BACK TO WINNING WAYS

Wednesday 29th May 2024

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2: Eagle & Child 'A' 137-129 Hoghton

v GARETH WHITTLE W 21-10

A Wednesday nighter instead of Monday this week in the Chorley league. Our troublesome Eagle green was treated to a verti-cut and deep seeding at the weekend, with a longer term view to restoring it back to it's best.
I hadn't played at all since last Thursday and this rearranged game was a timely break from it to be honest. I'd had four tough and tightly fought games in eight days, all four were defeats despite mainly playing well so it was a mental break to come back keen, fresh and determined to push that bit harder for a win.
I expected a very tough game from Gareth, whose name sits in my memory bank somewhere as a very decent player. But the Hoghton man wasn't consistently getting to grips with the sluggish pace of our green and left me opportunities at key moments of the game.
The first end was a horror show though, as I sent my first one three yards over, my second one almost just as short, and two poor woods from Gareth scattered in between them were good enough to win. "Bad end", said my opponent. Actually, it was bloody awful.
The game started properly next end though, Gareth sends a very good lead towards our clubhouse but I pipped it with my first bowl. It was looking like a close encounter on the cards as the next few ends were tight and it was the visiting bowler who pushed ahead at 3-5.
I settled down though and started sending some good leads, backing them up with a decent second on occasion and, just picking away, doing what I was doing, was gobsmacked to hear I'd turned the game on it's head at 14-5.
More of the same and a good two in front of the visitors end sat me on the brink at 20-8. I should have played straight peg, kept it as simple as possible, but the devil in me played round peg on a mark I enjoy - but cocked up on this occasion - with Gareth rolling two close ones to keep himself in it. Having got to twenty first during my last two games and lost, there was a threat of getting hot under the collar if I couldn't break again quickly. Two down on the next end after my first bowl ran through by a yard, a bit of pressure on now but I took my time and found a perfect adjustment to feel the relief of that winning feeling again.
Gareth was a very gracious opponent with a bit of class amout him. He's played the game many more years than I have and whilst unhappy with the way he played, recognised that wasn't entirely the reason this game got away from him. 

On the team front, four winners each but won by eight chalks. Home wins are important for us, however close.