END OF TERM REPORT 2023

This third season of crown green has been the real learning curve on many levels. I think the way I play and approach the game now has been thoroughly enriched for the better by this Summer's highs and lows.
Some tough games for my club teams in the leagues and some harsh lessons dealt, but also some flashes of what I can do when arse and head are in gear together.
More games could have been won than allowed to slip away and that's something to put right next year. More difficult to beat though than previous seasons, I would say.
One of the most challenging aspects of this term was a mid-season confidence crisis. The frustrations of such, culminating in to one big petulant breakdown after a poorly contested and second consecutive home defeat in late June.
"You've gotta go there to come back", wrote the Stereophonics back in 2003 and in life, in bowls, there is a profound truth in that line. 

Since getting my knickers in a twist back then, rebooting with a clean slate has reinvented my bowling anima in a way and slowly helped piece my game back together.
There's still been some setbacks and rough defeats, but I've taken losses with much more grace and analysed them in a frame of mind based more on matter of fact. Since recognising that it's poor performance rather than negative results that encourages my demons to come to the fore, I've concentrated on just trying to play the next end better. It's actually all you can do in this game!
In the leagues, many ups and downs but overall, just about recording more wins than defeats. Monday night in the Chorley League wasn't easy getting in to the side and I felt a pressure when I did, given our team were seeking a second successive promotion. In the Leyland League on Thursday's, some experience of being last on the card, often getting the toughest draws. Although enjoying being relinquished of that pressure for the final four games, I'd happily give it another go next term if captain Harry feels it's suitable. I think I'll be able to handle it better next time around. 

Singles competitions didn't go so well and I capitulated at the local ones. Two decent efforts against top quality players at Fleetwood Waterloo though, and last week's showing at Longridge left things on a positive note.

A singles competition rethink for next season will be only entering ones that don't break a tenner, with the exception of the Waterloo. I'll continue to support the New Waterloo at Fleetwood. It may seem a bit of a journey and poor value for money if you go out first round, playing off five for fifteen quid. But it's the historic FA Cup of crown green and the surface of the Euston Green venue is improving all the time. I enjoy playing it.
But then of my four Waterloo appearances so far, three of my first round opponents have included Lee Johnstone, Greg Smith and Dan Petcher. Those in the know would agree that's not exactly much luck of the draw. But you pay for the experience and it's all more time spent on that green and hopefully next year a kinder first round draw, with a fair chance of round two.
The match against Greg Smith was surreal and it felt so at the time. I think I'd caught him a little bit rusty early season which is why he took longer than he should have done to despatch me. Although I didn't play badly at all.
As the season progressed I think it's fair to say Greg has been crown green bowling's most outstanding player, winning a long list of big competitions and ultimately lifting the Champion of Champions trophy with some authority. One of the best of all time for sure and the opportunity to play against him remains the absolute stand-out memory of the season.
In doubles meanwhile, a growing understanding and unexpected fondness of the pairs game. In competitions, more tough draws and valuable experience against highest quality Yorkshire players, Chris Mordue and Gary Wike, also top Lancashire pairing and Waterloo Doubles winners, Mike Opie and Steve Anderton. Not forgetting Kevan Shaw and Ben Phillips in Fox Lane Winter Doubles very early on in the year... I've shared a mat with some fantastic players of the game during 2023. 
In club doubles, two competitions won in succession with Vernon Robinson on the Jolly Members Day and then Barry Wright to lift the Tim Robinson Trophy.
For all the good, bad and ugly about this season, my state of mind for the game feels like it has evolved and the latter half of the Summer has felt much more positive. Proof will most definitely be in the pudding of 2024, but I feel better equipped already for next year's bowling challenges. 

Now there's more time to concentrate on running and earmarking a few races over the Autumn and Winter.
It's back to just a once-a-week fix of bowls in the Fox Lane Winter League. Intent on improving my doubles game further and feeling I've got much more to offer come next Spring.  

WET WIN FOR A FEEL GOOD FINISH

Monday 2nd October 2023
LONGRIDGE AUTUMN FLOODLIT SINGLES
At Longridge Cons
First Round Qualifying
v MARK IRELAND W 21-16 (Off 3-3)

Some intrepidation about this final fling at knock-out singles this year, but I needn't have worried as I found myself playing well here and actually getting through a round for the first time this season.
I was briefly graced with the company of the one and only Alan Hodson Snr, joining me for practice which definitely helped keep a smile on my face and stay relaxed. Alan then scored my first match and gave me good encouragement as I took an early lead and kept hold of it with some good lead bowls and decisive spoilers against Mark.
The rain didn't stop all evening and perhaps a stiffer green was a bit of a leveller, but I found a decent length instantly in that first round match and grew in confidence. Mark did put some good ones up to keep himself in it, notably a very good two to draw nearer at 18-16, but I broke back straight away and saw the game out over the next two ends.
Moaning about playing after work as I have done, with jaded senses, I don't work Mondays and played much better. I wasn't exactly sat on my backside all day and had an eight mile run on the West Pennine moors under my belt in the afternoon as well, but I think it shows that as much as it is an excuse, it's also an unavoidable fact that I play better with a fresher mind and body. League matches on a Monday night have generally provided better performances and results than rushing to get there drained after a day's nonsense at work on a Thursday. That's how it is and I need to find a way to deal with it somehow.
After getting through, organiser John Hanson hands me a card to mark. It's Mick Coupe's opening match and he provided me with a fine example of how to squeeze out a good opponent on this green.

Second Round Qualifying
v JOHN PHILLIPS L 15-21 (off 3-3)

It can be a small world on the bowling circuit and next up was a rematch with Darwen based John who took me to the cleaners in the first round at the Chorley Subs Open back in May.
Faintly, a resigned feeling at not playing somebody else new, but also a determination to do better against this chap and show him I'm not a complete pushover.
John must be a renowned slow starter, for I recall winning the first few ends at Chorley and tonight he came back from 11-19 down to win his first round match before I got a great start once again, going five or six up before John got going, messing up my good bowls and sending better quality ones himself. Unlike our previous meeting though, I was a very slow burn. Very few two's conceded, I was there or there abouts on most ends and maybe unlucky a few times not to break his runs with the jack more frequently. 

This was a much closer game, 11-11 at one point. But an end or two later I wastefully threw the jack off and despite rolling an excellent lead to where John sent it, he sent a real peach of a shot that sort of stamped his ever so slight authority from that moment onwards. It was another long run of singles that slowly got my opponent to the threshold of victory first.
My last wood didn't have to be brilliant to save, but down the dip towards the far right corner where John had already taken some points, my last wood was just too strong and I bowed out gracefully I like to think.
John's a good player. Maybe next time. 

All in all a good night of bowling and feeling better about it as my season drew to it's close. 

SLOPPY MISTAKES PROVE COSTLY

Thursday 28th September 2023
SABDEN FLOODLIT SINGLES
First Qualifying Round
v BYROM OATES (Blackburn) L 18-21

Having made a decent account of myself here last year, I was always going to come back for more at this cracking little club beneath Pendle's shadows.
Something just wasn't quite clicking tonight though, whether mentally worn out by the euphoria of a certain doubles match the previous evenings or the usual excuse of rushing over here straight from work, perhaps even stuck in a rut of resignation that I only turn up for such occasions to go out in the first round anyway?... Who knows, but I just wasn't as switched on as I should have been.
I know so because the competitive fires didn't blaze when I made sloppy mistakes. I should have been fuming with myself, but wry smiles and shoulder shrugs of mild disappointment were the order of the evening. No bad thing, for I've been trying hard not to flip my lid since those moments of Mid-Summer madness, but I still need an edge about me and it just wasn't there.
Young Byrom was a decent player and I'd be surprised if he didn't know this green better than I did. It took a few ends to suss out his left handed delivery which seemed to sweep across himself and this lefty was a difficult one to follow for this particular righty.
Having lost the first four ends to trail 0-6 and Byrom cutting little slack, I finally landed one and put a decent run together to come back and lead 8-6.
I broke my own momentum at this point with a foolish jack placement that I struggled with and cheaply conceded my lead. This lifted Byrom and he started to pull away by four or five until I had another little run to come back to 16-17. Once again I sent the jack further than I intended, down the sloping corner at the clubhouse end and didn't learn from my poorly judged and overshot first bowl as my second trickled away to join the other.

