UNEXPLAINABLY ODD GAME... BUT A WIN

Thursday 20th April 2023
Leyland & District League Div-3: Farington St Paul's - Eagle & Child Reds
v STEPHEN ROBINSON W 21-17

Few would disagree that the green at Farington St Paul's is currently a bit bobbly, but that also some tricky marks on there can make it a homester's paradise and a visitor's nightmare.
Granted, this is also the least favourite green of my travels so far after two defeats and a general lack of affinity with it. First time, a close but disappointing loss against a chap who got his first win of the season against me at the eighth attempt. Secondly, last season's record tonking there. It's just not a green that I get on with.
This third visit though, didn't just bring with it the usual difficulties I've experienced at St Paul's, but an added ridiculousness that I just couldn't get to grips with for much of the game.
Every single end seemed inconcievably wierd. The jack seemed to travel against it's own weight and whatever the jack line, not once did that correspond with the way to send your bowl in. 
Oddly, this never happened during fifteen minutes of practice with my own jack when everything seemed to make a bit more sense. Other matches didn't seem to be hampered by the same problems either and during our game, even my home opponent Steve was wondering what was going on at times. Both of us questioning what peg had been sent and scratching our heads accordingly.
It was mainly a perplexing and highly frustrating game for me. The laws of physics seemed to be continuously compromised and I was left flapping my hands about and slapping my own bum (very hard) in utter disbelief.
Steve had a far cooler head than me though and shuffled ahead by three or four points early on, that then carried in to the latter half of the game as I heard the scores at 12-16. More often than not, going second or even the third bowl was most advantageous, trying to correct the opponent's lead bowl that often strayed beyond logic.
During a very close measure, that I thankfully won, time for a few deep breaths. I send body language to our captain Harry Glynn that clearly stated, "What the shit is going on?". "Get your head around it", was his stern reply.
A quick thought that only eight days earlier I was making Greg Smith take longer than he would like to kick off the defence of his Waterloo title, what the hell was I doing here in Leyland & District Division Three, sinking towards a helpless and confusing defeat?
Thankfully I started to pull one or two shots out of the bag, regained composure and got some momentum going for the first time in the match. Steve missed half chances to turn the tide as I came back to take a scruffy, but nonetheless satisfying win if only because I succeeded in restoring some order after completetely losing the plot.
My first league win of the new season, I was one of only two winners for our team on the night as Eagle Reds now prop up the table.
Afterwards I couldn't help but think perhaps the jack in our game was faulty or marked up incorrectly. It seemed to do the opposite to what you'd instinctively expect.
For a bowls version of crazy golf, this was it. During the match, in a moment of frustration I called out to the crowded clubhouse area catching the last of the warming sun on a chilly evening, of my 'crazy bowls' theory. 

It got a tumbleweed reception and hopefully wasn't seen as disrespectful to our hosts. I was simply expressing my thoughts whilst experiencing the strangest game of bowls I think I've played so far.