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.