FINE HOME FORM PUTS JOSH UNDER THE COSH

Thursday 21st August 2025

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-1: Eagle Blues (159) 4-9 Lostock Hall Cons (184)

v JOSH IDDON W 21-15

Home game performance levels had to scratch up a bit from Monday and match up to my last Leyland league game against Lonsdale. Lostock Hall Cons were the visitors and on the verge of retaining their league title. A tough match absolutely guaranteed for all of us.

I was drawn against Josh Iddon who I know plenty about having played doubles in the same Winter league. He's in the County team set up and a very good player so enough said on that front. There would have been a little more intrepidation facing him at his place, but I did have the nerve to fancy my chances on home turf and then held that nerve to make another small stride forward in this division.

Nowt in it early on, two good ones were splatted by Josh's ferocious striking and was a reminder not to play marks were this was easy pickings for him. I settled down once I realised I was on my game and matching Josh end for end. Managing to edge forward on the scorecard, my lead bowling was solid and I was only losing out to great bowls and so didn't panic when I lost the jack. 

There was an end where my opponent was five millimetres from a double toucher. Mine were in the pack though and over such a top class end, it was actually a strange pleasure to concede two! But Josh showed the odd sign of being breakable tonight and tried a couple of tricky marks that didn't work out for him which landed me a few more points, based on better second bowl adjustment.

I was in the Balcarres Road corner with the jack and heard our scorers checking in at 17-11. The match couldn't have been going much better for me so what an idiotically great time to send the jack off and put a dint in my own momentum. This is potentially suicidal against players in this league. I knew Josh would be waiting for an opportunity to fight back and I helped him along.

Josh sends straight peg down the side of the green on the dried brown stuff where bowls don't want to stop. It's all about pace and Josh pipped me for a one, went back up the other end for a two and then back again I just managed to save one. Now 17-15, the Jon Metters match haunts me in this position but was a lesson in staying relaxed, focused and just believing you can break back at anytime.

Back along the same greenside again and my opponent runs over a few feet. It's a tricky area to play, where a few miniature mounds can cause unwarranted deviation. I managed to put one a couple of foot short to count and can't believe it as Josh goes a little too wide with his second. A chance for two I'm thinking, let's be greedy. Same bowl would do but I put a touch more on it as tapping my first up would be no bad thing. But my land was perfect, brushing past my first and then on to the jack... fortunate not to knock Josh back in, yet at the same time a cracking bowl and equally unfortunate to cancel out my first one.

Relieved to get out of that hole, I was definitely fortuitous on the next end when my counting lead bowl was easily beatable for this chap, but to my surprise Josh went a touch wide and his big blue 2.12's weren't for pegging on this occasion. There was nothing lucky about the next end though, sending two grand woods in to that Balcarres corner and I'd cracked it.

Josh was disappointed and in his shoes of course you would be, but gracious to comment that I played really well. Do these games of late make me anywhere near as good a player as the Nick Dawson's and Josh Iddon's? Absolutely not. But on my day I can compete with them and that's ten wins to nine defeats in this division now which is probably better than I was expecting.

The opportunity to be playing Division One again next season was officially sealed here as we gave Lostock some close games and took four winners on the night with Lee Kershaw, Aaron Hayhurst and Geoff Bibby adding to the points haul.

Both sides, whether winners or losers individually, had something to smile about in the end. Our opponents had done enough for a successive first division title. Rivals Chorley St Joseph's needed something special at Hoghton to push Lostock Cons to the final week, but experienced a rare, if slender defeat. 

SURVIVAL SORTED WITH A GAME TO SPARE

Monday 18th August 2025

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2: Eagle & Child 'A' (162) 8-2 Mawdesley (124)

v MICKY BROOKS W 21-8

After three bruising defeats that had put me in my place last week, there was a stoic sense of eagerness to quickly get back on track. You need resilience in this game and I think it's growing. I was particularly disappointed more about the manner in which I lost to Matt the previous day. My game faded as my opponent piled on the pressure.

But I was quickly over it and completely focused on this league game. Our team need the points to avoid slipping in to the relegation mire and I just need a win.