Byrom's winner wasn't that near either, but he won it on weight. He sends us across the clubhouse and lands a perfect front toucher. I try to send a saver but my land was too high. Byrom then sends another great wood, but disturbs his first which actually gives me a great chance and a target if I can tap onto something, but once again I inexplicably pushed my wood too high and I really was a bit annoyed with myself there. An opportunity spurned and now trailing 16-20, I felt I'd basically chucked my chances away.

Byrom leads out well again with a near toucher and had every right to expect that to be the winner. But I was very close with my first, so sent the second bowl down the same road with more pace and it was a hell of a match saving shot, knocking Byrom's out cleanly and leaving myself two.
Even then though, it didn't give me a fist-pumping lift for some reason. I should've been buzzing and focused on ceasing the moment. Instead, I rush things without thinking properly and once again sent that jack too far and towards the clubhouse side. This time I didn't reach, my best bowl was a ridiculous yard and a half away. Byrom also succumbed to going short with his first, but as I fully expected, found good length with his second to finally win it.
Disappointed because my opponent did give me chances here but I didn't take them. Byrom probably struggled to work me out, my game flickered from good to bad throughout and ultimately the bad cost me a real chance of making a bit of progress.
He won his second round match by the same score before going down to one of the evening's favourites for qualification on the deciding third round.
I really need to find an edge going in to the last bit of singles action of the year at Longridge next week. I'm not consistent enough for this level and I know this, but I can do a bit better in these competitions if I can at least have a bit more belief and turn up with the right head screwed on. 

BONKERS COMEBACK TAKES TROPHY

Wednesday 27th September 20238

TIM ROBINSON MEMBERS DOUBLES

Final
Paired with BARRY WRIGHT
v HENRY HOYLES & COLIN PROCTOR W 31-30 (Off 6-6)

All Barry and I had to do was produce more of the same and we were well and truly in with a shout of our names being engraved upon the latest winners plaque of the Tim Robinson trophy.
Emphasis on a good start was once again on my mind as I walked down to the green, but I was also wary of this being our biggest test so far. Expecting nothing less than a close game, this match wasn't to go anything like our previous rounds.
In the first place, we were fortunate that conditions were playable as a transatlantic depression quite typical for this time of the year, had rained off the afternoon doubles league action, but the forecast was generally fairer for this evening.
"Storm Agnes" was upon us, we were told. Beginning with 'A', the first of the alphabetically named season and with classification of the word "storm" used dubiously, in this instance. Even if it was a storm in every sense of the word, why the needless copycat culture of attaching said weather system with a name?
Needless use of Americanisms had already got me chunnering to my wife earlier in the day when engineers doing work across the road produced a sign on the footpath declaring, "Footway Closed". "Footway?!"

A digression it would seem... "My bad!"... so back to the bowling...
Just as our final got started, so-called ''Storm Agnes'' did provide an untimely squall of unpleasant gusts and horizontal rain.
'A' for Agnes, 'B' for Barry, but "Storm Barry" however, didn't arrive as forecasted. 
Barry has played a blinder in this competition and his lead bowling has been pivotal in paving our way to a place in this final. But he started all over the place in this match and we got ourselves in a pickle pretty quickly.
I turned up at the green relaxed and ready to compliment Barry's game decisively tonight, so it came as a surprise when end after end, Barry wasn't there and whilst not starting particularly well myself, the pressure was on from the off.
It was my two bowls versus Henry and Colin's four for maybe half a dozen ends or more. Henry was putting up good leads, whilst skilful Colin showed his green knowledge from the back to inflict further punishment and we didn't stand a chance.
Both pairs starting off six, we only managed one point to Henry and Colin's thirteen in that brutal period, with the worst of the deficit sounded out loud by match scorer John Waddecar, at 7-19.
As the weather conditions eased, Barry removed his waterproof and maybe that was hampering his delivery, for he started getting in to the game after that point.
It all seemed too little, too late, though. We hadn't even been getting the little knocks going our way either - there was a feeling it just wasn't to be.
I'd been petulantly letting a bit of steam off with the usual headshakes of dismay, wittering to myself, back-heeling my woods in to the ditch and even hunching over to stare at the ground for mercy. But I think when we got to the point of shrugging shoulders about the situation and making a joke of it, we seemed to start picking a few points up at last. Something like 15-24 rang a bell when I remember saying, "Let's just try and get to twenty Barry, come on".
For a second time in the game, we had a switch around and I went first. This time it turned out to be a good move.
We had a period of grinding out a few one's that really could have gone either way, but importantly I had the jack more than Henry and then points were starting to be gained on merit with Barry now well and truly back in the game.
An unbelievable bonus of a four took us in to the twenties and just four behind at 22-26. With that sub-ambition of a respectable score now achieved and our opponents just not mopping everything up with the regularity as earlier in the game, it's not as if I dared to believe and I don't think Barry did either at this point. It's a match and you just carry on trying until it's conclusion. So if not a faint sniff of glory in the air, the stench of dramatic failure had at least dispersed.

It went 25-28, then 27-29... now hang on a minute, we're in this! With jack in hand I send a round peg along the clubhouse side that I'm confident of nailing, but my bowl curls off short by maybe a yard. Henry meanwhile, licks it with a perfect shot and suddenly momentum feels like it's swinging back the other way again. I overcook my second wood by a similar distance, but fortunately Barry sent a good one for second place and Colin's last bowl just gave up despite being on the right road to taking the match. We breath again at 27-30.
Henry goes back where we came from, a little higher up and a tricky mark that he didn't do so well on. My first one was close and my slightly narrower second was also counting still as Colin played through but somehow missed everything except a tight gap and so gesticulated instructions were clear for Barry's last wood of the end - "Anything in this area for a three!"... and he delivered. What an end to get a three.
30-30. All-but across. How did we get here? I think Henry and Colin were wondering the same thing.
I round peg towards the roadside corner where I tend to practice a lot, take my time and land a good lead, especially under the circumstances. Henry overruns his first bowl and then goes for a direct hit on his second, but thankfully it whistles by. Barry knocks mine even nearer with a cracking back-up bowl and Colin has to have a go at them. His bowls had been dangerous all night and his first wasn't far off splatting something, but unusually his second is tight and off course. He flings the mat almost immediately after sending and that's it. We took the lead for the first time in the match at the only point it really mattered I suppose.

Crown green bowls can be a truly bonkers game. Just how Barry and I got ourselves back in to this final was one thing, to pinch it on the last end was incredible really. Henry and Colin might be scratching their heads in as much disbelief at how this game just slipped away from them.
You had to feel for our opponents in this situation. They played a better game really, but having dominated and looked highly likely to charge away with a seemingly easy win, perhaps they started to feel a bit of pressure themselves.
Young Henry has improved a lot since I partnered him in the Spring Doubles. He has a lovely smooth delivery and much more control now, particularly when in charge of the jack - which at one point looked like it was going to be all night.
Thirteen years of age, this young lad has barrel loads of potential.
Colin was just shy of becoming the first player to win this competition for a third time.
I doubt Barry and I will be paired together next year for the opportunity to defend the trophy, but make a decent double act I think. 

