DID THAT REALLY JUST HAPPEN?
Wednesday 12th April 2023At Euston Green, Fleetwood
Fleetwood Spring Waterloo Trophy
1st Qualifying Round
v GREG SMITH (Alvechurch) L 17-21 (Off 5-5)
On the way to Fleetwood I was expecting nothing, but hoping for something. Something positive to take back. A few nagging thoughts that I'm crackers entering things like this returned, but they were soon dispersed by singing along to a chronological tracklist of New Order on the way, which distracted me enough to defuse any lingering nervousness.
I check in at the pavilion where the Waterloo Trophy's resurectee, Mark Mills, hands me a photocopy of the draw and something along the lines of "Ha! Oh WOW!!", spills out. Mark realises the reason for such exclamation - Greg Smith (Alvechurch) v John Sutton (Leyland) - and replies, "Oh I see. Well the good news is, he's not here yet! Although I think he's bringing the trophy back, so I hope so..."
Reigning champion Greg Smith won the Spring Waterloo Trophy for a third time in 2022, with one Autumn Waterloo also under his belt and this barely touches the sides of what he's won in the game.
Already regarded as one of the all time best players in crown green, what a completely amazing and utterly ridiculous draw!
1st Qualifying Round
v GREG SMITH (Alvechurch) L 17-21 (Off 5-5)
On the way to Fleetwood I was expecting nothing, but hoping for something. Something positive to take back. A few nagging thoughts that I'm crackers entering things like this returned, but they were soon dispersed by singing along to a chronological tracklist of New Order on the way, which distracted me enough to defuse any lingering nervousness.
I check in at the pavilion where the Waterloo Trophy's resurectee, Mark Mills, hands me a photocopy of the draw and something along the lines of "Ha! Oh WOW!!", spills out. Mark realises the reason for such exclamation - Greg Smith (Alvechurch) v John Sutton (Leyland) - and replies, "Oh I see. Well the good news is, he's not here yet! Although I think he's bringing the trophy back, so I hope so..."
Reigning champion Greg Smith won the Spring Waterloo Trophy for a third time in 2022, with one Autumn Waterloo also under his belt and this barely touches the sides of what he's won in the game.
Already regarded as one of the all time best players in crown green, what a completely amazing and utterly ridiculous draw!
Warm up went quite well and I like to get on as soon as possible here if only to get my money's worth! I was sent packing at this stage last year quite abruptly versus another top player, Lee Johnstone.
Soon enough I see one of Greg's distinctive bowls with the segmented black and white pattern cross my view and there he is. Looking fiercely serious already.
I'd worked out we could be on not long after practice given an absentee in the first half of the draw, so thankfully not too much time to dwell on the enormity of the task ahead.
Strangely I still had no nerves whatsoever as we took to the green. Greg wins the toss, then as my first bowl pegs away horrendously, he kindly reminds me he's left handed which I both didn't realise or remember in equal doses. (Massive schoolboy error at this level) It was therefore slightly rude of me to then send my adjusted second well enough to win the end.
There wasn't too much in it early on, but Greg hadn't quite got going. It was pleasing for me to find some occasionally cracking shots that broke any of his potentially long spells in possession of the block.
It was highly accurate short marks over the crown where Greg eventually found his most productive sequence of scores and at this point I was thinking I'd done alright, no disgrace, but that this was probably curtains.
Alas though, 'generously' Greg gave me a whole twelve inches to play in to and finally I landed one.
Somewhere around this time I hear the score sounded at 12-16. I win one then lose two and it's 13-18 when Greg goes very long, round peg corner to corner from the pavilion and lands his first bowl less than a foot away. Wow!
My reply isn't shoddy, it was on the road but just gave up and proved good enough for second.
Then a moment of madness as I give my second one a little more land, a little more umph and send a proper one, six inches off and a bowl so good, my illustrious opponent even mentioned it after the game.
Walking over all casual, trying desperately to hide my elation, I thought if my bowling doesn't get much better than this moment, then so be it! This end will live long in the memory.
But then I have an unexpected couple more ends of success when round pegging up and down the long side of the green. One of my league opponents of last season, Andy Lund asks me the score and tells me to stick at it. Just then, for some reason I get the scores wrong in my head. I think it's 17-20 but it's 17-19 and I'm holding a very reasonable two. Crikey.
I'd worked out we could be on not long after practice given an absentee in the first half of the draw, so thankfully not too much time to dwell on the enormity of the task ahead.
Strangely I still had no nerves whatsoever as we took to the green. Greg wins the toss, then as my first bowl pegs away horrendously, he kindly reminds me he's left handed which I both didn't realise or remember in equal doses. (Massive schoolboy error at this level) It was therefore slightly rude of me to then send my adjusted second well enough to win the end.
There wasn't too much in it early on, but Greg hadn't quite got going. It was pleasing for me to find some occasionally cracking shots that broke any of his potentially long spells in possession of the block.
It was highly accurate short marks over the crown where Greg eventually found his most productive sequence of scores and at this point I was thinking I'd done alright, no disgrace, but that this was probably curtains.
Alas though, 'generously' Greg gave me a whole twelve inches to play in to and finally I landed one.
Somewhere around this time I hear the score sounded at 12-16. I win one then lose two and it's 13-18 when Greg goes very long, round peg corner to corner from the pavilion and lands his first bowl less than a foot away. Wow!
My reply isn't shoddy, it was on the road but just gave up and proved good enough for second.
Then a moment of madness as I give my second one a little more land, a little more umph and send a proper one, six inches off and a bowl so good, my illustrious opponent even mentioned it after the game.
Walking over all casual, trying desperately to hide my elation, I thought if my bowling doesn't get much better than this moment, then so be it! This end will live long in the memory.
But then I have an unexpected couple more ends of success when round pegging up and down the long side of the green. One of my league opponents of last season, Andy Lund asks me the score and tells me to stick at it. Just then, for some reason I get the scores wrong in my head. I think it's 17-20 but it's 17-19 and I'm holding a very reasonable two. Crikey.
Greg, who had started to get a bit cross with himself by now and kicked bowls in to the ditch (I can relate to that!) takes a long time with his second bowl. A really long time. But when it came, it was the bowl of a champion. Perfectly executed.
Thinking that was game over when it wasn't, quite, his following lead bowl kisses the target perfectly so I just make sure I reach and with my last bowl, a touch unlucky perhaps not to make a further nuisance of myself.
Thinking that was game over when it wasn't, quite, his following lead bowl kisses the target perfectly so I just make sure I reach and with my last bowl, a touch unlucky perhaps not to make a further nuisance of myself.
Greg does the honours by asking if I want a drink. I'm not quite sure what he thought when I asked for a selfie instead, but the champion obliged and even got me a coffee too after leaving the venue just to find a cash machine. Class.
Playing off 5 in this competition, so technically, 12-16 here against the trophy holder, this was a very decent effort.
On the journey home, more New Order and a sensation of not quite taking in what just happened that afternoon.
I'd relented up until this point of entering the Autumn Waterloo, given the travel, time, even expense. But that match against Greg was more than worth £15 and two hours round trip. A fantastic experience and also a confidence booster, so it's back to Fleetwood for more qualifiers in August.
Playing off 5 in this competition, so technically, 12-16 here against the trophy holder, this was a very decent effort.
On the journey home, more New Order and a sensation of not quite taking in what just happened that afternoon.
I'd relented up until this point of entering the Autumn Waterloo, given the travel, time, even expense. But that match against Greg was more than worth £15 and two hours round trip. A fantastic experience and also a confidence booster, so it's back to Fleetwood for more qualifiers in August.
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