I started the match with a good second wood to break Micky's steady first end and put out good lead after good lead to reach maybe eleven or twelve before my opponent got on the card. I could tell Micky wasn't a bad bowler but he just wasn't getting it on our green that night and without the block on there right now it's hard work for anyone. It was pace that was his downfall and despite my own game starting to stutter a bit, I had stretched out to a score of unchartered territory for me at 18-1.

Micky apologised for not even giving me a game. I've been there, I know the feeling. I think there was ever so slightly a little bit of sympathy for the Mawdesley visitor. Twice he had tapped me up for two when I really didn't need any help. I just wasn't ruthless enough to see the job out there and then though. Two sloppy short ones were beaten by Micky who then stretched out a bit, found a length and rallied back to eight. I felt it was only a matter of time before I broke back and sure enough got over the line playing two ends more like I did in the first half.

Micky was ever such a gracious player under the circumstances. Clearly having a bad game by his standards, but with a brave face and an acknowledgement that I also played well too for the most part.

Back to winning ways and a good night all round with six winners, the aggregate and eight points that all but mathematically seals our place in Division Two next season. It's been a tough ride for captain Steve Marginson this season. An already diminished squad was borderline short before Shell Anderton's hip operation, then replacement Steve Loynd was out with a hernia op and Nigel not always available.

But there is hope I think to be more competitive further up the table next year with a full squad and one or two of our stand-in players maybe interested in hanging around for some Monday night action. 

BURNT UP BY MATT ON FIRE

Sunday 17th August 2025

EAGLE & CHILD PRESIDENT'S DAY

Second Round

v MATT HOYLES L 10-21 (off -1 / 0)

Five or six of us probably had a right to fancy our chances more than others at this year's Eagle & Child President's Day. It was wide open. I fancied my own chances to be fair, despite being drawn possibly the tightest looking match on paper in the last sixteen against Matt Hoyles.

I don't think I underestimated Matt by any stretch, but bloody hell he was playing well. He was licking everything. Early on at 8-8 it was a great game, some super ends but even then I was feeling second best. On an end where I led well in to one of my favourite zones, Matt sends inch perfect to beat it. I turn over to tap Matt's out - hell of a bowl to be fair - then he turns over and rolls inch perfect again. That kind of summed things up really.

Matt was on fire and I fizzled out. Three good twos to my opponent started to put him out of reach and the quality of his lead bowling was relentless. There's an argument that by organising the competition I wasn't quite on my game, but I don't think that was the reason really. I didn't play altogether poorly, just not at my best and only the best was going to push Mr Hoyles any further this afternoon.

Matt pushed on to the final from there. Even having to take out his fourteen year old son Henry in the semi-final and young Henry was playing very well too. But after two more matches of bang-on bowling, Matt's consistency just wobbled a little bit in the final against John Waddecar. 

John was the competition dark horse on the day and had already got through three tough ties before pipping Matt in an excellent final. His +3 handicap saw him well and that's what this competition is about really.

Club greenkeeper John hadn't even entered the competition and only played a qualifier on the basis of me asking him with a begging puppy face at the last minute (by virtue of his chance presence at that time, he filled in for a late withdrawal)

With borrowed woods from the clubhouse, sprightly octogenarian John made light work of a difficult looking qualifier and then continued to squeeze through some great matches on Finals Day with those same borrowed woods that remained unbeaten. 

In my part as competition organiser, it was a pleasure to have been a very small part in what was an incredible victory for the underdog. John played stoically and maintained the standard, you really couldn't deny him being crowned champion having got past Matt who had looked every bit the winner all afternoon.

TIME TO GIVE UP THE GHOST AT FARINGTON OPEN

Friday 15th August 2025

FARINGTON OPEN SINGLES

First Qualifying Round

v TERRY McMULLAN (Chorley) L 10-21

It's time to knock this annual sacrilege on the head I reckon. I don't know what it is about Farington Cons or Farington Bowling Club as it's been renamed. It's a brilliant green kept in superb condition and yet I just can't seem to play my bowls on there with any sort of consistency.

