SUPER SUNDAY
Things weren't getting much better for our Wednesday night doubles team.Defeats to second placed team Expendabowls, in which Kevin Bibby and I didn't play as well as we can against a very good pairing of Tracey Charlesworth and Andy Graham. We did make them work for their 21-16 victory, with many closely fought ends taking the match towards the hour and a half mark, but ultimately our opponents just seemed to have the upper hand and led throughout the match.
I was having much more success on Tracey's club fundraising football card. Winning for the second time in four attempts and two twenty pound notes pocketed in the process, thank you very much. Kind regards to Dunfermline's rivals Falkirk and fellow Scottish club Aberdeen for coming up trumps.
For the sake of some dubiously humourous irony, I revelled in letting everyone know I've more wins on the football card than the green so far. It's nowt at all to boast about though, really.
Squad rotation meant it was my turn to take the sidelines in the next game, but once again a pointless evening left our team firmly rooted to the foot of the table.
I wasn't to miss out for long though as the following Sunday was booked in as a catch-up day with two tough matches on the card against league leaders and perennial champions Westhoughton, followed by newly promoted Real Ale Madrid - a team of Fox Lane homesters who are going well in third spot.
I was eagerly anticipating facing Westhoughton. Despite not being good enough to carry their bowling bags for them, I've made no secret I really enjoy playing top players and that's how it should be.
Partnered with Nigel Tomlinson on the big green, we faced the might of Kevan Shaw and David Higginbotham. No introductions needed if you know your crown green.
Now I definitely believed we could give them a game to some degree if we both played well. Last Winter, Nige and I didn't disgrace ourselves against Kevan and his more regular competition winning partner, Ben Phillips.
But how this match panned out certainly exceeded lofty expectation.
We started well and looked the part. Sending good bowls up, beaten only by brilliant ones. 5-2 up, we still weren't looking out of place at all at 6-7.
Our level didn't dip, but the scores gradually started to run away from us. 8-16 down and when I heard that score, thoughts of, "Bloody hell. What do we have to do against these guys?", came to the fore.
Now I definitely believed we could give them a game to some degree if we both played well. Last Winter, Nige and I didn't disgrace ourselves against Kevan and his more regular competition winning partner, Ben Phillips.
But how this match panned out certainly exceeded lofty expectation.
We started well and looked the part. Sending good bowls up, beaten only by brilliant ones. 5-2 up, we still weren't looking out of place at all at 6-7.
Our level didn't dip, but the scores gradually started to run away from us. 8-16 down and when I heard that score, thoughts of, "Bloody hell. What do we have to do against these guys?", came to the fore.
In terms of how close the game was playing out, the scoreline seemed harsh. But that's testimony to the level of opponents we faced.
Crucially though at this point, we broke their steady progression at a time when the game could just as easily have got away from us.
Double figures were surpassed - we deserved double figures at least - but then lost an end to go 11-17.
Kevan round pegs short down to the bottom edge of the green and his first bowl trickles off, his second is most surprisingly short. I send a perfect first, somehow Nigel rolls up even closer and after surviving Dave's strike attempt, Nigel just has to pass their short ones for a potentially game-changing three and now it's 14-17.
Nige and I were becoming a real pain in the arse for our illustrious opponents and continued to find winners.
Not only did we then fight back to draw level, but had the sheer audacity to push on to the brink of victory at 20-17.
I just needed to send a bloody good lead wood and we had every chance.
I had dared to believe before this game, but when belief actually morphed itself in to reality, I got caught in the moment. It wasn't nervousness, it was more the distraction of the situation... stood there with jack in hand, I was thinking, "Holy shit! This is it. Higginbotham and Shaw at our mercy!"
Crucially though at this point, we broke their steady progression at a time when the game could just as easily have got away from us.
Double figures were surpassed - we deserved double figures at least - but then lost an end to go 11-17.
Kevan round pegs short down to the bottom edge of the green and his first bowl trickles off, his second is most surprisingly short. I send a perfect first, somehow Nigel rolls up even closer and after surviving Dave's strike attempt, Nigel just has to pass their short ones for a potentially game-changing three and now it's 14-17.
Nige and I were becoming a real pain in the arse for our illustrious opponents and continued to find winners.
Not only did we then fight back to draw level, but had the sheer audacity to push on to the brink of victory at 20-17.
I just needed to send a bloody good lead wood and we had every chance.
