LOYNDY A REAL TOUGH NUT TO CRACK

Friday 24th July 2026

THE EAGLE & CHILD ARTHUR PARKER PRESIDENT'S DAY TROPHY

PRELIMINARY ROUND

v STEVE LOYND W 21-18 (off +2/ -1)

My instant thought when the draw was made was that this could be a tough one and I wasn't wrong. 

Steve was a teammate of mine in my first four years playing for Harry Glynn's Leyland League 'B' team and remember thinking he was the player I wanted to be as good as in that team when I first started.

Whilst I might have moved on a bit since then, I know damn well Steve can be a match for most on his day and on our green, certainly. Wily Mr Loynd knows the Eagle's contours very well indeed and I also knew he'd be up for this game too. 

It didn't take long to draw the handicap in and then get my nose on front, but Loyndy responded and started to get the upper hand. It was taking some very good bowls to snatch back what I could, but quite often what looked like winners all day long were beaten by some truly incredible woods from Steve.

One end in particular summed this match up when I put up a close lead, Steve tapped it out, then I tapped him back out to make two before Steve knocked me out a second time. It was a good game, good quality and tightly contested. 

There was a point at 8-12 when I was starting to feel like I just didn't have the answers, but I kept chipping away and found some to go ahead after levelling up at fifteen across.

It was still anybody's at this point, but I had that little bit of momentum and despite bowing to Loyndy's exceptional two on my favourite mark in front of the pavillion, I managed to keep focus and get them close enough to pull through. 

We both really enjoyed the game and so too did our scorer - Steve's good friend and my one time glorious doubles partner - Barry Wright. 

I have to say that disappointed as I would have been to have lost, I'd have been quite pleased for my opponent who played very well indeed without the reward of a place in the next round.

It's the last 32 next up after a bumper entry in this year's competition. As comp organiser for a second year, a real challenge to play and to concentrate enough to be on my game. But I learned some lessons from that last time and whilst winning the trophy might seem an unlikely eventuality at present, I feel I'm in a position now where there is nobody I can't beat at the club on my day so it's all about just bowling well, keeping my head and see how far that can take me.