SO GLAD WE MADE IT

Tuesday 26th September 2023

TIM ROBINSON MEMBERS DOUBLES
Semi-Finals
Paired with BARRY WRIGHT
v TERRY GRAYSTON & STEVE MARGINSON W 31-24 (off 6-1)

Terry and Steve mopped up most of their handicap deficit on the very first end with a four on a simple looking mark that Barry and I made a hash of.
Fortunately that was just a blip and not a sign of things to come. Over the next few ends, we also scored a four and then a three to reestablish a good lead but likewise, that wasn't a sign of things to come either.
Tightly contested, but not a particularly enthralling encounter should anybody but our scorer, Paul Walmsley, have been paying close attention. Mostly, the one or two decent woods would win the end with very few memorable game-changing shots, aside from Barry knocking up brilliantly for a single when we were three down. Steve was very unlucky to find gaps on maybe four or five occasions when hitting something looked the far more likely outcome. The phrase 'nip and tuck' would adequately describe proceedings.
I was generally unhappy with my game tonight and got frustrated because I felt I was letting Barry down. Some nights it doesn't flow and tonight I just couldn't hit my lines as well as I would have liked, which normally isn't so much a problem as being consistent with length.
Barry, who warned me he'd played a stinker in an afternoon doubles league, took a while to get going but improved as the game went on and was once again the provider of a top bowl at key moments of the game. I might be a touch hard on myself, for I did contribute good some moments, but was also rather wasteful in advantageous positions when we could have racked up more points.
We kept our noses in front throughout which probably made a psychological difference, for there really wasn't much else in it.

Barry and I had restored a decent cushion of a lead when getting in to the twenties and the business end of things, although flopping over the line with a raggy end to win it, pretty or not we got over that line and personally it was just a feeling of relief to get there. I'm already feeling much more relaxed going in to tomorrow night's final.
I think I got too hung up on the strong desire of wanting to win during this match and occasionally lost the calmness to concentrate properly, which I've otherwise managed to contain in recent times.  

Fortunately Barry keeps a cool head at all times though and maybe opposites attract in bowls doubles? It's served us well so far.

Tomorrow evening we face Henry Hoyles and Colin Procter who booked their final spot with victory over Lenny Wallis and Matt Hoyles (Young Henry's Dad, no less) 

Henry, who I partnered to the semi-finals of the Spring Doubles earlier this year, is not suprisingly the youngest player to make the final at just thirteen and is improving all the time. Wily Colin is a two-time winner of the Tim Robinson trophy. 

A tough task ahead, but it's all on the night in this game. 

EYES ON THE PRIZE

Thursday 21st September 2023

TIM ROBINSON MEMBERS DOUBLES
Quarter Finals

Paired with BARRY WRIGHT 

v JACK DICKINSON & STEVE WILSON W 31-21 (off 6-0) 

Walking down Balcarres Road to the Eagle green, thoughts about the game ahead centred around the importance of getting a good start.
Thanks to the handicap system, Barry and I were aided with six on the card with our opponents starting from scratch. As such, crowning this advantage with a considerable lead would give us a very realistic chance against competition favourites Jack Dickinson and Steve Wilson.
Sure enough, we win the toss and Barry is on his game again. We win the first four or five ends, I get a few decent hits from the back and we take nine of the first eleven points to go 15-2 up. I sensed we could do it and that Barry thought so too. 
Our early dominance had to give at some point, the game and the points distribution began to even out for a while. When Jack or Steve threatened to get a run together though, we seemed to produce a winner. I particularly enjoyed knocking Jack's brilliant second bowl out near the edge of the green to turn a possible three to them in to one to us. There was a feeling it wasn't going to be their night.
Steve swapped around with Jack to lead though and this threatened to change the direction of the game for a period as our opponents crept back in to the match.

Longer marks pegged across the top of the crown - we just weren't getting near enough to them and Barry, by his own admission is struggling to reach and with damage to our lead becoming a concern, he prompts us to swap too. A few ends later, with less traffic of everybody else's bowls in the way, I land one to finally break our opponent's revival. Ironically, Barry does reach this time and cosies one up even closer than mine for a second counter with the last bowl. An absolute wonder shot from Mr Wright.

With Barry back in charge of the block, we had a good run again and importantly got it back straight away, rather than allow Steve to dictate.
Although personally annoyed with myself at missing a couple of opportunities to nail the game when on the brink, we got there in the end and had replenished a healthy lead.
Jack and Steve weren't at their best, but doubles is a different beast. I'm still learning all the time and can easily misjudge a situation and not always make the right shot choice. But a few good knocks here and there, coupled with another good game from Barry and a better one from me swung things in our favour and once we believed we could win, having struck out with that early lead, our opponents were under the cosh. 
Semi-finals next up and whoever we get, if we continue to play the way we have done, Wright & Sutton have every chance in this competition.
I was up for this from the start, but now I'm bloody well up for it! Whilst cool and collective Barry might play down his competitive nature, quietly, I think he's up for it too. 

ALL WRIGHT ON THE NIGHT

Monday 18th September 2023
TIM ROBINSON MEMBERS DOUBLES
First Round

Paired with BARRY WRIGHT 

v ANDY VURLEY & PAUL WALMSLEY W 31-22 (Off 6-6)

This was the first year I was available to make all the dates for this annual club competition and was quite happy to get drawn together with Thursday night teammate Barry Wright.
Barry and his wife Linda were my first points of contact when joining the club. They made me feel welcome, despite my unorthodox membership credentials of not knowing anybody inside the club, only the then ex-member Jimmy Sloan (who illicitly gained us entry for a practice match with a borrowed key) and that my wife was involved in undercover negotiations to acquire a year's membership as a birthday present! It was complicated, but we got there.

It was a squally night of Autumnal showers in our rearranged first round tie against the pairing of Andy Vurley and Paul Walmsley.
Barry wants to lead out and whilst I had it in my mind that I wanted to lead, I didn't make a discussion about it because most importantly, Barry felt comfortable with that.
It wasn't a bad move at all. He led really well all evening and generally kept the pressure on our opponents who never managed to nudge into the lead at any point.
Four off the first end was a great start and we went on to make a decent gap on the scorecard before Andy and Paul started to press their way back in to the match.
At 19-19, crucially we took two on the next end and then with Barry back in possession of the jack, got ourselves back in control with a three to edge nearer to the finish line.
It was around this point of the match that Andy sends a second bowl that fails to impact on our holding twosome and informs me that, "I've won this competition twice anyway, so it doesn't matter". A mixed message there, from which I could only sense an element of resignation from the experienced Mr Vurley. A win was looking very likely now.
Barry continued to lead well and we saw the game out with a victory by nine chalks, both pairs having started off six.
Barry played really well and whilst I wasn't particularly on fire, I didn't need to be. It was important not to risk spoiling my partner's good work most of the time.
"I don't know where that came from", Mr Wright modestly mused over his perfomance afterwards. More of the same in the next round hopefully, although for any chance of further progression, I'm going to have to raise my game from the back in our quarter-final match against probably the strongest pairing in the competition of Jack Dickinson and Steve Wilson. 

