ALL WRIGHT ON THE NIGHT
Monday 18th September 2023TIM ROBINSON MEMBERS DOUBLES
First Round
Paired with BARRY WRIGHT
v ANDY VURLEY & PAUL WALMSLEY W 31-22 (Off 6-6)
This was the first year I was available to make all the dates for this annual club competition and was quite happy to get drawn together with Thursday night teammate Barry Wright.
Barry and his wife Linda were my first points of contact when joining the club. They made me feel welcome, despite my unorthodox membership credentials of not knowing anybody inside the club, only the then ex-member Jimmy Sloan (who illicitly gained us entry for a practice match with a borrowed key) and that my wife was involved in undercover negotiations to acquire a year's membership as a birthday present! It was complicated, but we got there.
This was the first year I was available to make all the dates for this annual club competition and was quite happy to get drawn together with Thursday night teammate Barry Wright.
Barry and his wife Linda were my first points of contact when joining the club. They made me feel welcome, despite my unorthodox membership credentials of not knowing anybody inside the club, only the then ex-member Jimmy Sloan (who illicitly gained us entry for a practice match with a borrowed key) and that my wife was involved in undercover negotiations to acquire a year's membership as a birthday present! It was complicated, but we got there.
It was a squally night of Autumnal showers in our rearranged first round tie against the pairing of Andy Vurley and Paul Walmsley.
Barry wants to lead out and whilst I had it in my mind that I wanted to lead, I didn't make a discussion about it because most importantly, Barry felt comfortable with that.
It wasn't a bad move at all. He led really well all evening and generally kept the pressure on our opponents who never managed to nudge into the lead at any point.
Four off the first end was a great start and we went on to make a decent gap on the scorecard before Andy and Paul started to press their way back in to the match.
At 19-19, crucially we took two on the next end and then with Barry back in possession of the jack, got ourselves back in control with a three to edge nearer to the finish line.
It was around this point of the match that Andy sends a second bowl that fails to impact on our holding twosome and informs me that, "I've won this competition twice anyway, so it doesn't matter". A mixed message there, from which I could only sense an element of resignation from the experienced Mr Vurley. A win was looking very likely now.
Barry continued to lead well and we saw the game out with a victory by nine chalks, both pairs having started off six.
Barry played really well and whilst I wasn't particularly on fire, I didn't need to be. It was important not to risk spoiling my partner's good work most of the time.
"I don't know where that came from", Mr Wright modestly mused over his perfomance afterwards. More of the same in the next round hopefully, although for any chance of further progression, I'm going to have to raise my game from the back in our quarter-final match against probably the strongest pairing in the competition of Jack Dickinson and Steve Wilson.
Barry wants to lead out and whilst I had it in my mind that I wanted to lead, I didn't make a discussion about it because most importantly, Barry felt comfortable with that.
It wasn't a bad move at all. He led really well all evening and generally kept the pressure on our opponents who never managed to nudge into the lead at any point.
Four off the first end was a great start and we went on to make a decent gap on the scorecard before Andy and Paul started to press their way back in to the match.
At 19-19, crucially we took two on the next end and then with Barry back in possession of the jack, got ourselves back in control with a three to edge nearer to the finish line.
It was around this point of the match that Andy sends a second bowl that fails to impact on our holding twosome and informs me that, "I've won this competition twice anyway, so it doesn't matter". A mixed message there, from which I could only sense an element of resignation from the experienced Mr Vurley. A win was looking very likely now.
Barry continued to lead well and we saw the game out with a victory by nine chalks, both pairs having started off six.
Barry played really well and whilst I wasn't particularly on fire, I didn't need to be. It was important not to risk spoiling my partner's good work most of the time.
"I don't know where that came from", Mr Wright modestly mused over his perfomance afterwards. More of the same in the next round hopefully, although for any chance of further progression, I'm going to have to raise my game from the back in our quarter-final match against probably the strongest pairing in the competition of Jack Dickinson and Steve Wilson.
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