RECENT FORM PREVAILS

Monday 13th May 2024

Chorley & District League Div-2:

Eagle & Child 'A' 163-116 Croston Subs 'B'
v DAVE SHACKLADY W 21-10

A game of two halves, this one. But recent good form prevailed in the end.
Two weeks earlier in our opening Chorley League fixture, Andy Sexton was my scorer as I went twelve down in the opening seven ends. Thoughts that Andy may be a bad luck charm when finding he had my card again could be forgiven after losing the first four ends of this encounter too.
Dave's mesmerising blue tinted transparent bowls were well placed and I might have been too timid the odd time to knock them out. Thankfully, on end five I broke the duck with a reassuringly well placed two. Lining up an even better looking two on the next end, I'd left a very visible target and Dave ran through with weight to knock the jack off and void the end. I knew I could be in for a real game at this point.
Dave's lead bowls did start to lose the accuracy of early on, but his second bowl sometimes did the damage instead. However, I stuck in there and although a bit frustrated at times, was generally playing well enough to keep the opponent in my sights.
Strangely, it was a very poor end from both of us that changed the game. A short and straight looking mark dragged our first woods way to the left of jack line, then Dave finds the land but overcooks it. I'm immediately cross with myself for going down the same road again, but find out when I get there that my lousy second bowl just counted. Still unhappy about it, winning that end nevertheless gave me a first opportunity of the match to go where I've been scoring plenty at home recently.
This proved to be a game changer. Trailing 9-10 at this point, I won the next seven ends to swing a win and although a spot untidy on the penultimate end when forced to a different part of the green, finished the game really strong as I did last Thursday at Victoria.
Shaking my head in irony with the virtual voice of Thursday captain Harry in my head, having sent the jack to the edge of the green at all-but (a cardinal sin in Mr Glynn's book and I bollocked Banksy for it a few weeks ago) I made amends with a ruthless second bowl that almost sat on the block.
Winning seems to be a good habit just now, seven victories out of the last eight and three successive away wins are definitely the best ratios I've put together by a long way.
It was a good night for the team too, with six winners on the board and up to third in the table with a game in hand on the top two. Lots of bowls to play yet but a bright start to the season.