Thursday 28th August 2025
LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-1: St George's Institute (172) 3-10 Eagle Blues (188)
v MICK HADDON L 14-21
St George's Institute was a second new green to deal with in the space of four days. Unfortunately it resulted in signing out of the Leyland League with a defeat too, all be it at the hands of vastly experienced Mick Haddon.
I think I could really enjoy playing here - a proper crown green expanse of peaks, troughs and ridges - but it might take a few more trips to get to grips with it and certainly enough to have any chance against the likes of Mick on his home turf.
We've had some rain at last which slowed things up. Apparently it's been tricky keeping bowls out of the gutter here lately and even after a bit of damp you could see why.
I started encouragingly but my opponent always seemed to pick out an even better one in some tight early exchanges before I had a spell losing my way to lag behind at 3-10. With a bit of luck on a few ends and capitalising on the odd mistake from Mick, despite being on the back foot I stuck the match out a fair while longer than any of the other first four matches and had supressed the early flurry of conceding twos to just singles. There were opportunities to do better. Marks I thought I could play, but repeatedly put too much pace behind or just not enough. I think I was a tactical numpty at times and when a mark was working for me I should have waited for it's availability again and my brave world of playing round peg as much as possible should have been reigned in here. The green showing me it deserved more respect for a first timer.
Fourteen wasn't a bad effort in the end and was proof that I could make a game of it to some extent. At least I'll get another chance to come here next season, although our team's great performance on the night could quite possibly have relegated our opponents who only started the evening with a one point cushion from the drop zone. We tried our best to save New Longton, but they couldn't muster more than a couple of winners as St George's survived. They've some very good players here and you wonder why they struggle. But maybe their own tricky green can also be their enemy at times. Eagle Blues picked up seven winners and the aggregate with no greater performance on our team than that of Steve Wilson who smashed Terry McMullan 21-8. A hell of a win.
Back to me then - which ultimately is what this blog, diary, cathartic exercise, complete waste of time or whatever it could be interpreted as - is about. It's been my best league season overall and I shouldn't let the last two games tarnish that. Two patchy performances to end it felt a bit flat but getting stressed on greens I haven't played before when it's not working out for me is daft really. The odd time it can work out for you, but generally you can't expect to turn someone over in those circumstances and especially in this league. I've just got be a bit more calm and patient, to somehow detract myself from the scoreboard, even my opponent too and just literally blinker myself in to playing the green.
The competitive season isn't entirely over for me yet. There's two singles competitions to come on greens I have adapted to and so hopefully still a chance to close the season out on a higher note.
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