I played half a game here against one of Chorley's finest and despite Terry playing very well and keeping the upper hand, I was contesting most ends and felt I was still in the game until 8-11. Then I roll two short clangers which seemed to set a presidence for losing my way. From then on if I got the length, the land was a bit out and vice versa. Meanwhile Terry wasn't letting up and the game slipped away in to a straight forward route to the second round for my opponent.

Disappointed to say the least. I can play better, I have been playing much better but seemed to do no better than I have done in the past here in terms of at least pushing someone to really work for their win.

I'll have another go in a more distant future perhaps, but next year spare myself the Friday night rush around and twenty quid hit for what has turned out to be a ritual hammering.

BAKER ROLLS THEM OUT PERFECTLY

Monday 11th August 2025

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2: Fox Lane 'A' (145) 8-2 Eagle & Child 'A' (114)v MARTIN BAKER L 9-21

Precisely the opposite to what happened at the start of my game with Nick Dawson happened here at Fox Lane and set the tone for the rest of the match.

I landed two good bowls on a round peg, one in front, one behind. But Martin came in higher, had to be inch perfect and was.

Mr Baker is one of their strongest players and particularly at home. There was a period when I wasn't far off the mark but Martin was picking up the singles and eventually I was ground down in to making mistakes. That said, my opponent got stronger as the match went on and finished me off stretching out to the vast corners here. It's a hell of a chuck. Not quite as stiff as last Thursday. The mower had been out but rather like taking a tea bag out before it's brewed, only a couple of millimetres had been bladed.

Of course, it's their prerogative and as I said last week it's in great condition compared to many parched surfaces around, but more akin to bowling on an impeccable garden lawn than a typical bowling green during this very dry Summer of ours.

Martin finished me off with a corner to corner toucher. What can you do about that? And then a tight measure the other way just as I'd managed to finally get near his long ones. Their man nearby, Gary Davies, fancied mine but when we got up there it was Martin's by a whisker. There were no hard feelings to Gary. It made no difference to my second bowl and in some ways put me out of my misery against an opponent on good form who was just too good for me.

It wasn't a great night in the local derby for us as a team either with just Steve Marginson and Harry Derbyshire earning our two points.

Of particular annoyance to me in this game though was going too narrow on several occasions on the same bleeding mark. There was a war cry and a wood clunked in to the ditch. "Taxi for Sutton" blurted out again. This time Roger Iddon was my suitably situated receptacle of utter fucking frustration. "Four and five fives Roger. Can you call them please? I shouldn't be here." Roger looks a bit unsure, he doesn't know whether to laugh with me, at me or maybe to actually get his phone out and ring the taxi firm!

I have to say sometimes on reflection it's quite funny really when I lose it. The old footballer within will never leave me unfortunately. Folk around the green probably think I should be attending anger management sessions at Hoole Village Hall on a Thursday night with Denise at 7:30pm (apparently she's a whizz) But honestly, if you are competitive, feel you can and should be doing better and then make the same bloody repetitive error it's a recipe for a little bit of a reaction isn't it? Pardon me for being human with humanoid traits.

Fox Laner Tracy Charlesworth, who I have grown to admire very much as a bowler and as a lovely lass, caught me in the car park afterwards and told me her strategies for keeping her cool and how losing it only gives your opponent a boost. "For goodness sake John, I even saw you talking to a bush once", she added. It made me laugh - at myself - and at least I can do that. Things would never get that serious that I can't.

Tracy was so right, but I don't think I can ever stamp out my reactive nature entirely. I think I've got better at keeping it under wraps, but in certain bowling situations I can drive myself nuts. I bet there's one or two poker faced bowlers who make themselves balder and more wrinkly on the green by keeping a lid on it - yet might go watching North End or Rovers at the weekend and absolutely lose their shit at a refereeing decision. Everyone has a fuse and everyone has something irrational to make it trip.

CRACKING GAME AND A CRACKING NIGHT FOR US BLUES

Friday 8th August 2025

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-1: Eagle Blue (193) 9-3 Lonsdale 'A' (187);

v NICK DAWSON W 21-19

Three days of successive bowling matches finished with this brilliant match against a player one might have expected to beat me with some comfort - and an unexpectedly emphatic team win that was absolutely pivotal in staking our claim for another season in Leyland & District League's upper sanctum.

