I politely replied on most occasions, but it's time I politely confronted the odd opponent pushing the barriers of fair play. Concealing my irritation with impregnable toleration has reached it's limits and I need to be  stronger in these situations.

Now some folk say the strength of a handshake defines the measure of someone, whether that be true or not, Dave was one of the limpest handshakers I've ever met. His hand was like grabbing death pre-rigamortis. I'd sooner we were still tapping elbows!

A defeat overall for our team on the night, but a bright light was Jimmy Sloan's outstanding victory over 'Cocky Kevin' Topp on his own patch.  

Ahead of President's Cup Day this coming Sunday, a defeat to ground lofty ambition but some good enough bowls to rescue some confidence. 

WHAT A DAY

EAGLE & CHILD PRESIDENT'S DAY 2021

Sunday 29th August

What a day. Where to start is a challenge, but perhaps at the beginning would be the good place. The draw for the last sixteen had been done when I arrive. I got the club's top player and President's Cup holder Phil Bradshaw, only for Phil to make a late withdrawal having taken a positive Covid test in the morning. This resulted in a very lucky bye to the quarter finals. I would have preferred to take the hit and played the top man though, so at first it felt like an anti-climax. Then I got over it and thought opportunity beckoned in the last eight.

A gorgeous day and a warm and sunny week had dried out the green which was running incredibly quick, even quicker than the previous day when my practice session was mainly dubious.

I don't like it quick like this but I've got much more idea than the first dry spell of summer when it suddenly felt like I hadn't a bloody clue how to play the game.

Quarter Finals  

v Alan Kirkman W 21-19 (off 2-3)

I was practicing yesterday when Alan was doing the same, being put through his paces with David Cameron's number one fan, Mick Hayes. Alan looked steady and seemed to be dealing with the speed of the green better than I was. Both of them did, to be fair.

But today was another day and matchplay is different. This proved to be a very tight match with no more than two points in it at any one time. It had the makings of going to the wire and it almost did just that. At the very business end of the match, luckily I squeezed ahead to lead 20-18 when Alan was most unfortunate to lightly tap his excellent first bowl for both to somehow slowly wobble in to the ditch. Next end and I was holding two good ones, then Alan produced a brilliant match saver. He sent us long and quite straight next and I got very close to leave Alan having to reluctantly strike, but good fortune betrayed him again as his bowl whistled an inch or two wide and I can't believe it, I'm in the semis.

Semi Finals  

v David Lister W 21-15 (off 3-5)

The semi final draw paired the two most fancied players remaining and the two outsiders together. Suddenly a place in the final was no longer an unrealistic proposition. I played the deceptively octogenarian Mr President himself who, a very good bowler indeed at one time, rolled back the years with some excellent wins to reach the last four.

Mr Lister has become one of my favourite people at the club, a very grand chap. Feelings aside, I was in it to win it, but I couldn't think of anyone else I could be happier to lose to.

David quickly expanded on his two point start with some cracking bowls and I was just starting to wonder if this was the end of the road. I was trailing by six or seven at a guess and wasn't bowling badly, I just couldn't get in.

When a breakthrough came though I managed to start reeling back the deficit and we got to eleven across.

I heard David mention to someone on the sidelines that he was tiring a bit. Indeed, he'd played an extra match than I had in the hot late summer sun and David's early precision did just start to stutter. One thing you can't afford to do in this game though is sympathise with your opponent and if anything, try and take advantage. As I got nearer and nearer the winning mark, I remember watching David's final bowl roll past to give me the two I needed and I chuckle to myself, "Oh my gosh, what's going on? I'm in the bloody final!".

Final 

v Andy Sexton L 5-21 (off 3-1)

With my own expectations of progress in this competition now in to the realms of dreamland, perhaps I took my eye off the bowl, so to speak.

In a daze of shock at making the final, I hadn't really given the game itself much thought in the ten minute interlude from the semis. Dare I say it, I might actually have been too relaxed! But it wasn't long before the tension mounted as Andy Sexton continued the excellent form that had knocked out potential winners in every round so far. I heard someone say I shouldn't have changed my shirt for the final as it was bad luck, but luck, good or bad, never came in to it.