NO DISGRACE DOUBLING UP WITH NEXT DOOR

Saturday 16th September 2023
HESKETH BANK OPEN DOUBLES 

Paired with AARON HAYHURST 

First Round

v STE BAXTER & FIN BAXTER W 21-8

Second Round

v STEVE ANDERTON & MIKE OPIE L 8-21

Earlier in the year, young Aaron Hayhurst next door asked if I fancied joining him in a doubles competition some time. Honoured as I was by his consideration for this, I didn't think it would actually come to fruition until about a month ago when I got a text message asking if I fancied this Hesketh Bank affair.
"Cheers Aaron. Yes, definitely!", to precisely quote my bite-his-hand-off reply.
An honour and a privilege indeed to partner this chap. A cracking bowler with a great future ahead of him in the game, as I have surely mentioned before in these scriptures.
Drawn early for a 9:30am start, our first round game was on the 'back green', which looked very interesting to say the least. A sloping, undulating surface and a triumph in that the groundsmen of Hesketh Bank have toiled hard to recover this playing surface which had become completely overgrown until three years ago. That said, it wasn't in bad nick at all really and I personally found it fun to play on. I took to it straight away and my lead bowls put pressure on our first round opponents from the off. The father and son team of Ste and Fin were probably inexperienced doubles competitors even by my own standards and Aaron and I were fairly comfortable throughout this match, going through with a 21-8 win.
Round two on the contrasting silky grass carpet of the front green, we eventually discover we are to face Steve Anderton and Mike Opie who had a tougher first round test than ourselves. 
Only recently I saw a photo of these two winning a prestigious doubles competition at the Globe in Accrington, and subsequently discover they also won the Fleetwood Waterloo Open Pairs this Summer. Bloody hell, tough draw!
Mike was scoffing a sausage butty just before going on and I wondered if that might sit a little heavy and affect his game for a while? Erm, no.
For half an hour or so, it was a game though. Not a lot in it at all, very close, low scoring ends and a sense we were earning the respect of this champion double act. 
Trailing 8-9, it was clear we were having to punch hard to stay in it, but in it we were until a few unfortunate ends made a huge difference and tilted the balance.
Firstly, my head didn't quite recover after sending both woods off in to the tricky corner that I'd regretfully chosen to go for myself and a bit of confidence was sapped from this, even though Aaron sent a wonderful second bowl to save three and make one to spare my blushes.
After a few more tight ends didn't go our way though, holding two and then losing three off Mike's calculated last bowl was pretty hurtful. An end or two later and we concede what Steve and Mike themselves acknowledged as a cheap four. Neither of us pushing wide or hard enough and of seven bowls narrow and short, our four were furthest away unfortunately. That was a real wounder and belief drained from both of us after that I think.
We swapped around, with Aaron going first but sadly he didn't have an opportunity to get hold of the jack and lead a fightback.
Eight on the card felt harsh, but slip-ups against doubles partners of this calibre are always going to be punished.
I played Steve last year at Sabden's Floodlit Singles, whilst I've seen Mike play a few times here and there. Two quality bowlers but really grounded chaps with it. A less difficult draw might have suited our chances of further progression on the day, but these two were a pleasure to play against.
Politely, Aaron said I played well and he tends to see the good stuff in others whilst being more critical of his own game. I've seen him play better of course, but he still landed some brilliant shots and particularly in the match against Steve and Mike which helped contain that formidable pairing for as long as we did.


THE ALAN HODSON(S) SHOW
I stuck around for another hour watching other matches and not for the first time at such events, the pairing of Alan Hodson Snr and Alan Hodson Jnr caught my full attention. Two very good bowlers, but also natural entertainers.
This father and son team are both boisterous on the green and the dialogue between them... you just couldn't write the script. Alan Jnr falls out and then makes up with his Dad almost every other end! It was so funny at times. Northern humour straight from the tap.
They just make me smile watching them and for that, brilliant characters of the game.

BIG IN SINGAPORE! 🇸🇬
In it's current guise as a blog, only six people had ever viewed these pages. This consisted of five people that I know personally and the brief curiosity of someone in Finland.
Last week, suddenly lots of views in one day and most of them from... Singapore?!
That trend has roughly continued for a week now, with daily views increasing and pretty much all of them traced from this tip of South East Asia.
A glitch in Blogger's statistical engines perhaps, or maybe somebody out there is actually reading these tedious accounts of middle-aged sporting endeavours?
Lawn bowls is definitely a thing over there, so a connection maybe. But still without official followers or comments logged, the sudden spike of views all the way from Singapore remains a mystery for now. 

LEVELLING UP

Thursday 31st August 2023
Leyland & District League Div-3: Eagle Reds 140-181 Farington Cons 'B'
v DAVE ARNOLD W 21-9

To coin some nonsense phraseology of a tired and delusional UK government, "levelling up" was what tonight's game was all about.
Michael Gove might have difficulty even convincing himself exactly what the hell he's doing to justify his absolute bollocks of a pop-up ministerial position, but my kind of levelling up intentions were crystal clear in our final Leyland league match.
A win would make it nine wins and nine losses to balance the books of a tough old season
Our captain Harry has taken the spotlight off me the last few weeks, putting me in the first four when I'm still fresh and I've put a couple of wins together to give me a chance of levelling up.
Sometimes when I practice on my own, I can't send a wrong bowl. I've always wondered why this never happens in a game but tonight was the night, for a while anyway!
Double figures were made without reply and I just couldn't seem to miss. My leads were spot on and this was the sort of intensity that I'm aiming for and particularly on home soil.
When I did finally roll a couple of short ones in front of our clubhouse, Harry was there to see them of course! Dave got in at last with two good woods, which seemed to settle him down having admitted he was dreading being beaten to nil. There wasn't much chance of that against me.
My game just wandered a bit from this point and I'm not sure why, but there were a sufficient amount of good woods left in me to see the game out comfortably.
Dave came back well and took the opportunity to show he's a steady bowler and also a gentleman, commending my early onslaught.
It was a good end to the season, finishing with three consecutive wins in this league  and "levelling up" well and truly accounted for.
There have been harsh lessons overall this term but I feel I am coming out of it for the better. Aside from a disappointing show at the Farington competition, I've not been bowling too badly in recent weeks. In addition, bar the odd isolated curse of frustration, I've managed to keep my head together which has definitely been part of the battle.
Against a good Farington Cons side that finished third, the team eeked out a decent result on the night with four winners and this was enough to escape the bottom spot despite having been wooden spoon favourites for some time.
I seem to give Steven Banks a mention on here from time to time, but Banksy scored a tremendous win against Peter Quinn. Victory for the well respected Farington bowler would have secured him the divisional Merit, but Banksy spoiled the party and reminded us all he's a player when his head's on it.
Many a grand gentleman in this Eagle Reds team (including Banksy, just about!) and no less a gentleman than Phil Donnelly, who had the usual whip-round to get a bit of summat for our non-playing captain Harry Glynn, as a thank you for enduring another season with us. 

HILLTOP BLUES

Monday 28th August 2023
Chorley & District League Div-2: Hilltops 'A' 151-134 Eagle & Child 'A'

v STUART UNSWORTH L 8-21 

The final match of the season in the Chorley league and another debut on a green I'd never played before. Saying that, this visit to Blackrod was a first for the whole team, with the exception of Kevin Bibby. Kevin's last visit though, was a rather hazy one over thirty years ago.
With the team still struggling for numbers, this was another game that I wasn't expecting to play and with promotion in the balance this evening. As many wins as possible required, against a side with a fine home record, but in danger of relegation themselves so plenty to play for.
In the face of a home bowler confident in his game and showing class that I was no match for, unlike last Friday's capitulation, at least managed to put up a fight in this match even if the score didn't suggest it.
I didn't play badly by any means, but too many times I lost out by not so much and the points began to take their toll.
I also felt I allowed the quick playing Stuart to dictate the pace a bit and when I did land one, didn't follow up with a lead bowl good enough to transfer pressure the other way.
The game slowly got away from me and when I did make a real mess of a couple ends, it was when Stuart was closing in on the target score and eventually it was shake hands time and I was thinking, how are these guys up the relegation creek with this mon in their team?
It's natural to look up on bowlsnet who you lost to and it turns out Stuart's been playing for the Hilltops 'A' team in Division One all season. Recruited for one night only here in the 'B' team to bolster their survival hopes.

A tough game and reasonable effort then, in the end. But nowhere near enough to get a crucial win for our team's ambitions.


