SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP A WIN

Friday 16th August 2023
Chorley & District League Div-2: Hoghton Bowling Club 140-108 Eagle & Child 'A'
v GEOFF PICKUP L 19-21

Another green I'd never seen before and another important game, rearranged from being called off after prolonged heavy rain a few weeks ago.
Still with bare bones of a squad remaining, I'm in at the deep end on a losing streak and with less confidence than a Manchester United fan in their team being the best in the city some time soon.
What a fabulous green it is at Hoghton. A beautifully kept surface, quite compact and with a big crown that spills off some very interesting marks.
After the first four ends against Geoff and a 0-5 deficit, I'm starting to wonder if Monday night is about to repeat itself.
Thankfully I started to send a few very good woods and was able to not only break Geoff's early dominance, but slowly nudge in to a lead. Too often I bowled one good one and one bad one, but after a 15-11 lead was recovered by Geoff, two very good looking and timely two's put me back in the driving seat at 19-15.
It remains a mystery why I didn't just wait to play the next end where I wanted to.  Instead I played diagonally off the crown and just overran with both bowls. Bread and butter for Geoff, who won two on the next end aswell as I rolled up a bit short and then won the game on a poor looking last end, with my final bowl to save having too much juice despite correcting the land.
I was disappointed to say the least, for myself and also the team as a win would have gained an extra point and secured four winners from eight. That would have been a very decent night at the office here.
As it was, three winners and second place in the table still secure and in our hands with a massive home game against leaders Penwortham next up.

DREAM TEAM NOT QUITE AS IT WOULD SEEM
Someone said to me recently that, "Trevor Bibby could start an argument in an empty room". I had to chuckle at that, but I actually think he could!
During our matches a little spat with Trevor was had and not for the first time since I joined the club.
It was hardly in the same league as David Batty and Lee Bowyer's infamous fracas, but there's probably some stuff between us that needs sorting out if we are to remain in the same team.
As much as an acquisition that his bowling abilities are to this team, I have to admit that I can let Trevor's presence grate on me a little at times.
On a personal front, I get the feeling he thinks I'm not good enough for this team and that, perhaps, he thinks he's too good for what he recently described as a "chip shop league".
From a broader observation, as well as being a grumpy bugger, as I commented similarly some time ago, Trevor's persona around the green can exhume male bravado, puffing out his chest with a fondness of the sound of his own loud voice and bowling cliché. There is a sense that he thinks a bowling green to be a suitable arena in which to secrete excesses of testosterone.

All that bluster for just a game of giant marbles played out on a contoured surface. It's a game of judgement and skill for sure, but I'm not sure where physicality and male hormones come in to it.
Team bowls is essentially a collaboration of individual performance, but critically as in any sport, a good team spirit of respect and camaraderie across the board is essential to maximise the potential of success. Tensions and cliques don't work.
Given that next season this team will potentially be in the top division, Trevor will still be in his comfort zone, whilst I'll be scratching around to get a game even further above my station and so it's a no-brainer who needs to leave the team if we can't play nicely together. Obviously though, I don't want to go.
I don't think our captain Steve would be pleased, but I'm sure he would agree that harmony in the camp is more important than any individuals.
Hopefully it won't come to that and we can get on like grown ups at some point.