Although showing early promise with two very good winning shots in the first few ends, from then I didn't get a look in. It felt like the whole thing was over in ten minutes. At 5-5 Andy took charge of the block and I never touched it again, his first effort more often than not leaving me with a lot to do and his second delivery rarely far away either. It was my first real spanking of the season, but at least I can say I got that far to receive it!

In hindsight there was much for me to pick at myself about from this end of day showpiece, but given the fantastic form of my opponent, there was never any doubt who would win. Even my best game yet wouldn't have troubled Andy, who played relentlessly brilliant and ran out a convincing and much deserved President's Day champion.

My main regret in hindsight is that in a situation where I really didn't have anything to lose, I lost my head and didn't play instinctively. I ought to have showed more valour, turned over more and been more aggressive, that's for sure. But the ever-increasing deficit stifled my belief. My wife Sara pointed out that I should have just slowed right down and that I was rushing, jogging over with the mat and basically setting the tempo for my own demise. I have known Sara to be right 99% of the time and this was an another instance which maintains that excellent percentage rate.

Under normal circumstances I would be more confident of giving Andy a closer game, but the final of the President's Cup is not your everyday match. He was the man on form and quite frankly in this match I was completely out of my depth.

Initially shell-shocked and disappointed, I did appreciate some kind words from former champion Keith Anderton afterwards, who said it didn't matter that I lost or even how I lost and was most congratulatory of me getting to the final at my first attempt. Cheers Keith.

COMMOTION WITH NOT SO CLEVER TREVOR

During the semi finals, persons there present will wonder what the hell I was doing suddenly sprinting off to literally run a ring around one of the other semi finalists, Trevor Bibby, who had a look of bewilderment and asked, "What the fuck was all that about?".

It was a reflex reaction in the heat of the moment. I can chuckle to myself about it now, but at the time it was that or engage in an unsavoury on-green dispute on a big club day. As such, I kept my mouth shut but needed to vent some of my pent up pissed off-ness with the man via some other outlet! In the semi-finals, Trevor whizzed a high speed striking shot dangerously close to the feet of my opponent to whom I had to warn and edge out of the way. There was not even any acknowledgment that what he had done was a bit nuts. David Lister is eighty-odd and in fine nick, but contact from Bibby's bowl there - or collateral from others, had he actually hit something - could have resulted in a most unnecessarily unpleasant outcome. 

Trevor could either have waited until our end was finished or adjust the same shot with less pace. I'm not in the anti-striking lobby by any means, it's a very useful tool to have if effective at it. But without wanting to sound like the appendix of a health and safety manual, safety of others has to come first I think and if it isn't safe to strike, then wait or find another shot. If that's not a rule, it ought to be. 

Then came TB's parade of needless trampling all over my land after I'd sent the jack, gawping provocatively at the bowls on his own end from such a peculiar viewpoint it was obviously deliberate. His narrow eye sockets, wide and wily, were also a giveaway that disrupting my next shot seemed to be the focus of his superior peripheral vision. I should have shouted "LAND!", I was told later. I'm not convinced he would've taken any notice.  With only two games on the green at that time, there was plenty of space to wander elsewhere. Once again this smacked of a basic lack of respect for other bowlers on the green.

Agitated by this, due to my own lack of experience I lost concentration (and my land!) to send a bloody awful lead bowl.

My little moment soon followed.

There's a side to him I could warm to. Within Trevor's earshot just before the final, my wife Sara says she might nip home for something. "Don't miss this love", he piped up, "...He'll never get this far again". I liked that one actually and stored it away for next year's competition!

But then he stuck his ore in during the final itself with a sarcastic comment followed by some subsequent chunnering. This time it wasn't so funny and it was beginning to feel quite personal. I let it rattle me and sent my next bowl hurrendously wrong peg. With head already pickled by my opponent's domination, I didn't need that at all.

It was my place in that final, not Trevor's. It's my first season and lucky, plucky or both, I got to that final.

Whilst Trevor is well known as a good player on the local circuits, I believe the arrogant demeanour he displays on the green far outweighs his actual standing in the grander scheme of things bowling. I look forward to playing him one day.