PROMOTION HOPES AGONISINGLY RUN OUT OF STEAM

It was like teeth being pulled. Eagle & Child's grip on a top two spot finally faded in the very last moments of the season.
Injuries and absences depleted the team in the final quarter of the campaign, thus my continued selection during this time. Good experience for me, but not necessarily ideal for the team's aspirations.
Leading up to the last match at Hilltops, we were still hanging on to that second spot by a thread, despite a comfortable looking gap of nine points at one time.
We just had to better Mawdesley's visit to Croston Subs but even early on, there was a sense things weren't going to go our way.
Firstly, best player Chris Miller, our win banker after a great season across all leagues and chasing the divisional merit most unusually lets a good lead slip. Only his second defeat of an eighteen game season was most untimely.
Then our captain Steve Marginson made a recovery in his game going in to double figures, but his opponent ran out to win. Andy Vurley also succumbed to defeat, but Harry Derbyshire's reliably great form delivered at least one winner in the first four.
I then got tonked, but Jack Dickinson got back to winning ways to make it two victories on the night. That didn't feel enough though and so it was down to Nigel Tomlinson and Kevin Bibby who were both engaged in tight matches that looked to be going either way. Two wins here could still be enough.
Kevin didn't quite get the knocks in the last few ends and bowed out with eighteen on the card. Nige just wasn't winning the tight margins either in the closing stages and lost to nineteen.
There was already a feeling of resignation and soon enough we find out Mawdesley did enough and that's that. Successive promotions to the top flight not quite pulled off.
A great season in many ways, but with nothing to show for it despite hogging the top spots until this final week.
Our captain Steve will be very disappointed and looking to strengthen the squad further. Where that leaves me in this set up is simple. Settle down and play well enough or fill scorecards in every week. 

A SCORE OF SEVEN WAS FLATTERY

Friday 25th August 2023
FARINGTON OPEN SINGLES
1st Qualifying Round
At Farington Cons
v GAVIN PARKER (Heysham) L 7-21

There's no pretence that even a sniff of a chance against Gavin Parker was anything but improbable, but could I have played better? Definitely.
Everything flowed the previous night at Penwortham in the league, whereas too many mistakes were dropped against a chap of this calibre and right from two short woods on the very first end.
Practice went well, I was finding a length and was ready to get on with it, so the wait until sixth match on probably didn't help. Momentum compromised, after a second full day at work followed by a tight bowling window by night, the yawns set in and basically I was getting ready to crash for an hour or two than pick myself up to play bowls.
Now that's not to say I would have got much nearer to my opponent by any means, but I might have started better. I might have made a better account of myself. 
Leading off from winning the toss, lousy short woods presented an easy two for Gavin and an indicator that he might be in for a straight forward route to round two.
Six down before I got a score in, Gavin was finding very good length and I remember looking across at the scoreboard reading 2-11 and wincing a bit because although obviously outclassed, generally I just wasn't putting up woods good enough to have any remote chance of stopping the rot.
Gavin was a very good player and had a like for playing long to the edges of the green with almost unbeatable leads and when he did leave daylight and a chance to break, I didn't make it pay.
Even when I got the odd good shot in to score, my lead bowls were poor and I was a bit disappointed with myself. Against players well above my grade, if not even playing to my own standard, confidence leaks like a burst main. I forget the basics, everything goes wrong and somehow feels unnatural. This IS of course, experience!
I'd just won two consecutive ends for the first time in the match at 7-19, then a loss of concentration and I send the jack off. What a plonker.
Gavin sends a tricky round peg just over the crown and although my opponent's efforts weren't his best of the evening, I firstly went too narrow and then shot through too far. Game over, with Gavin then also progressing through the next round to make finals night.
The only positive to take from the match was the fact I know I can play a lot better than that on my day. In fact I did so only twenty-four hours earlier. Funny old game.

NEGATIVE ROGER, OVER AND OUT
Entering a few competitions as I have and with the intent to continue to do so, it's obvious that this is not deemed as normal behaviour from a bowler with only a hundred and odd games and three seasons under their belt.
But that's been my intention from the off, to put my head on the chopping block and broaden my crown green experiences.
I'm convinced this can only help make me a better player in the longer term. If it doesn't, nowt lost in trying. I'm not arsed about getting stuffed along the way, that's par for the course. I mean there have been some moments when I've wanted the ground to suck me up after sending terribly shite woods in an environment where that doesn't really happen (this night included) but it's about dealing with that discomfort, sucking it up and trying to do that little bit better next time. On the whole, I still find having a pop at competitions quite exciting so why wouldn't I carry on?
This black sheep mentality isn't quite understood though.
For example, with Roger Iddon, a member of three local clubs no less. I was acquainted with Roger well before I started bowling and he would never wish to insult me face to face, but Roger's most unusual silence said everything when he realised I was playing here. I wasn't exactly sunk by that, but it's not particularly encouraging either. I think there are a fair few Roger's out there who think I'm off my rocker. It's a strange game in which committing yourself well outside your comfort zone is dismissed by some, rather than condoned or even respected to a certain degree.

Here I am, giving it a go at the Farington Cons green having played less than half a dozen games on there. Roger's played on that green in teams for a good few years now and should I not be equally speechless as to why he doesn't enter himself? 

Not just Roger, but many more regular league bowlers should be supporting local competitions in my opinion, if only to help keep them going. I don't get it. 
Most likely it's the fear of getting a spanking like I got, or 'wasting' (rather than seeing it as a small investment in the game) an entry fee for a contest you're not going to win. But the way I see it is nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I think I'm getting a bit too bothered about what sideline folk think actually, because ultimately it doesn't matter. Especially if it's of a negative outlook. 

My clubmate Harry Derbyshire wasn't afraid to have a go though and his recent fine form continued, giving seasoned competition bowler Mick Prescott a real scare, leading throughout most of the match and 16-12 until a couple of stray woods let his opponent back in with Harry gallantly going down 17-21 in a very tight tussle. 

A GOOD NIGHT AT PENWORTHAM FOR ONCE

Thursday 24th August 2023

Leyland & District League Div-3: Penwortham Sports 'B' v Eagle Reds

v JOHN BIRCH W 21-7

A long overdue win on the road turned out to be an unexpectedly comprehensive one and finally tasting a victory from one of my favourite greens but least favourite venues.
I started the game very well and grew in confidence, putting John under a bit of pressure on a long and straight length in front of the seated stand. When I broke off elsewhere at 6-0, John knocked out my decent lead and on getting the block back straight away, got strict instructions from captain Harry to revert to the area where I was doing the damage.
Leading 13-2, John tried to rally and had a few more breaks, notably a corner to corner long twosome which he played well, but this was the only end that I played poor woods on really, rolling yards short on a mark I know damn well requires a good push.
Back in front of the stand again, round pegging was also working well for me and at 18-7 I played perhaps one the most satisfying ends in my 117 match career, bending a perfectly weighted toucher, followed by another resting on the back of my first bowl. What a beautiful sight. If only I could do that all the time!
Sometimes when everything clicks in to place, I'm not too bad at this game and tonight was one of those nights. Going on in the first four probably helps, turning up after a long day at work on Thursdays I can end up a bit jaded later on in the evening.

Looking up the stats after, John has been no pushover this season and particularly on his home green so this was another small step in the right direction.
In crown green teams, sometimes you get called 'Tony' and it can be good Tony or bad Tony, as in "T'ony winner" or "T'ony loser". I was the only (Tony) winner on the night. Good Tony on a bad night for the team as our place at the bottom of the table was further entrenched. 

