A LESSON FROM THE GENTLEMAN

Friday 23rd August 2024

FARINGTON OPEN SINGLES

At Farington Bowling Club (Formerly Farington Cons)
First Round Qualifier
v JOHN HANSON L 12-21

It wasn't actually a cunning preconceived plan, but as it turned out I thought it might work perfectly that a league match on the Farington green preceded the following night for the Farington Open. But, as already once stated somewhere in this mass of diarist dribble, "thought followed a mud cart and thought it was a wedding".
Same green only twenty-four hours later, but nowhere near the same level of performance.
I was drawn a familiar name to me, the grand gentleman of Lancashire crown green bowling that is John Hanson. As a regular entrant to his floodlit competitions at Longridge Cons, he very politely recruited me for the Autumn one as we were shaking hands to play.
I've never seen John bowl and I couldn't see him around the green either which I found strange given we were in the first half of the draw. It turned out John had been delayed and so our game was played an hour later. Whilst he had the misfortune of missing practice, I missed the opportunity to keep momentum from not only the practice rolls, but momentum from what had been a crazy full-on day at work. It did me no favours having to hang around to go on and the yawns set in.
I remember moaning about rushing home from a busy Friday at work here last year and it not being ideal. Perhaps I should take heed of my own written notes from time to time. It didn't work rushing around for a second night in succession, that's for sure. 
I'm not convinced that's a valid excuse as such, for the reality is that I'm the black sheep in the draw at these events. Not yet ready, not yet good enough.
I can raise my game sometimes and but the concentration levels need to be razor sharp and that requires the perfect storm of feeling mentally fresh and generally relaxed.
I played the first couple of ends out well but then became a shadow of the previous evening. John progressed in to a healthy lead, down to his own good woods of course, but a few cheap twos from my point of view where I really ought to have bowled a saver.
I couldn't keep the block for more than an end, my lead bowling was mainly poor and it wasn't so much the score or the result that left me flat after this match - for John is a bowler of much better calibre - but it was the manner of defeat and the way I played. Just very disappointing.
John played very well and a measure of his game on the night was that he then progressed to finals night, qualifying with a close victory over Dave Worthington. That said, there were some opportunities in the game to run my opponent closer but I blew up at a singles competition yet again and came away with tail between the legs. I know I can play much better in this environment, but despite early season promise, I've just not been able to put in a solid game of bowls that I'm satisfied with and one that tests the level of opponents that I face at these sort of contests.