FINALLY GOT THE BETTER OF GRAHAM

MONDAY 21ST JULY 2025

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2: EAGLE & CHILD 'A' (151) 8-2 BLACK HORSE 'A' (125)

v GRAHAM ALTY 21-14

There's no doubt my ambitious yearnings can often outweigh my average ability. I've been out of the game for a week but expect to come back on fire from the off. It's not realistic. I am just John Sutton.

Graham gets two on the first end but I came back to 5-2, only to sloppily concede and it didn't take long to start getting cross with myself. Oh for a week off and returning mentally refreshed... I wasn't bowling well and went 8-12 down with woods then ceremoniously clunked in to the ditch. Sometimes though, as I have found on many occasions, that tension release can trigger a positive response and that was the case tonight.

Next time I got hold of the jack I decided to stretch Graham out a bit, who had been leading well on the short stuff and this seemed to work. I started racking the points up, one or two cheap ones perhaps but I came back and nudged ahead to then build up the confidence to mix it up a bit, play some of my favourite marks well and get on the front foot.

This was the third year in succession being drawn against Graham when up against the Black Horse. Two years ago he was better than me here. Last season I did the hard work but couldn't finish him off at his place. It was good to turn the tables this time around. It did feel like I was on the road to losing to him again at one point, but I was a completely different player in the latter half of the game.

With six winners and the aggregate ticked off, a very good night for our team and a third win in four matches gives us a little breathing space. A tough match at Westhoughton is next up and we are a few decent results from safety yet, but there would be no harm in looking up rather than down.