TENSE EVENING AT TOP OF THE TABLE CLASH

Monday 21st August 2023
Chorley & District League Div-2: Eagle & Child 'A' 138-138 Penwortham Sports 'B'
v JENNIFER IDDON W 21-17

The stakes were high. An excellent result for our team could replace Penwortham at the top and make us strong favourites for promotion going in to the last match.
A reasonable result would still leave promotion hopes in our own hands.
A good result for Penwortham would see them book their place in Division One with a game to spare.
A poor night for our team would surely give second spot up to Mawdesley on this penultimate week, who were strongly fancied to score heavily at home to Hind's Head.
Captain Steve Marginson had tipped me off the previous day that I was in the team "at the moment", so I knew that could change very easily.
I turned up for practice without a clue if I was in or not and just cracked on regardless, rolling in hope!
Steve had also brought some extra big guns down from the club to bolster the squad on the night so it really wasn't clear at all what the starting eight was likely to be. Looking around, I'd resigned to being sidelined so put my bowls back in the bag when next news, Steve wants £1.50 off me for the sweep... Wow! I am actually in afterall!
Tension about wondering whether I was playing transcended in to tension about the fact that I WAS playing and in the most important game of the season so far.
There was no way I was going to shake the tension this evening so just had to play through it. Steadily I've been getting form back and just had to keep a bit of faith in myself. Not let the inevitable crap shots drag me down and just make sure I produced more good than I did crap.
To add to the tension overload, this turned out to be a very tight match against Jen who in contrast, seemed remarkably relaxed. There was no more than a score or two in it all the way to 16-16. One thing to my credit on the night was the ability to produce a winner when I really needed one. There was a period in the middle of the match when I sent a few howlers, but at least corrected enough times to spare Jen getting her nose in front.

At the business end then, after Jen rolled a well placed two to level those scores again, two well taken singles and then a tightly placed two took me to all-but. The first time daylight shone upon the scorecard. A good lead followed, but Jen knocked me out perfectly.
Thankfully for me though, her next lead bowl, on a tricky inswinging peg to the corner that she had taken a nice two from earlier, was this time high and wide. I nailed the land this time around and although running through perhaps a couple of feet, it was enough and a big relief to get over the line.
The whole match ended in a draw. Four wins each and level on chalks. Given we lost by just one chalk at Penwortham in the Spring, incredible that the statistics were so close over two matches.
Although not quite mathematically assured, Penwortham are essentially up.
Five points and a draw wasn't a disaster for us, but not quite a good result either. Mawdesley meanwhile, took nine out of a possible ten points to draw level.
The stakes for the final match of the season aren't complicated. Away to Hilltops 'B', who need a result to help stave off telegation, we have to score more than Mawdesley. Mawdesley visit Croston Subs 'B' and Croston themselves have an outside chance of sneaking up through the back door if they beat Mawdesley hard enough and our Eagle team have a total nightmare.
On paper, it's a tougher task for our West Lancashire rivals, but away games can be unpredictable. Our team have to just get what we can and wait and see.
I really can't envisage my inclusion in the line-up next week, even after a win because it's another green I haven't seen before and there's too much to play for. To be honest I was just so pleased to be included in this one tonight and also grind out the right result. A good experience to play with quite a bit of pressure riding on it for the team.

WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE

Thursday 17th August 2023
Leyland & District League Div-3: Eagle Reds 164-172 Farington St Paul's
v DAVID BRIDGE W 21-12

Even if the manner of defeat is acceptable, a run of them still becomes a bit disheartening. This home fixture had to break the cycle and I was very determined, but quietly cautious going in to the game.
Having played and seen enough of St Paul's to be well aware Dave would be no pushover, my opponent might also know that I can get hot under the collar and so I set out with patience, trying to slow myself down and make sure he knew I suppressed any frustrating feelings for self destruction.
Our green was running quite a bit for the first time in a while and this suited me more than Dave by his own admission. That didn't stop him being a tough nut to crack mind you. There was little in it after the first ten ends, but then I started to find good bowls more consistently, including a few very good two's which can do damage quickly in a match.
As our scorers checked in with each other to calibrate their cards, I could hear I'd got myself ahead by six or seven and in a good position. Dave had a run with the jack again but I limited his endeavours to singles and then got back on the front foot, finishing with a toucher for the match.

Although I sent a bit of rubbish at times, I played quite a tight game and certainly sent a lot more good than bad. I won't pardon the punned headline - recent defeats now feel like water under the bridge.
Not so in the team front though, with four winners on the night, this Eagle Reds team was closer than expected on the night against a decent St Paul's side, but life at the bottom of the bottom remains with only two matches left. We now have to fair better than Wymott on level points with us to avoid the wooden spoon. 

SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP A WIN

Friday 16th August 2023
Chorley & District League Div-2: Hoghton Bowling Club 140-108 Eagle & Child 'A'
v GEOFF PICKUP L 19-21

Another green I'd never seen before and another important game, rearranged from being called off after prolonged heavy rain a few weeks ago.
Still with bare bones of a squad remaining, I'm in at the deep end on a losing streak and with less confidence than a Manchester United fan in their team being the best in the city some time soon.
What a fabulous green it is at Hoghton. A beautifully kept surface, quite compact and with a big crown that spills off some very interesting marks.
After the first four ends against Geoff and a 0-5 deficit, I'm starting to wonder if Monday night is about to repeat itself.
Thankfully I started to send a few very good woods and was able to not only break Geoff's early dominance, but slowly nudge in to a lead. Too often I bowled one good one and one bad one, but after a 15-11 lead was recovered by Geoff, two very good looking and timely two's put me back in the driving seat at 19-15.
It remains a mystery why I didn't just wait to play the next end where I wanted to.  Instead I played diagonally off the crown and just overran with both bowls. Bread and butter for Geoff, who won two on the next end aswell as I rolled up a bit short and then won the game on a poor looking last end, with my final bowl to save having too much juice despite correcting the land.
I was disappointed to say the least, for myself and also the team as a win would have gained an extra point and secured four winners from eight. That would have been a very decent night at the office here.
As it was, three winners and second place in the table still secure and in our hands with a massive home game against leaders Penwortham next up.

DREAM TEAM NOT QUITE AS IT WOULD SEEM
Someone said to me recently that, "Trevor Bibby could start an argument in an empty room". I had to chuckle at that, but I actually think he could!
During our matches a little spat with Trevor was had and not for the first time since I joined the club.
It was hardly in the same league as David Batty and Lee Bowyer's infamous fracas, but there's probably some stuff between us that needs sorting out if we are to remain in the same team.
As much as an acquisition that his bowling abilities are to this team, I have to admit that I can let Trevor's presence grate on me a little at times.
On a personal front, I get the feeling he thinks I'm not good enough for this team and that, perhaps, he thinks he's too good for what he recently described as a "chip shop league".
From a broader observation, as well as being a grumpy bugger, as I commented similarly some time ago, Trevor's persona around the green can exhume male bravado, puffing out his chest with a fondness of the sound of his own loud voice and bowling cliché. There is a sense that he thinks a bowling green to be a suitable arena in which to secrete excesses of testosterone.

All that bluster for just a game of giant marbles played out on a contoured surface. It's a game of judgement and skill for sure, but I'm not sure where physicality and male hormones come in to it.
Team bowls is essentially a collaboration of individual performance, but critically as in any sport, a good team spirit of respect and camaraderie across the board is essential to maximise the potential of success. Tensions and cliques don't work.
Given that next season this team will potentially be in the top division, Trevor will still be in his comfort zone, whilst I'll be scratching around to get a game even further above my station and so it's a no-brainer who needs to leave the team if we can't play nicely together. Obviously though, I don't want to go.
I don't think our captain Steve would be pleased, but I'm sure he would agree that harmony in the camp is more important than any individuals.
Hopefully it won't come to that and we can get on like grown ups at some point. 

