7/4/22
Pre-season friendly: Bretherton v Eagle & Child
Pre-season friendly: Bretherton v Eagle & Child
v BOB COUPE W 21-10 (Off 3-3)
After plenty of practice, much of it on my own, it's been difficult to assess whether or not I have improved. I didn't particularly think I had, but it turned out I just needed a game to bring out some positive signs. My opponent Bob, who I beat narrowly in a home fixture last year, is perhaps a couple of weeks behind me for practice after his own home green only recently opened again. But equally I played quite well in this pre-season warm-up and there were few ends that I could say I played sloppy on.
At last I did actually feel that my game had improved. I lost the first few exchanges but kept my cool and my concentration to come back and win fairly comfortably. Bob had to send good ones to take the points he did and kindly commented himself that he felt I had moved on from our previous meeting.
Prior to this friendly match opener, some pre-season practice games with fellow clubsters over the last few weeks started with an impromtu bout against the smooth delivering Nigel Tomlinson, who put me to the sword 12-21 and cast much doubt over the belief that I had improved much at all. This game was critical though, in that I found my 2.10 high density bowls just rolling on a little further than Nigel's all the time and I got myself a pair of 2.8's the very next day. (Nige himself was sporting a shiny new pair of 2.8 hd's!)
Prior to this friendly match opener, some pre-season practice games with fellow clubsters over the last few weeks started with an impromtu bout against the smooth delivering Nigel Tomlinson, who put me to the sword 12-21 and cast much doubt over the belief that I had improved much at all. This game was critical though, in that I found my 2.10 high density bowls just rolling on a little further than Nigel's all the time and I got myself a pair of 2.8's the very next day. (Nige himself was sporting a shiny new pair of 2.8 hd's!)
Now I wouldn't say I've not looked back since, but I have found to have just a little bit more control since this switch of weight.
A return to winning ways against Jimmy Sloan followed. Then a challenge against the maestro next door, Aaron, ended in losses of 8-21 and 15-21. But always looking to wring out some positives from the drenched rag of negativity, after a dreadful start in that first game's thrashing, of the last fifty points contested during those two games, I trailed Aaron by a most respectable 21-29!
Last night I had a chance encounter with another very good bowler, Trevor Bibby* after I asked him if he fancied a few ends to fifteen. I got battered. This was a timely reminder about concentration before tomorrow's debut in tournament bowls.
I'm in the first pot of qualifying rounds at the new Waterloo competition in Fleetwood and this is how it feels to be an amatuer side mixing it with the big boys in the FA Cup I suppose. Intrepidation about being completely out of my depth, mixed with an air of excitement.
The other 31 players on my qualifying day is a list stacked with excellent bowlers. Without doing disservice to the guys I haven't heard of that are probably very, very good, I could name at least eight that I have heard of on the circuit that win stuff, including one of the pre-tournament favourites, Greg Smith. Ridiculous to think I could be playing him or even anybody half as good tomorrow, but that's the beauty of open competition.
As far as expectations are concerned, if I play well I should be good enough to get at least a few points on the board against anybody. Ultimately that's the very height of my ambitions.
*Previous references to Trevor Bibby in these pages have been less than complimentary following shenanigans at last year's President's Day! I still think he was a bit out of order that day. But having heard he's not a bad chap beneath the grumpy guard of his game face, Trevor seemed happy enough to have a practice roll at my request, discovering that he's a very decent bowler. At 1-9 down I think we stopped scoring and just carried on for a bit!
A return to winning ways against Jimmy Sloan followed. Then a challenge against the maestro next door, Aaron, ended in losses of 8-21 and 15-21. But always looking to wring out some positives from the drenched rag of negativity, after a dreadful start in that first game's thrashing, of the last fifty points contested during those two games, I trailed Aaron by a most respectable 21-29!
Last night I had a chance encounter with another very good bowler, Trevor Bibby* after I asked him if he fancied a few ends to fifteen. I got battered. This was a timely reminder about concentration before tomorrow's debut in tournament bowls.
I'm in the first pot of qualifying rounds at the new Waterloo competition in Fleetwood and this is how it feels to be an amatuer side mixing it with the big boys in the FA Cup I suppose. Intrepidation about being completely out of my depth, mixed with an air of excitement.
The other 31 players on my qualifying day is a list stacked with excellent bowlers. Without doing disservice to the guys I haven't heard of that are probably very, very good, I could name at least eight that I have heard of on the circuit that win stuff, including one of the pre-tournament favourites, Greg Smith. Ridiculous to think I could be playing him or even anybody half as good tomorrow, but that's the beauty of open competition.
As far as expectations are concerned, if I play well I should be good enough to get at least a few points on the board against anybody. Ultimately that's the very height of my ambitions.
*Previous references to Trevor Bibby in these pages have been less than complimentary following shenanigans at last year's President's Day! I still think he was a bit out of order that day. But having heard he's not a bad chap beneath the grumpy guard of his game face, Trevor seemed happy enough to have a practice roll at my request, discovering that he's a very decent bowler. At 1-9 down I think we stopped scoring and just carried on for a bit!
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