The match had been rearranged six days early due to the funeral of Arthur Parker next week. Maybe Arthur was watching on and giving us the nod. All games were close but we chalked up seven winners and the aggregate against a Lonsdale side that had beaten league leaders Lostock Cons only twenty-four hours earlier. So this was quite a result.

I've seen Nick play some competitions and actually played doubles against him a few years ago when my equally green partner Lee Dalton and I were outclassed at Ashton. Although not yet the finished article, on my day I can wrestle with these guys today and this was certainly one of those days. 

I wasn't sure I could play much better than I did here on the Eagle two nights earlier, but I surprised myself. The match started with Nick tapping up against the jack and replying with a perfectly executed round pegger that somehow sat sandwiched between them. It set the tone of the game and certainly settled me down straight away.

It was a high quality game and an absolute pleasure to contribute to. There were a few stray ends of course from both of us at times, but our green was freshly cut and running really quick so the slightest mistakes were accentuated.

I seemed to just have the edge though. I kept my nose in front out of lots of closely contested ends and there was one end that will remind me of this game when sending a lead bowl over the middle of the green less than eighteen inches behind the jack that was very near the edge. Nick beat it by six inches brilliantly, but I then gave my second a bit more and I liked it so trotted after it, chuckling to those I approached at greenside, "Why am I running after it like a dickhead?!" It trickled past Nick's by half a bowl's length to count, so the trot was justified. Nick couldn't get in now and had to strike, doing so brilliantly over a tricky area of land and whilst cracking my nearest off, also took his own out and miraculously left the jack untouched leaving my first one to count.

A little later after a couple of twos I wished I could have taken a photograph of, it's 20-17 but Nick would not lie down and won the next two ends with great woods when he really needed them.

At 20-19 I'm still relaxed though and just enjoying it. Nick sent two reasonable ones over distance on a mark that wasn't easy and was holding game I think. My first just ran through so my second is a big one. I had to reach and yet take a bit out and it certainly looked like a saver, but fortuitously clipped the inside of one of Nick's bowls and his despondent body language told me I'd sneaked it.

A few teammates were purring over the game. Lee Kershaw said it wouldn't have looked out of place for a Waterloo final. I'm not sure about that, but it was nice of Lee to compliment us. Geoff Bibby had my card and gave me a side-hug and pat on the shoulder saying, "what a game". Geoff doesn't dish side-hugs out willy-nilly so I knew I'd put up a good show. Certainly one of my best.

JUST ABOUT CHUCKED HARD ENOUGH

Thursday 7th August 2025

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-1: Fox Lane 'A' (179) 8-4 Eagle Blues (162)

v TIM PILKINGTON W 21-17

Fox Lane's big green does my head in. Bowlers all have a few favourites and a few they don't enjoy. The word enjoy contains the word "joy" for a reason. Yes I won and in my first singles match here, but there was little joy in it. Why on earth I've signed up for Winter Doubles here again I do not know!

Notoriously a stiff green at any time of the year, trying not to sound rude but it needed a cut before tonight's match and my teammates would agree unanimously. The green runs smooth and is in excellent condition, but what the hell happened to the mower? One strip down the far side was clipped and then the mower put away it would seem. Bizarre really. I believe they are struggling for a greenkeeper and all, but bloody hell! A Lawn of the Year contender perhaps, but these thick lush green blades were not condusive to artful bowling. It was a proper chuck.

My game against Tim was closely fought out. We both played some good stuff, we both played some bad stuff. The difference was split at 17-17 when I sent two very good ends to see the game out. The penultimate end I was maybe lucky not to leave Tim on after lightly tapping the block through with my second bowl on a slope - if the mower had been allowed out, maybe a different story.

Then I whizz the jack round peg on a short uphill mark convinced it was going to go down the ditch, but it stopped dead a good yard from the abyss. I thought I'd sent my first bowl too hard as well but that reared up quick too and was a good lead. So same again and it was enough, Tim too short with both bowls.

