STRIKING BACK TO WINNING WAYS

23/6/22
Leyland &District League Div-4: Eagle Reds 189-168 Chorley St Joseph's
v JAMES ARMSTRONG W 21-19

Well I knew I was in for another tough match in the reverse of last week's fixture versus St Joe's. I've seen Jim bowl a few times now and he's a really good and competitive player.
But this was home turf so I was confident of at least making more a game of it than I did at their place when Adam Walsh took me to the cleaners.
It proved to be very close, but also quite an entertaining match (At least our scorer Barry Wright enjoyed it and Steve Loynd said he found himself distracted from the game he was scoring by watching ours - compliments indeed)
On the second end I decided to strike at Jim's holding bowl and hit it fat to take one for myself. On the next end, I held two good ones and Jim splattered everything including the jack to kill the end. We were both in for a game.
There was probably nowt much in the scores between us in the first half of the game, but bouyed by my earlier strike, I hit two more on target, saving one and then nulling an end when Jim held two.
Generally though, I felt Jim was rolling much more steadier than me as I seemed to swing from brilliant to bull shit and not too much in between. One thing frustrating me was the number of times I failed to snap up a two when there was a good opportunity.
Despite this I had a little run with the block and built up a bit of a lead as I got in to the teens, perhaps 16-11 or summat like that. But it didn't feel safe, Jim's weighty blue cannonballs were always looking dangerous.
After two really awful deliveries on my favourite patch, my subsequent disgust was perhaps a lingering distraction, but Jim also started upping his game and punished me on a slightly diagonal mark over the crown that he was nailing and making me look like I'd never played on my own green. At some point the obligatory outlet of frustration was exercised and a bowl was dutifully foot-flicked in to the gutter.
Jim's precision finally broke just as the scores were about to level up. I rolled a two and closer than they needed to be to restore my inner calm.
I got the call I was on nineteen, then went all-but and a hell of a finish to this game was about to play out.
For the match, I went as long as I could go to the far corner and hedged my bets on a good lead bowl. Mission accomplished, I thought, sitting six inches behind the jack on this mark was one of my best shots all night, but Jim trumped it with an absolutely remarkable bowl that brushed alongside the jack and finished up leaning on it.
My second bowl was even closer than my first, glancing the jack before resting on it's fat side and just out. Two bloody good woods for nowt, but Jim's shot was almost a pleasure to concede to.
He also wins the next one and my advantage is cut to one point at 20-19. Jim then leads with a front toucher and possibly holding two, but it's a target and I strike successfully for a fourth time to void the end and save the match.
Jim keeps cool though and sends another good lead, a few inches shy of the block. I lost the land on my first bowl and my opponent is lying game. I turned over with a straight bowl to try and save one at least, but length and line proved to be perfect as I just passed Jim's wood and won it by an inch or two.
I can't believe I pulled through there, but somehow I found the shots despite feeling Jim was the more consistent performer on the night.
Whilst I feel my game is still improving and still needs to, striking could add a new dimension and on this evening's evidence it's worth pursuing. I regretted not being more aggressive when I got stuffed last week and although not setting out with the intent to strike in this game, I grew in confidence with it and essentially that tactic won me the game here against a good, probably better player than me. 

On the night, our captain Harry was a happy mon as we picked up a very good team win too. This included Banksy's impressive 21-14 destruction of the lad Adam who beat me to six in the reverse game seven days earlier. This game really can be horses for courses.