A MOST GRATIFYING DEFEAT 

30/8/21 Chorley & District League Div-4: Victoria 108-140 Eagle & Child 'A'

v Glynn Andrews L 9-21

The night after the day before and back to reality on the reserve list for Monday night... or at least I thought so. I wasn't informed I was actually in the team until I was called on, which was a strange one. No complaints though, I passed on the scorecard for our Vernon's match and jogged across to dig my woods back out.

Little did I know as I shook hands with Glynn before the off that I had drawn their 'Top Block' - another new phrase of bowling terminology to add to my ever growing glossary - meaning best player in the team or club.

With only one away win in either league all season, tonight was never going to be the night to record that elusive second one.

It soon became evident Glynn was a very good bowler and I remember thinking at 5-8 I was bowling pretty well for my first match on this big green and yet felt like I was already hanging on. On a mark along the clubhouse side, the deficit increased to 5-13 and whilst it was nothing particularly complicated where he was taking us, getting close wasn't good enough as Glynn got very close and did so more or less every end. But I was playing fine so kept my head up and

aimed to reach double figures. I took nine as it transpired and felt a little knock my way here or there could have made the score look prettier. My slight deflation at the end though wasn't because I had lost the match, but because the match was over and I was really enjoying it.

Easily my new best and favourite defeat yet!

STRONG FINISH TO FINAL LEAGUE ACTION

2/9/21 Leyland & District League Sec-5: Eagle & Child Reds 176-151 Hoole Village Hall 'A'

v Keith Roughley W 21-7

The nerves returned for the start of this match as I had really billed myself up to finish the whole season on a high with a victory. I rolled from sublime to ridiculous in the first few ends and this seemed to rub off on my opponent. At 4-3 though I sensed I was just finding some length as I adjusted well with a touching second bowl on a longish mark to the far corner. Keith tapped me out though with a splendid delivery to draw level and I was thinking I was in for a tight game. But as those initial janglements of nerves seemed to wear off, I hit a streak of good bowling and started to pull away. Keith's early promise wilted in the process, as can happen when on the receiving end of a surge and although I did luckily win some fairly dubious ends where neither of us got near, generally I played quite well and got the job done. Our team also won well to retain a top half finish.

SEASON REVIEW

As first seasons go it would be a very tough self-critical overview to say it had gone anything less than quite well.

Crown green is not just a tricky game, it's a craft. To master a craft takes time, dedication, perseverance and practice among other attributes. I don't know if I can master the craft or if I've got what it takes to climb ladders in this game, but so far I've held my own at times against local players who have been around the block.

Although losing a few more than I won, statistics aren't the do all and end all of a first season in league bowls, for the experience gained is of much more valuable content. Those statistics though, I can't ignore them either. Just two home league defeats is a good stat to build on next Spring, but just one win on the road bares the stark reality of just how much improvement and knowhow is required to get to a standard I may start to get content with.

One of the biggest difficulties has been dealing with nervousness in a match, which, if things don't go my way for a spell, can manifest in to losing composure and concentration on a grand scale. As the league season drew towards it's close, I was just about starting to get used to the match situation and deal with nerves far better.

It's been two steps forward and one step back most of the time. For much of the season I wondered why I seemed to practice well and then buckle in matches, yet I finished the season playing much better in matches and thinking I was crap in practice!

Importantly though, I had started playing a bit better overall and actually enjoying matches more, rather than it being an altogether intense experience in which even my perversely strong will to win was perplexed by the overwhelming fear of defeat.

If I had one pound for every time a team mate has asked me to relax and slow down a bit, I would have enough money to buy a brand new set of woods. It's not that I haven't listened or tried to change, it's just something that can't be fixed overnight.

The run I had in our club's President's Cup was a combination of "lucky and plucky" (to quote myself earlier) but there must have been something I tapped in to, a bit of psychological edge that although shattered to pieces in the final itself, had at least got me that far in the first place.

Crown Green bowls is a simple game in terms of objective - chuck your bowls nearer to the target than your opponent - but the path to that objective is rarely less than complex. I think I understand the complexities of such simplicities much more than I did earlier in the year!

It's also a game in which one has to control emotions and maintain concentration. As a self-confessed emotional day-dreamer, there still lies my biggest challenge ahead.

POST-SEASON LOSING RUN

I'm not quite sure if five straight defeats in practice matches is something I should be concerned about or not, but because I take this game way too seriously before I'm anywhere near good enough to have the right to take it too seriously, confidence has taken a hit.