A sense of relief rather than jubilation. That was reserved for watching our last two players, Geoff Bibby and Jack Dickinson, etch out victories to make what was looking a bad night in our local derby not so bad afterall with four winners. Jack from 1-10 down and then all-but against versus Peter Dalton for quite a few ends before serving up the perfectly timed comeback using the full expanse of this green's mega-chuck corners.

PASSED THE TESTS FOR ANOTHER PRESIDENT'S DAY

Wednesday 6th August 2025

EAGLE & CHILD PRESIDENT'S DAY

PRELIMINARY ROUND

v TERRY GRAYSTON W 21-8 (off -1 / +3)

This year's club President's Day is a bit different for me in that I stepped in to give Steve Wilson a break from organising club competitions and volunteer my services. There was a point when I wasn't going to enter this year, but put my name forward late on to make up an even number of entries.

It does feel a bit uncomfortable playing in a competition that I'm actually running. I suppose the main issue is that I want to try and win it as well. I've been assured by some other members it's fine and not to worry about it.

Having started to find form again I felt confident of getting past Terry. I wouldn't say it was an easy match but I played very well and made it difficult for him. I felt for Tez at times when he was often on the right road but just short. He was a few short bowls from making it more of a contest, whilst I enjoyed a long spell in charge of the jack which put him on the back foot from the off.

There is no pleasure in beating any of your club mates hard and Tez is still one of my favourites too. But it's a competition and you have to get on with it.

QUALIFYING ROUND

v NIGEL TOMLINSON W 21-3 (off -1 / -6)

Next up Nigel. The reigning President's Day champion who brutally thrashed me 7-21 in last year's semi-finals. There's nowt much we don't know about each other's game. Fairly regular practice partners on Sundays too.

Nigel carried the burden of the champion's handicap which gave me a start of five. Obviously if I got a good start then it was going to put the squeeze on him and I did. I carried on where I left off from the game against Terry and then some, putting up a seemingly continuous run of great lead bowls.

I was playing with a feeling of freedom really. Half of me wasn't arsed if I won because of my ties to the organisation side of the competition, so I was in Sunday afternoon practice mode and this seemed to work for me. There was a point where I realised I was far enough ahead and simply playing too well to succumb to any sort of comeback from Nige. It was a sweet place to be in. 21-3 was an unfair reflection for the champion with his handicap burden, but the real score of 22-9 on the night was still a great effort on my part. Nige is never a pushover. 

Of course, crown green bowls will kick me right in the knackers again soon, but I'm feeling good about it just now and particularly at the Eagle. Our sometimes fraught relationship seems to have settled down. I've never felt quite so comfortable on our green as I did this evening and that may be testimony to John Waddecar's greenkeeping skills for sure... but also, despite blipping a few weeks ago, I've come back nudging small strides of further improvement. 

BEST CHANCE YET 

We aren't playing for the proverbial town clock on President's Day next Sunday, but a contest is a contest and no contest is not worth trying to win in my view. Besides, this is the pinnacle of our club competitions and whilst outside the bubble of our thriving little club nobody gives a hoot what happens this Sunday, inside it's a grand get-together for all members at the Eagle and an eclectic mix of sixteen bowlers going head to head for the eternal glory of their name on the winners board in the pavillion. 

This year is without doubt my best chance so far. I'm bowling well enough and there's nobody on Finals Day I'm particularly fearful to avoid. That said, if I don't play well enough I'm there for the taking. It's all on the day and it will be interesting to see how I get on, especially with my extra curricular responsibilities.

In my four previous years, finalist at the first attempt in 2021 - I got some luck of the draw to be fair - quarter-finals in 2022, a last sixteen exit to eventual winner Matt Brown in 2023 and beaten semi-finalist to 2024 winner Nigel Tomlinson. I've lost out at every stage except the qualifiers (which I've got through) so this year there's only one different eventuality left! 

