WINNING IS BELIEVING 

1/8/22

Chorley & District League Div-3: Eagle & Child 'A' 138-160 Fox Lane 'A'

v DAVE CHARLESWORTH W 21-20

Once I saw the draw take shape on the scoreboard outside our clubhouse, the nerves began to wobble. Pre-match nervousness was becoming a thing of the past, but the sight of Sutton v Charlesworth got me on edge. 

A tough match was always in prospect up against a strong Fox Lane line-up in this local derby game, but with respect to some of their excellent bowlers, Dave Charlesworth was the one I really didn't fancy much chance of winning against. 

Dave reached the last sixteen of this year's Spring Waterloo. The last time I saw him in action was when watching a competition at Penwortham last Autumn. He played extremely well against Callum Wraight, but yet didn't get much change from the game's top player. Prior to that I'd seen him bully our captain at their place last year. Nine wins from eleven in this league so far, despite struggling with back problems I later discover... enough said. This is why I got the jitters. 

Dave soon got in to the groove and built up an early lead, at 3-9 down I felt I hadn't even rolled a decent wood though. My opponent was playing better than he needed to at this point and the much feared tonking looked on the cards. 

Nervousness gradually morphed in to frustration and whilst frustration isn't good, it did override the nerves and so I was able to start sending a few decent bowls to claw back some points.

Conditions were dry when we started, but Summer rain dropped and the green conditions were changing all the time during the match. Dave remained well in charge of the game though I felt, so it came as a baffling suprise when my teammate scorer, Jack, tells me it's 12-14 after I've just scored a two that I wasn't even happy with. Crazy game, so it is.

Once again though, my opponent restored his lead to four points but I had settled down a bit by now. Improving as the game went on, I put a couple of breaks together and a good two got me the call of 'all-but'. Not recalling Dave getting a shout for 'nineteen', I assumed he was on eightteen so didn't realise how lucky I was to survive the next end. 

Dave had a chance for two but was unusually short - little did I know at the time that it would have been game over.

I didn't fluff my second chance though, Dave again strangely off target on a long straight peg and I got close. His second one didn't quite do enough and I'd done it, on paper perhaps the most noteworthy scalp in the leagues so far. 

I don't want to get carried away with my improvement this season, but I can give good players a game now and win. I've proved it on enough occasions to believe it. I just need to actually believe it!

A cracking win for me, but a fairly convincing loss for the team unfortunately. We still cling on to second spot though with four to play.