SUCK IT UP AND SEE

Monday 14th August 2023
Chorley & District League Div-2: Chorley Subs - Eagle & Child 'A'
v DAVE AINDOW L 5-21

Once again our Monday night promotion chasers were stretched in the staffing department. Last week's injury list remained and in addition, key player Trevor Bibby was already committed to picking his wife up from the airport.
As such, if only on the basis of availability, I was on the card again at a green I'd never played before at Croston Subs. Practice went well, not too many woods that I wasn't happy with and was getting a nice feel for the green. What could possibly go wrong?
Being drawn against Dave Aindow, it would seem.
I simply wasn't good enough against this chap. I didn't play badly, I put some good bowls up in fact, but not consistently enough and (obviously) not close enough. Dave was exceptional actually, absolutely bang on and opportunities to get going in the game were shut down by this nice and easy going fella that was a smiling assassin. 

Four of my five scores were excellent shots and had to be, otherwise even when I sent good ones Dave beat them every time. On the few times I had the lead bowl, nothing less than running up behind the jack would do. My good woods tended to sit to the side of the target and pretty as they looked, they would get mopped up. It was another evening of tough love in the local leagues of crown green bowling.
Three seasons in, it's this one that's turning in to one really harsh apprenticeship.
Dave was excellent throughout and as tough a game as I've had. There's a fair old way to go in dealing with matches like this and getting myself closer.
As I said when I came off, maybe it would have been a better idea if I'd picked Trevor's wife up from the airport!
On the night though, we still had four winners and only lost the match on chalks for four vital away points.
Fortunately our talisman Chris Miller soaked up my damaging deficit with a superb 21-4 win.
So yet another loss. Another heavy reverse on the scorecard. I've just got to suck it up and see if I can tidy my game up enough to stop the rot. 

PLEASED AND PISSED OFF IN EQUAL MEASURE!

Wednesday 9th August 2023
AUTUMN WATERLOO TROPHY
1st Qualifying Round
v DAN PETCHER (Derby) L 14-21 (Off 5-5)

Another trip to Fleetwood and once again, niggling doubts about what I'm doing here and why I'm doing it. 

Absolutely doubtless I was the only one of those thirty-two players present that day who felt so uncomfortable about their own presence.
What's gone wrong? I've come here before, even got through a round last year and then played quite well in this season's Spring Waterloo against the competition holder for crying out loud. 

It would seem the strong mentality and drive is not as strong as it was. These thoughts on the way to my latest visit to the new Waterloo qualifiers suggested that a confidence crisis is ongoing at the moment.

This season has been indifferent, I've had some tough and tight matches but lost more than I've won and maybe lost that ability to believe hard enough and push myself over the line like I did last year. I seem to get my knickers in a twist too easily.
Of course there's no pressure on me at all in situations like this, when it's a singles competition and I'm a totally inept rank outsider. It's all about absorbing the experience. But I wasn't feeling comfortable in my own shell somehow. 

I arrived expecting very little and my when seeing the draw, realised I was to face a top quality player here yet again. Having heard of my opponent and seen Dan's name at the business end of many a scoresheet posted on bowling social media, finalist in the Sandal Classic most recently I remembered... I knew I could be in for a brief and very rough ride. 
So relaxed was I though, starting the game extremely well. After winning the toss, I took two's from the first two ends and they weren't shoddy. I then went five ahead before a slack lead let me down. But I broke Dan straight away again with a cracking long round pegger that I was very chuffed with I have to say and the proverbial nosebleed was streaming with a lead of 11-6.                But Dan got back in and started to show his class. Shortish round pegs off the crown and wrapping two around the jack which started to get me a bit hot under the collar. One or two game efforts to break him were unlucky and I did produce two or three more very good woods to stifle his domination and on this note I had to be fairly pleased with myself. Later I discover Dan Petcher is currently ranked number eleven this year in all competitions.                              Unfortunately though, when it went wrong it went wrong. I sent at least half a dozen absolutely chronic shots that I would have deemed unacceptable when just practicing on my own, so to make a dick of myself in this arena was mortifying.                                

A real opportunity was spurned when getting the block back, with a simple enough straight peg in to the clubhouse corner. My lead was good weight but utterly wide, when unbelievably Dan rolls his first one off the green. Still reeling from that crap lead, I then went absolutely ridiculously short and wanted the ground to swallow me up.        Sadly it was along those lines I conceded the final end. Dan once again putting two quality ones up, with my first narrow and second one even narrower... and frigging short too! I'd tensed up, lost my bottle and the way I started the game to how I finished it felt like a different day, never mind the same match.
Much credit to my opponent though who was clearly an excellent player. Dan got through the next two rounds to qualify for finals day. That said, in some ways I hadn't disgraced myself at all. But some of the clangers I sent really were a disgrace and seemingly still haunt me a few days later when compiling this report. I can't help but be pissed off about that.
Physically, technically, I'm bloody sure I can play this damn game. Mentally though, flawed it would seem. Concentration breaks too easily and belief has now been compromised. For all my efforts to keep a level head, maintaining the right mentality during a game still remains the biggest barrier to break no matter who or where I play. 
All that said, there was only one thing for it and a good job I took some running gear to clear my head. A four and a half miler on Fleetwood front. The flattest and paciest run I've done for a while, in a stuffy 72° Fahrenheit. Knackered, but felt a lot better for it.

ONE FOR THE TEAM

Monday 8th August 2023
Chorley & District League Div-2: Eagle & Child 'A' - Hind's Head 'A'
v JOHN BILSBORROW W 21-9

Despite being down to the bare bones of eight players available due to injury and absence, our promotion chasing team were still looking for a maximum points haul at home to Hind's Head to keep the pressure up on our rivals.
The result was eight winners from eight and a job well done 
For the team's sake, it probably worked out well that I didn't get the toughest draw on the night. John had a few shots up his sleeve, but not consistently enough and after a tight first half dozen ends, I got in to a rhythm and began to break away.
Overall it was a decent performance actually and although John did send some occasional good ones to break my hold, he was chasing the game and generally found gaps or whizzed just by which was a relief after a few games of feeling I didn't get the little knocks going my way. 

FAVOURABLE DRAW GIVES ME A CHANCE

Sunday 6th August 2023

EAGLE & CHILD PRESIDENT'S DAY

2nd Round
v DAVID LISTER W 21-11 (Off 2-5)

After a repeat of the 2021 final last week, the second round draw produced a repeat of my semi-final that year too. As I may have mentioned in the past, David is a lovely gentleman and one of my favourite chaps at the club. Now approaching his 90th year, on the face of it he his in fantastic shape for his age. However, David struggles with his sight and unfortunately his condition has worsened recently.
He still plays veterans league bowls though and I can't imagine the extra difficulties of this game if vision is impaired over distance. 
David does pretty well though under the circumstances and as I said to him, he doesn't guess too badly!

Out of the last sixteen, this was a more favourable draw for me to get a game in, acclimatise to the green conditions and most likely do enough to get through.
I got in to a decent lead early on, but David had a good spell where he put some consecutive chalks on the board with some good bowls up that I couldn't match.
Just as I was sort of pleased for him landing a few good ones, I had to put my hard hat on to try and break him because I do know bowls is a funny old game and you can't give your opponent anything because momentum is a funny thing and can swing many a match. 
Thankfully at 18-11 I did break up another tidy two he had in waiting with a nice toucher and saw the match out from there.
Competition organiser Steve Wilson has tagged nicknames to all participants and David 'Green Fingers' Lister has been labelled as such having been gardener at both the Eagle and Fox Lane greens, where he was also a member for decades. Park keeping and other horticultural projects were his line of work too. A proper outdoorsy chap, he has walked many of the main coastal paths and Ways of the British Isles, climbed the Scottish Munroes, done some stuff in the Dolomites... not many places his feet haven't trodden. His brother was a handy fell runner for Clayton-le-Moors Harriers, racing on some very early Yorkshire Three Peaks races which David marshalled on the top of Ingleborough, cycling to Chapel-le-Dale from Burnley on a ninety mile round trip. Mr Lister's tales of his endurance and travels are always of obvious interest to me.

