BANKS ACCOUNTED FOR

22/6/22
Eagle Members League Div-1
v STEVEN BANKS W 21-13 (Off 3-3)

Before I joined the Eagle & Child Bowling Club, the mention of 'Banksy' would immediately flit my thoughts upon probably the most original and influential street artist of our times. Spanning in to a fourth decade of producing famous works under the veil of anonymity, one could say he, she or they, are nothing less than an enigma.
These days though, when I hear 'Banksy', my inner search engine goes straight to Steven Banks from Leyland. Although anything but anonymous, certainly enigmatic in many ways, one of our bowling club's characters and certainly one on his own. There's nowt not to like about Banksy.
Usual pre-members league match routine applied, despite the heat of late afternoon a nice three miler was trotted out underneath the cover of trees where possible. Another baking hot day kept the Eagle green running too, and at optimum speed.
The match with Banksy would complete the half way mark of my season in this competition and I was intent on maintaining a top three spot for as long as I can.
We both agreed we weren't big fans of super-fast greens, but the first end was high calibre as I pipped a super shot from Steven before the next half dozen ends were tight and neither of us could keep hold of the block. Eventually though I had a run of scoring and created a healthier gap than I thought at the time.
When I heard the scores at 17-11 I was suprised because Steve was on a roll himself with five points from three ends. This included classic Banksy... I sent the jack on a very tricky and precarious road in to the right corner's edge. My lead bowl was a little too weighty and trickled off. Banksy then sends a fantastic delivery.
Trying too hard to match it, I tense up and send it short, narrow and it joins my other one in the ditch. Two to Banksy - he can pick up the mat, but he's down and lining up his second bowl.
"Banksy! You can pick the mat up!!!"... I shouted back to him, everybody watching shouted to him also... but Bansky was in his own world and sent his second bowl regardless... which incredibly rolled up even better than his first!
It was a moment of crazy genius.
Steve's run eventually slipped though and he let me in with sloppy woods to leave plenty of room for my two. I then won another end to go all-but, but Banksy produced another top-notch bowl to save the match, winning the next end as well with a good one before I finally got the single I needed to sew up the win.
For the time being, I move up to second place in the table. It's so bonkers I've taken a  screenshot off the Bowlsnet site for posterity!
No fixture next week for me, a welcome break from Wednesday night intensity before getting myself ready for the next six equally tough, quite possibly even tougher games ahead.