SO GLAD WE MADE IT

Tuesday 26th September 2023

TIM ROBINSON MEMBERS DOUBLES
Semi-Finals
Paired with BARRY WRIGHT
v TERRY GRAYSTON & STEVE MARGINSON W 31-24 (off 6-1)

Terry and Steve mopped up most of their handicap deficit on the very first end with a four on a simple looking mark that Barry and I made a hash of.
Fortunately that was just a blip and not a sign of things to come. Over the next few ends, we also scored a four and then a three to reestablish a good lead but likewise, that wasn't a sign of things to come either.
Tightly contested, but not a particularly enthralling encounter should anybody but our scorer, Paul Walmsley, have been paying close attention. Mostly, the one or two decent woods would win the end with very few memorable game-changing shots, aside from Barry knocking up brilliantly for a single when we were three down. Steve was very unlucky to find gaps on maybe four or five occasions when hitting something looked the far more likely outcome. The phrase 'nip and tuck' would adequately describe proceedings.
I was generally unhappy with my game tonight and got frustrated because I felt I was letting Barry down. Some nights it doesn't flow and tonight I just couldn't hit my lines as well as I would have liked, which normally isn't so much a problem as being consistent with length.
Barry, who warned me he'd played a stinker in an afternoon doubles league, took a while to get going but improved as the game went on and was once again the provider of a top bowl at key moments of the game. I might be a touch hard on myself, for I did contribute good some moments, but was also rather wasteful in advantageous positions when we could have racked up more points.
We kept our noses in front throughout which probably made a psychological difference, for there really wasn't much else in it.

Barry and I had restored a decent cushion of a lead when getting in to the twenties and the business end of things, although flopping over the line with a raggy end to win it, pretty or not we got over that line and personally it was just a feeling of relief to get there. I'm already feeling much more relaxed going in to tomorrow night's final.
I think I got too hung up on the strong desire of wanting to win during this match and occasionally lost the calmness to concentrate properly, which I've otherwise managed to contain in recent times.  

Fortunately Barry keeps a cool head at all times though and maybe opposites attract in bowls doubles? It's served us well so far.

Tomorrow evening we face Henry Hoyles and Colin Procter who booked their final spot with victory over Lenny Wallis and Matt Hoyles (Young Henry's Dad, no less) 

Henry, who I partnered to the semi-finals of the Spring Doubles earlier this year, is not suprisingly the youngest player to make the final at just thirteen and is improving all the time. Wily Colin is a two-time winner of the Tim Robinson trophy. 

A tough task ahead, but it's all on the night in this game.