David said he wished he could have played me when he could see properly and was playing in his pomp and I agreed. Although I would most likely have been on the receiving end of a defeat from what I can gather.

'REAL DEAL' HAS ME ON THE RUN

EAGLE & CHILD PRESIDENT'S DAY

Quarter-Finals
v JACK DICKINSON L 14-21 (Off 2-2)

John 'The Running Man' Sutton was chasing from the off against Jack 'The Real Deal' Dickinson.
After winning the toss, I sent long and straight to the edge of the tricky far corner, only to find a good lead bowl beaten and that seemed to set the tone of things to come as Jack went on to win the next five or six ends with some very good bowling.
I didn't capitalise on the odd break here and there and Jack took up a convincing lead of 13-4. He looked like a young man on form with an eye on the prize.
Finally though, when I did get hold of the block and actually send something for Jack to think about, I had a decent run myself and put a bit of pressure on my opponent. But Jack's a good player and when there was a possible turning point in the match having clawed back to 14-16 with another possible two in waiting, he came through with perfect pace to tap the jack on for two of his own instead. Momentum swung back and I couldn't match 'The Real Deal' after that as he ran out to take a well deserved last four spot.

YOUNG LADS DOMINATE THE DAY

Within the bowling scene gossip you hear and read a lot of phraseology along the lines of, "the game is dying".*
Those who chuck that glass half-empty diagnosis around of all things crown green bowling should note that President's Day at our club this year was a reminder that any imminent death will be a much slower burn at the Eagle & Child with these lads on the books.
One eighteen year old and two twenty one year olds hogged the draw for the last four. Matt Brown was victorious on the day and became the youngest player to win the club's President's Day.
In the semi finals, Aaron Hayhurst and Jack Dickinson were denied at the penultimate hurdle by the eighteen year old champion and the last standing competitor of the old guard, Harry Derbyshire, who played superbly all day. Harry put up a fight in the final but was denied at 16-21 by Matt whose success was thoroughly deserved, showing his class to go all the way off a -3 handicap.

* "The game is dying..."

I don't know the world of crown green bowls in nearly enough depth, nor have I even played the game long enough to make bold statements about it.
What I do know is that progressively there are far fewer players, clubs, greens and leagues than say twenty-five years ago and beyond. Also there seems to be a consensus among bowlers that the sport's governing body have been neither use nor ornament in encouraging progress during that time.
Overall, it's probably fair to say the game is most certainly in decline.
To brutally state that "the game is dying" though, implies that it's death is both inevitable and imminent. Now that really is a bold statement. 

There are still enough people involved in the game now to push out another generation at least, slow the decline and maybe even mount a recovery. I might be talking complete bollocks, but if you enjoy the game why condemn it? 
"The game is dying" is an annoying phrase that does nothing to motivate or instigate changes needed to save it. Those that use the term regularly might ask themselves what they can do to help the game? Predicting it's demise from an armchair position will achieve nowt whatsoever. 

RUMBLED BY RELENTLESS RICHARD

Thursday 3rd August 2023
Leyland & District League Div-3: Eagle Reds 180-158 Vernons BC
v RICHARD FLYNN L 10-21

I already knew Richard as a friend of a very good friend. He started bowling not long before I did and I've seen a little bit of him in action here and there with good reason to think this would likely be a close contest. Even so, clearly I still underestimated the extent of this Penworthamian's capabilities upon his first match at the Eagle.
I didn't get off to the best of starts, taking a good few ends to find my length, but that wasn't to say Richard took the first five or six points on the cheap.
After that early wobble, although not as fluid as Sunday's game, I didn't play too badly really but my opponent was on it from the off and absolutely relentless.
Perhaps a touch of luck here and there over some close points would have pulled our scores a little closer, but basically I needed Richard to lose his way for a few ends to have any chance of getting near. As the game progressed though, a collapse or even just a lapse of any sort looked more and more unlikely. A blip was as good as he offered and on the odd occasion Richard blipped, I blipped too. As each end went by, so my belief began to drain a slow drip.

Excellent lead after excellent lead, failing that, very good corrections with his second wood. Any slack leads from me (sadly guilty of this cardinal sin again) were mopped up effectively. If Richard's consistency wasn't impressive enough, so was his guile and creativity. He was happy to explore the green with varied lengths and pegs rather than settle for repetitive marks to murder me on.
Even when I did send two round pegged beauties towards our smart new 'Town End' bench in the memory of Alan Marginson - who I like to think would have nodded his approval - Richard struck with venom and I had to be grateful he left me a single.
Bowlers often marvel at the small gaps a bowl can find, but the gap Richard's strike bowl zipped through after kicking up off the green at some velocity was most fortunate for our scorer Malcolm Jones. Somehow flying between the slightest of gaps between his legs and not cracking his shins, Malc had willingly mooched in to the line of fire for some reason and yet didn't seem phased at all by the near miss, turning around to retrieve Richard's wood from the undergrowth. It was only in retrospect that I considered the small mercies of fate in that split-second moment.
Back to the game and after hearing 4-10 called, it was 6-15 I think when I finally had two or three ends of minor joy.
Another insufficient lead was sucked up yet again by Richard though, and after another opportunity to claw back further was spurned at 10-18, Richard ran out with three more singles won over very slight margins but, that epitomised how difficult it was to beat his bowls.
Not ideal preparation for President's Day on Sunday I thought at first, but actually, yes. Perfect preparation! I'm really not going to get too much tougher a game than this to be honest. A bold statement when I look at some of the Eagles listed in the draw for the last sixteen. Nevertheless a fair testimony to Richard's game on here tonight. As good as anybody I've faced on home turf. 

Better fortunes overall on the team front, with only our second win of the season for Eagle Reds. Not quite enough to scrape us off the bottom of the table, but enough to give us a fighting chance of doing so before the season's end. 

FORM AND CONFIDENCE RETURNS OUT OF THE BLUE

Sunday 30th July 2023
EAGLE & CHILD PRESIDENT'S DAY TROPHY
1st Round
v ANDY SEXTON W 21-5 (Off +2 v -5)

Andy is still lumbered with a considerable handicap in this competition after his President's Day victory in 2021.
Starting the match with a large overall advantage of seven, I tootled down to the green feeling pretty good after a half hour run and second quadruple espresso of the day.
I considered the least of my ambition was just to keep things tight, prevent my opponent from any periods of dominance and that would be enough to squeeze through. The ideal scenario though, would be to win the game outright without needing the considerable handicapping to scrape through. .
Dark thoughts that it was my game to lose never really entered my head. I'd had a couple of chance practice games with the calming influence of Nigel Tomlinson yesterday and was feeling OK about my home game again.
This was the third meeting in club competition against Andy. In that final match two years ago, I'd run out of steam and was punching above my weight against the best player on the day and got spanked. Last summer we fought out a close game in the Members League, but felt I just about deserved the win. So there was reason to believe I had a good chance again if I played well enough.
The first few ends went either way but I felt I was rolling well and grew in confidence.
Confidence. A word not applicable to my bowling for a while. Out of the blue, I found some really good form.  

I had a decent little run with the block and put some good two's together which impacted some hurt on to the scorecard.
Hearing I was on eleven with Andy yet to get out of his handicap deficit, I felt in control and that I was only getting better as the match went on.
There was only one end in which I was disappointed with both my bowls. Most of my leads were good, which has been a bugbear of late, and generally hit a level I was very happy with. I played a less complicated game with more straight pegged ends and it seemed to work. 
Real score 19-10 in the end, so no reliance on the generous handicap. Although Andy was not on his game by any stretch, I played as well as I have done in recent times and didn't really give my opponent a chance.
With +2 on the card, if I can bottle up this level of confidence and performance for next week's finals day then I could be a pain on the arse for anybody. 
But it's all on the day, as they say.