I had dared to believe before this game, but when belief actually morphed itself in to reality, I got caught in the moment. It wasn't nervousness, it was more the distraction of the situation... stood there with jack in hand, I was thinking, "Holy shit! This is it. Higginbotham and Shaw at our mercy!"
To Nigel, it was just another end. For a guy who spends a lot of time up ladders painting, his proverbial feet meanwhile, are firmly on the floor.
Needing just one to win, in jest I asked Nige if he wanted to swap around, "No, no...", he chuckled, but in hindsight it might not have been a bad idea.
My game went off the boil on those last few ends. Nigel was still getting close enough to save, and was briefly lying game for us until Dave landed a perfectly weighted intervention.
I was asked by one of the Westhoughton entourage why, at all-but, I didn't lead out where I'd come from and already had success, including that key threesome down at the bottom end. Kevan asked me the same thing after the match. Honestly, I don't know! The job must have got to me. Nige laughed later, saying I was spinning on the mat and nobody knew when, or where I was going to fling the jack! It's one of those moments to put down to experience.
After squeezing a couple of singles out to reduce their arrears to 20-19, the Westhoughtonians produced their renowned long corner to corner craftsmanship to win it. I didn't push up hard enough, Nigel sailed through unlucky not to make some contact, but Kevin's class second bowl and Dave's near enough first bowl counted to grab the spoils.
Nigel played superbly well throughout. When Kevan Shaw is saying to his teammates on the sidelines, "You've got to put front touchers up against their fella at the back", it said it all.
Difficult to recall details of the number of cracking shots and key moments in the game, all four of us sent great woods, many that didn't even get to count. It was a really good match and acknowledged as such by these two top players who graciously pointed out they would have no complaints had they lost.
For me personally, certainly the best I've played in a doubles match. Aside from the last few ends, on the occasion my lead bowl didn't make it, my adjustments on the second bowl were stupidly good. I surprised myself at times.
Fond recollections of this cracking match will live long inside my bowling memory bank, but not without a little tarnish on my own behalf for being a numpty by not maintaining the standard and keeping my head together when it mattered. A win would have made it even more memorable.
To quote Brian Potter, Peter Kay's leading character on Phoenix Nights, "Coulda-shoulda-woulda..."
Not many teams take points off Westhoughton and that was a real bonus point opportunity squandered.
Thankfully though, next match up Nigel and I took a win on the back green and with Steve and Andy only going down to our second 20-21 reverse of the day, an extra point for the aggregate assured two for the afternoon and every little helps in a relegation fight.
My game went off the boil on those last few ends. Nigel was still getting close enough to save, and was briefly lying game for us until Dave landed a perfectly weighted intervention.
I was asked by one of the Westhoughton entourage why, at all-but, I didn't lead out where I'd come from and already had success, including that key threesome down at the bottom end. Kevan asked me the same thing after the match. Honestly, I don't know! The job must have got to me. Nige laughed later, saying I was spinning on the mat and nobody knew when, or where I was going to fling the jack! It's one of those moments to put down to experience.
After squeezing a couple of singles out to reduce their arrears to 20-19, the Westhoughtonians produced their renowned long corner to corner craftsmanship to win it. I didn't push up hard enough, Nigel sailed through unlucky not to make some contact, but Kevin's class second bowl and Dave's near enough first bowl counted to grab the spoils.
Nigel played superbly well throughout. When Kevan Shaw is saying to his teammates on the sidelines, "You've got to put front touchers up against their fella at the back", it said it all.
Difficult to recall details of the number of cracking shots and key moments in the game, all four of us sent great woods, many that didn't even get to count. It was a really good match and acknowledged as such by these two top players who graciously pointed out they would have no complaints had they lost.
For me personally, certainly the best I've played in a doubles match. Aside from the last few ends, on the occasion my lead bowl didn't make it, my adjustments on the second bowl were stupidly good. I surprised myself at times.
Fond recollections of this cracking match will live long inside my bowling memory bank, but not without a little tarnish on my own behalf for being a numpty by not maintaining the standard and keeping my head together when it mattered. A win would have made it even more memorable.
To quote Brian Potter, Peter Kay's leading character on Phoenix Nights, "Coulda-shoulda-woulda..."
Not many teams take points off Westhoughton and that was a real bonus point opportunity squandered.
Thankfully though, next match up Nigel and I took a win on the back green and with Steve and Andy only going down to our second 20-21 reverse of the day, an extra point for the aggregate assured two for the afternoon and every little helps in a relegation fight.
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