We shall see 🤞

BATTLED BACK TO MAKE A REASONABLE ACCOUNT

Friday 1st August 2025

BROWNEDGE CLASSIC FIRST ROUND QUALIFIER

At Bamber Bridge Catholic Club

v MICK PRESCOTT (Chorley) L 20-31

Memory storage of my two games in the bag at Brownedge before this one were hardly of any use really. Unlike those evenings when the green was stiff and a bit bobbly, for the start of the Brownedge Classic it had been rolled, cut hard, so bowls pegged like bloody hell in places and just wouldn't stop on some of the bare patches.

Inspired by watching some of last year's Finals Day I thought I would throw myself in the fire this year and have a go. One of just eight players on the night I felt my name stood out like a sore thumb. Perhaps only one of this qualifying pool had the potential to go all the way, but otherwise still seasoned top division and regular competition bowlers as one would expect.

I'm not quite as green as I once was in this sort of environment though and despite the disappointment of a weary start and threat of humiliation, I stuck at it and salvaged some respectability. I've never played 31-up before but I was grateful of it! It gave me chance to settle down and make a reasonable account of myself, which ultimately was the bottom line of my ambitions.

Chorley St Joseph's bowler Mick Prescott has been around for many decades and unfortunately I can't write a justifiable profile on him as I've no idea what he has won and done, but what I do know is that he is still a damn good player.

Initially I struggled and particularly on some corner to corner marks as my bowls embarrassingly got wrong side along a ridge and were so off they threatened to intervene in to other games. Mick was pretty solid and if one wood failed the other certainly didn't. I drifted off in to a 5-16 deficit after leaving Mick an easy two. "Taxi for Sutton", I said to myself. Matt and Henry Hoyles were familiar faces watching and I suggested to Matt as I walked by disconsolate, "Call four and five fives for me will you?" (Classic Leyland Taxis number 455555!) I don't think Matt clicked on to where my head was at, but then who does most of the time? 😆

I just needed to vent a bit of frustration and suddenly the taxi was on hold. I found a bit of fight and started playing much better, competing closer for most ends and finding a few marks on the green that I understood, making a credible comeback to 19-24.

Sadly I wasted the chance of getting closer, overshooting by a couple of feet on the slope towards the middle doorway to the clubhouse. I did it a few times during the match down there and Mick punished me for it. By the time I scratched twenty, Mick had already approached the finish line and the Prescott pressure intensified. It wasn't for the want of decent woods, I was on a few times but got tapped out by some great bowling from my opponent.

The lasses in the scoring shelter, Mary and Gillian, were lovely and most complimentary saying I played well but left it a bit too late. I'll take that as a fair match summary, but just now an experienced bowler like this on a green I've still to get to grips with is too much.

RUNNING HIT THE BUFFERS WITH LATEST NIGGLE

Brownedge Friday also marked my first jog out after two weeks nursing a calf strain. I got a bit happy whilst on holiday in Somerset running a fourth consecutive day and bombing down a keen descent from some woodlands when it popped on me.

Really annoying. I had been going well for a few months. The Monday morning Pendle runs had helped me get stronger, I was doing some good sessions on the bike and it's often when you are feeling good that something stops you in your tracks.

Since then, on another camping break away, I was guilty of the same mistake. I'd taken it easy on a gradual uphill meander through Gisburn Forest and then let myself go too much on some downhill rough stuff. Not quite back to square one, but a reminder that I need to keep a lid on my enthusiasm and keep doing the boring steady plods and suitable stretching exercises until I really know my calf is right again. I've been characteristically slack on the stretching and strength exercises and maybe something had to give.

I MADE MY OWN LUCK THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Thursday 31st July 2025

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-1: Eagle Blue (176) 8-4 (174) New Longton 'A'

v STEVE GARSWOOD W 21-15

Steve started the game well and whilst I wasn't far off the mark, I slowly dipped to a 4-9 deficit. When I put good ones up, Steve was continuingly playing through on the opposite peg and to good effect. I kept my cool though, concentrating on keeping the pressure up and that eventually he might not get so lucky so often.

Funny how the opposition's most vocal viewpoint begged to differ. Steve knocking woods up to get a score was genius, but when it didn't produce a positive outcome, it was incredibly bad fortune and as if I had a clutch of lucky heather stuffed down my kecks.

