Monday 3rd June 2025
CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2:
Black Horse 'A' () 8-2 Eagle & Child 'A' ()v JAMES WALLWORK W 21-11
Same village, different brilliant green and another satisfying win on the road in the Chorley League.
Back to repeat opponent syndrome, James was part of our club's Members League three years ago and I remember being on the rough end of a silky performance by the Black Horse captain who played very well, beating me to thirteen.
Croston was the scene of role reversal again though, after turning the tables on Dave Aindow at Croston Subs a fortnight earlier, I gave James a tough game on his home green that was running beautifully despite showery days of late.
There are no easy marks on this green, yet I still persevered with my round pegging strategy which made things even harder at times, but I was still getting good leads up which can make all the difference in this game. I got maybe six ahead before James had a run and I started getting nervy with my delivery and sent a few short ones. Combined with the fact the sun had dropped early behind a thick blanket of cloud, the green stiffened up a touch and I had a little word with myself about pushing through the bowl properly and managed to get back on track. Breaking back with a good two, I was two down next end but then one of maybe four bowls on the night - when I stole in on a cracking bowl from James - swung momentum my way again.
Good lead bowls and some good seconds too continued to keep the pressure on and a few more of those breaks when James thought he had every right to think he had won the end put me in a good position. Two good bowls to the sloping corner with James coming up short took me to all-but, when I decided to go somewhere different and rolled the jack off. Unbelievably, James then sent it down the opposite gutter too. Back with the jack, changing tact I won it with a length bowl on a tricky straight peg to the middle of the green. Two and a half foot away was good enough on this occasion.
Last year I recall doing half a job here having got in to a good position against very good home bowler Graham Alty and letting it slip. This time around at the Black Horse, there was more confidence and a much better feeling of the green and what could work for me. A more mature performance one might say, which for an emotional hothead in a game of precision and concentration is another small victory towards progress.
A combination of my general improvement of late and playing top tier on a Thursday night is giving me that little bit of breathing space against opponents in the second tier on Monday nights, provided I can play well of course. Four wins from five in this league is a pleasing start and whilst that doesn't guarantee anything, this sort of form should at least see me continue to win a few more than I lose.
Our struggling side took just two points from the fixture, with former Black Horse bowler Matt Hoyles the other winner for us with an impressive victory over Dennis Norris.
PENDLE PENCILLED IN FOR WEEKLY TIME TRIAL
If the day ended with a good win at bowls and some belting butties and chips in the Black Horse pub afterwards, the day started pretty good too with a run up Ashendean Clough on the mass of Pendle Hill.
My running form continues to pursue the gradual decline and whilst tickling along the past month or so with a few short outings a week, there hasn't been a breakthrough to just feeling good enough to do more.
A cold I picked up in late April hasn't completely cleared up and energy levels haven't been great. When doing some harder cardio work on the bike there is something still getting manically coughed up from deep. It's not pleasant.
For all the underlying and unexplained issues that get in the way of doing the miles, I felt quite good on this latest attempt on my beloved fells.
I ran a three miler on a mini-horseshoe route that I used to bash out some mornings before I worked in nearby Clitheroe in the latter half of the twenty-teens. I was in better shape than I probably gave myself credit for back then in my forty-somethings.
Time was down significantly in comparison. Nearly five minutes to the cairn summit, over seven minutes overall to previous averages, but I wasn't busting myself. I just wanted to enjoy it. I can still do it, which is the main thing, so no hardship really.
Incredibly, somehow it's been over five years since I've run up these particular lumps of Lancashire fell despite the mindful yearnings on many occasions.
It works in handy for a while now as assisting my step-daughter driving to work in the same part of the world on a Monday, until she passes her driving test.
A Pendle trot should become a Monday morning routine this Summer and hopefully I can build up a bit of strength and speed that might coincide with improved wellness.
Although competitive racing days do seem to be a thing of the past, which is a tough admission, I know damn well I'm going to he doing that route again the next few week and will be disappointed if I can't start quickening up on it. I can always find a dangling carrot.
My running form continues to pursue the gradual decline and whilst tickling along the past month or so with a few short outings a week, there hasn't been a breakthrough to just feeling good enough to do more.
A cold I picked up in late April hasn't completely cleared up and energy levels haven't been great. When doing some harder cardio work on the bike there is something still getting manically coughed up from deep. It's not pleasant.
For all the underlying and unexplained issues that get in the way of doing the miles, I felt quite good on this latest attempt on my beloved fells.
I ran a three miler on a mini-horseshoe route that I used to bash out some mornings before I worked in nearby Clitheroe in the latter half of the twenty-teens. I was in better shape than I probably gave myself credit for back then in my forty-somethings.
Time was down significantly in comparison. Nearly five minutes to the cairn summit, over seven minutes overall to previous averages, but I wasn't busting myself. I just wanted to enjoy it. I can still do it, which is the main thing, so no hardship really.
Incredibly, somehow it's been over five years since I've run up these particular lumps of Lancashire fell despite the mindful yearnings on many occasions.
It works in handy for a while now as assisting my step-daughter driving to work in the same part of the world on a Monday, until she passes her driving test.
A Pendle trot should become a Monday morning routine this Summer and hopefully I can build up a bit of strength and speed that might coincide with improved wellness.
Although competitive racing days do seem to be a thing of the past, which is a tough admission, I know damn well I'm going to he doing that route again the next few week and will be disappointed if I can't start quickening up on it. I can always find a dangling carrot.
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