Jimmy Sloan continued his winning streak versus Sutton - all be it by one point - but a loss is a loss. My good friend Lee Dalton then beat me for the first time in a good while to 15 at one of his home venues, Middleforth RBL, showing signs he had improved vastly in recent weeks. This was even more evident a week later when Mr Lee dominated the game on his other home green at Penwortham Sports Club to chalk up victory at 11-21. I didn't play that badly really, but just couldn't get a look in.

In between, a glimmer of hope as I pushed young Aaron from next door as close as I have done, but then lost to him again and by a greater margin straight after in a high speed match to beat the fading light.

As the daylight fades on these early Autumn evenings, so does belief that I can make any significant improvements in the near future. Such thoughts are fickle though, for a couple of wins and I'll feel entirely different. It's a game of confidence for sure, but just as there is a fine line between confidence and getting above your station, there is a fine line that can allow negative results to batter it.

After finishing the season going in the right direction, if I needed grounding, then I have been, thanks.

As for Lee, I've thought at times he's been over-analytical of his delivery and that he should just get on with it, keep practicing and let nature take over. But he has continued to tweak away at what he does and has made a really significant improvement. With that in mind, on reflection I've got stuff to work on, like the weird bad habit of leaping when I've sent a delicate shot. Other details such as not always getting low enough and, maybe even trying so hard to relax whilst playing that perhaps I've let myself get lazy, thinking some sort of brilliance will come to me rather than digging even deeper to find it.

After a now sixth defeat on the spin and another convincing one in a chance bout against clubmate, fine gentleman and bowler John Waddecar, the Autumn and Winter really is about knuckling down to try and iron out some imperfections and find a technique that I can stick with before we're off again next Spring.

WATCHING THE BIG BOYS

New Longton bowler and club offiado Brian Rigby, who is a regular customer at my workplace and always have a quick bowl talk with, tipped me off a couple of weeks ago about a big competition brewing there with a finals day that included the chap who wins most things worth winning, Callum Wraight, amongst a few other big names in the game such as Wayne Ditchfield and John Bailey. With these guys playing so close to home, if nowt else on of particular importance that Sunday, I was always going to get over there for a couple of hours to see some master craftsmen in the flesh for the first time.

I'd seen these chaps on You Tube footage many a time, but it's very different live. Callum is far more chilled than his occasionally extrovert behaviour might persuade otherwise. You can see nothing phases him. His accuracy and the consistency of it is something else, he is a great bowler.

Wayne was just as poker-faced as expected, but initially not so instantly recognisable with an extremely manicured look of freshly steamed facial, well crimped short beard, sculpted eyebrows and trendy hair buzzed on number two around the sides with a side-combed Bryllcream finish. His bowling was equally pristine. Despite going out in the quarter finals in a close battle with Andy Draper, I saw some amazing deliveries from him.

I didn't instantly recognise John Bailey either under his cap, until a couple of woods rolled up right under the nose of my viewpoint with 'JB' engraved on them. I was more impressed by Bailey's oppenent Michael Leach on the day, one of the elder statesmen on the tournament circuit who played the corners very well indeed to win handsomely. Leach had this green well tamed and went all the way to the final.

But it was yet another win for Shropshire lad Callum who must rake a bit in by scooping the loot at so many competitions. I hope it covers the cost of being on the road all time and when winner buys the drinks in this game I'm suspect he must suffer a heavy bar bill too. Subsequently, I discover Callum hit the road straight after this final to win another competition in the evening over Huddersfield way. Wow.

To see all the chaps in action at New Longton that afternoon was a real source of inspiration.

AND FINALLY FOR NOW...

Poor weather accompanied the nights drawing in and opportunities to play were scuppered over the next two weeks. Finally some settled weather and an early Saturday morning slot with Mr Dalton. Once again I couldn't get a look in against him and even on my own patch at the Eagle. 

Over at Lee's club in Penwortham, I saw some top players on show again which I am finding to be addictive viewing.

Influenced by those guys and also Lee's improvement after working to change his delivery, I've been thinking about my own delivery and how to make it consistent, which I hope will lead to making it much more effective. The limited opportunities to practice during the rest of Autumn and Winter will be spent nurturing this.