I've put good bowls up in the first place for Steve to feel the need to have a go at them. By my own admission I did get lucky a few times, but I created that luck. I think I generally led really well throughout the game and deserved to get over the line. At 15-15 I sent some real belters that defined the direction of the match and although behind in those early stages, I never really felt on the back foot.

Steve came here and played a good game so if I hadn't been on the way to better form and able to hit a purple patch towards the end, it's one that would have slipped away from me.

It was another tight match against the New Longtonians with six winners and an aggregate by just two chalks - this time no controversial scorecard discrepancies thankfully and the result settled on the night.

Good to see our Vernon back on form with another win. A ten point gap and three places remain between ourselves and tonight's opposition who still occupy the second from bottom relegation spot. Four matches left, as I have mentioned before I am desperate for us to stay up. Aaron is an excellent young captain and leads from the front, team morale is very good and our league position has been quite consistent for some time so it would take a clatochistic course of events to slump so bad.

Right until the last few seconds of the evening though, as the door was about to be locked, New Longton captain and an honourable chap I often chat to about bowls, Brian Rigby, did raise my eyebrows when reiterating that I "Really rode my luck tonight" as we left. Brian actually scored my match with Steve, but without trying to be rude, must have been watching another one!

There are three 'L's' in crown green I am told... Land, Length and Luck. If you can nail the land and length, more often than not you will get the luck. In my defence, case in point this evening, cheeky Mr Rigby 😉

LUNAR PHASES INFLUENCING FICKLE FORM?

Monday 28th July 2025

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2: Westhoughton 'A' (146) 7-3 Eagle & Child 'A' (145)

v MARK OWENS W 21-19

When form has been sketchy, you turn up at a tricky green you've never seen before, practice goes bloody awful... and then you end up beating probably the toughest draw on the card. This game never ceases to surprise.

Mark Owens is having a very good season in all. Few defeats and hadn't lost a home game in the Chorley league, recently beating a very respectable Bretherton player 21-0.

Despite some intrepidation with all things considered, I recalled a previous encounter with Mark a few years ago at Sabden Autumn Singles. I managed to beat him then, so why not at least be able to give him a game now?

The match started with a good two but succumbed to some good woods from Mark who looked like a bowler used to getting in to his stride here. He led 6-2 but I was doing alright getting second counters in and realised I was playing to a better standard again. I broke my opponent's run with the block and put up good leads to go 7-7. Pre-match practice woes now forgotten, I was getting a good feeling for the green and looking forward to the possibility of a good game ahead. From here I pushed out a small lead which I managed to keep until the closing stages. Something had changed, there was a confidence in what I was doing again and I felt I just had the edge on the night.

At 19-15 and holding one from a close cluster, Mark plays through with an amazing bowl that somehow landed him a two. He then takes me on a mark he shredded me with earlier on but I'd worked it out and sent a perfect second bowl to cancel out his very good lead.

Needing just the one I decide to try a mark we hadn't visited but fluffed it. Too far and wide and then not far enough and tight - an easy two for for the home bowler who now has the jack at 19-20. Mark tries something new too, lengthways just over the middle of Westhoughton's sizeable crown. It's tricky and it's the same result in reverse. His first one shoots through, his second doesn't make it and two bowls hardly of world beating standard are of good enough length to get the win.

We had three winners in all for the team on the night, I scored Matt Hoyles' match against Bryan Booth earlier in the evening. Matt played very well and deserved to win as convincingly as he did, but Bryan was not in the sort of form he showed during one of my most enjoyable home defeats (did I just say that?) when Westhoughton visited the Eagle. Vernon Robinson was our other winner. Despite the 3-7 score it could have been so different. Harry Derbyshire and Steve Marginson both lost by one chalk and we lost the aggregate by a single chalk too. That's a four point swing. We can all blame ourselves for a stray bowl or two that contributed to the fine aggregate loss, but my gamble on the penultimate end still wrankles with me despite being chuffed with my result.  

As I set off for home, before turning to head north, the first crescent of a new moon was an impressive sight in the high southern sky and wondered if there could be some lunar influence to my bowls form? I'll be keeping a check on that. The last full moon would have coincided with performances that made we want to howl.