THE SPARKLE IS STILL MISSING

Monday 22nd June 2026

Chorley & District League Div-2: Croston Wheatsheaf (142) 6-4 Eagle & Child 'A' (128)

v BOB WOODS W 21-10

Only my third privilege to play on this proper crown green at Croston Subs - the home team now taking on the name of a local pub for much needed sponsorship. 

With greens drying up in this week's heat wave and beating Nigel twice in practice games yesterday - that doesn't happen often -  I anticipated a chance to really click back in to some solid matchplay. 

It wasn't as solid as I would have liked. I felt Bob wasted good opportunities for twos to make it a closer game. But I got off to a decent start and gradually stretched out a good lead. Conceding a poor two from my point of view when all-but left me struggling to find much joy when I finally got over the winning line a couple of ends later. I did play some good ends and I might be very harsh on myself to not take more positives out of what was afterall, a win. 

Vernon scored my game and said "it was a pleasure to mark". He doesn't give compliments away easily so either I played better than I thought or he was preoccupied nattering when I sent dud ones! 

Losing the match on chalks wasn't a good result for the team who have lost the winning habit these last three weeks. Wheatsheaf were second bottom and this was a match we ought to have won. But we remain in third place with the return fixture at ours next week. A must win match to maintain interest in affairs near the top of the table. 

HALF TERM REPORT

Just over half way in the Leyland League and halfway through the Chorley League, with a total of fifteen wins from twenty-one matches of course I would have taken that so far if asked before the season started.

It was an unthinkably good start with nine successive wins and I was playing really well until I started to put a bit of pressure on myself and the mid-term has so far been sticky at times, although having still played pretty well at times despite some painful losses. That early season sparkle is missing though and I just hope I can find it again at some point to avert a potentially great league season turning in to something rather average.

There is a bit of impatience to keep getting better and better when realistically, I know the scope for improvement narrows the further you get. 

As a competitive runner I was just the same, never truly satisfied and sometimes running myself to injury in the quest to get better and better. Injuries are less an issue in crown green bowls of course, but I probably need to relax a bit and consider that where I am at just now is no bad thing. I can hold my own most of the time in one of the local top divisions and for now at least, feel as though I'm still improving.