LOVING IT UNDER THE LONGRIDGE FLOODLIGHTS

Wednesday 17th March 2025

LONGRIDGE SPRING FLOODLIT SINGLES

At Longridge Cons

Coming very close to finals night in this competition last Autumn, the memory of that bowling happy place has since been dimmed by a less than encouraging Winter and even though practice has been going really well since gearing up for the Spring restart, there was a niggling doubt that I could rekindle any sort of form from that evening in October.
Oh me of little faith in myself.
Longridge Cons has become the unlikely venue where some true bowling potential comes to fruition.
Autumn's effort was equalled in that I reached round three again, perhaps eclipsed in that I felt I played even better.
There were a few blips and a few tactical errors to pick out, but generally speaking I bowled tight and finally felt naturally at ease when mixing it in the singles competition environment. 
Something has clicked.

FIRST ROUND QUALIFIER
v SIMON PEARSON (Accrington) W 21-12 (off 3-3)

Simon won the toss but his first bowl was wayward, I got in there straight away and seemed to take control of proceedings from there to win the first ten points and was giving my opponent very little slack. I was bowling with confidence and although at 13-3 my occupation of the block was finally broken, I didn't give Simon much room for a comeback, limiting him to mainly singles and breaking him often enough to maintain that early lead and feeling unusually comfortable enough on the way to round two.

SECOND ROUND QUALIFIER
v JOHN BARNES W 21-15 (off 3-3)

This game started out with little in it but after the early jousting of working each other out, I once again found myself building a healthy lead and was playing even better, which I needed to against John with most ends tightly contested.
My opponent did get himself a good spell with the block and started putting up excellent leads, but the key to holding on to supremacy in the match was limiting him to single pointers and keeping a bit of pressure on rather than feeling it myself.
A couple of breaks during this period was enough to see out the match. I felt I could take my chances when the opportunities came and that's what I did. This was easily a game that would have got away from me in a not too distant past. But things seem to be on the up. Bowls are leaving my hand in a particular way and there is a confidence growing in what I am doing.

THIRD ROUND QUALIFIER 

v JONATHAN LACEY (East Lancs) L 13-21 (off 3-3)
Just before going on for round three, Sam Patterson rather strangely mistakes me for his second round opponent Andy Lund and offers me a consolidatory pint. 

"Oh cheers", I said "But you haven't beat me..." and then my mate Mr Lee who came to watch, chips in with me at the same time... "YET!!". It was funny.

(OK, so you probably had to be there)

I could have been playing Patterson in the next match, but instead I got perhaps the toughest draw left in home bowler Jonathan Lacey, who I came across in doubles last month.
The handicap system is no longer a thing at the Longridge comp with homesters starting equally off three and the only forfeit being that their opponents start with the block.
I think it's fair enough.
Besides, I started well and kept hold of the jack for the first few ends which helped me settle down up against the deft left hand of this county player. 

At 7-7, on Jonathan's round peg mark in to the merciless tricky corner that was running quite fast for the time of year, I'm holding one with a perfectly weighted first bowl, my opponent attacks but misses and I mop up two with a replica second. 9-7 and absolutely in the game, but I blew it next end with my lead a few feet short, running through a couple of feet with my second and Mr Lacey instantly levelling the match putting two well placed winners in between.
It was a key end in the match as Jonathan edged in to the lead but at 11-14 I was still being a nuisance and once again limiting an opponent to mainly singles.
I just couldn't get back in much after that though as Jonathan kept picking up singles and many by some very slight margins. Maybe half a dozen measures proved unfavourable overall, including the last end when I just missed his holding bowl with a bit of umph behind it and instead took out the jack which sailed towards the far corner and stayed in for an unusually long distance measure that required long tapes, but which didn't go my way again.

A couple of two's conceded did do the damage and Jonathan was just too good, which I knew full well before we started, but he had to put very good bowls up to get rid of me and I thoroughly enjoyed the game, every second of it in fact as I did every second of the whole evening.

It's put me in a good place for the start of the league season in a couple of weeks. 
John Hanson's biennial floodlit competitions have become an enjoyable ritual. I love the green and the very friendly set up there. As I have probably gushed before, Gentleman John is a great host, the greenkeepers do an amazing job with the playing surface in impeccable condition and running absolutely beautifully.
I was pleased John & Co. got the weather too. Dry and settled is as good as you can ask for and from all four qualifying nights through to Finals Night on Friday, the elements behaved themselves.