Chorley & District League Div-2: Eagle & Child 'A' (124) 4-7 Bretherton 'A' (147)
v KATH WATKINSON W 21-20
Kath Watkinson turned up with her 'A' game and this encounter became a massive scrap to get back in to and required some luck along the way to somehow reach twenty one first.
Having played Kath maybe three times in my early seasons and coming out victor, I also know the former county vets player was nowhere near her best back then. Now I wouldn't say I took anything for granted going in to this one, but even my most modest expectations took a jolt and needed a rethink quite early on as Kath was relentlessly accurate and stormed in to a 2-8 lead. The two I squeezed out had to be belters too.
Kath was dangerous all evening, her length rarely wavered, her lead bowls were generally excellent and her adjustments very good when necessary.
On reflection, she will probably be shaking her head at how she didn't manage to win just as much as I am scratching mine at having avoided defeat.
I had picked the green up well earlier on in practice as thick drizzle descended, but as the precipitation continued, green conditions were heavier by the time I went on to play and I didn't instantly settle to it, which I needed to with Kath piling on the pressure from the off. The Bretherton bowler maintained the gap to lead 8-14.
Encouragingly though, for a third match in succession when things weren't going my way I kept my head up, was calm enough to observe that I wasn't actually playing that badly myself and was up for a scrap. Although thinking I might do well to get double figures here, part of me also retained a belief that if I don't go getting myself all excited when I do send a bonk bowl, I've got enough good ones in me to fight back.
I did have a decent spell and sent some well delivered ends that racked up a few twos, but it wasn't easy. Kath was always a threat and nowt was safe until her second bowl stopped.
Now whilst rightly accrediting my opponent's performance, I should cut myself a little slack because it was no mean feat to turn my plight around in this game and get in to a position of leading 19-18, then going all-but.
I shot myself in the foot though at this point and was one very lucky bugger indeed to survive it. What quite possessed me at this point I do not know, but I opted to play very long to the far corner. My jack placement was awful, drifting to the left and only just staying on the green by whatever gravity's version of surface tension is. Embarrassingly, with all eyes on us now as last game on, both my two bowls were narrow and short... why didn't I just carry on as I was and concentrate on a good lead bowl? Fortunately I only conceded the one.
Next end, great lead from Kath, luckily for me a rare blip with her second one, but I send both mine tight on a mark I know very well. 20-20.
Luckily for me again, Kath messed her lead bowl up when it really mattered. Pegging in to a corner I'm normally confident with, I wasn't getting it in the wet and my first bowl is worse than Kath's. Luckily again, whilst her second is better and bang on the road, pulls up short. I'm utterly disappointed with my second too, going tighter and yet still it won't peg as I expect it to but lengthwise it's turns out to be a winner and it feels like robbery. Dick Turpin 21, Kath Watkinson 20.
We had four winners on the night with Harry Derbyshire just as fortuitous as myself to come back and win with a similar score against Joan Bullen, but losing the aggregate was disappointing. This is a good Bretherton side though and there is very little in it between ourselves and a few other teams in this division. Although it feels like that early season promise has dispersed and that maintaining a top half placing is now the most achievable goal, we still cling on to third spot. Interestingly, second placed Hesketh Bank are stuttering too and only six points ahead of us with four matches remaining. An end of season flurry could yet spring a surprise, but next up it's runaway leaders Hoghton away and expectations there ought not to be too ambitious. Another four points there would be a hell of a result.
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