SINGING THE BLUES

Thursday 3rd April 2025

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-1

Eagle Blues (182) 7-5 St George's Institute (169)
v JOHN IDDON W 21-11

Moved up to the first team from Eagle Reds to the Eagle Blues, a nervousness returned quite unexpectedly on my debut in one of the local league top flights.
Aside from wanting to make a good impression in a new team, our home green was running much quicker due to the current dry spell (the first proper one in over eighteen months by my reckoning) and the surface had been mowed a good bit harder.
As such there was just a bit of uncertainty as I set out in my match against the very characteristic delivery of left hander John.
John's quite a friendly chap to play against and to his disadvantage, that helped me settle down after a faultering first few ends.
Even during a sometimes scrappy affair, I was defensively sound again, allowing my opponent to just one double and he had to earn them too with two good ones.
Other than that, mostly I was at least putting one up close enough to score or save and despite a frustration at times of not sending up two to be chuffed with, a win is a win and helped the team edge to a home victory by thirteen chalks.
With the likes of Scott Taylor and Peter Tilley on the St George's teamsheet, John was by no means their toughest draw of the night. In fact I later discover he didn't quite manage a win in this division last year. That said, there are no easy games and it was good to get off to a winning start.