POOR DO AT WATERLOO

Wednesday 8th August 2024

AUTUMN FLEETWOOD WATERLOO TROPHY

At Euston Green, Fleetwwod
FIRST ROUND QUALIFYING
v ANTHONY WALKER (Manchester) L 8-21 (off 3-3)

Of my previous five appearances having a go at the new Waterloo competition, first round draws have been brutal, including Lee Johnstone, Greg Smith and Dan Petcher. If you know, you know. This was yet another tough draw against Anthony who went on to despatch two more players on the day and qualify for the finals weekend along with the esteemed names of Callum Wraight, Noel Burrows and Craig Hopwood.
I came to Fleetwood hopeful, but probably more prepared than many to accept an exit at the first hurdle. That said, it was the manner of defeat which left me deflated and wondering why I bothered.
I was poor. I can play much better than this and after a promising start, just seemed to get myself in a pickle and unable to find a decent length. Confidence drained and I was easy pickings for my opponent, to whom, after ridiculously knocking a stray wood of his up to make two, I apologised for not giving him a decent warm-up match for the second round.
It wasn't all about me and my shortcomings though. Anthony played well and showed his class, particularly on short round pegs of the crown which were very difficult to fathom from his tightly positioned left-handed delivery.
At all-but, I managed to whip around his slightly short first ball to touch. Thoughts of getting double figures became a reasonable hunch until his second bowl tapped mine out to perfection. This chap knew what he was doing on here.

I made for the exit a touch embarrassed - not by the result at all - but generally the way I had played. I ended up nattering to Andy Lund before I departed. I played against Andy in the local leagues a couple of years ago and he had a cracking run to make the Quarter Finals here last year. I questioned the point of turning up for such competitions, but he was adamant I should stick at it and keep mopping up the experiences.
The Problem is that I'm just not playing well on the day in most of these singles comps and rarely scrape through a round. Only a decent game touches the sides amongst the sort of calibre of players I encounter. I've been very poor overall at the Waterloo competitions this year and I can't help but once again question myself about the justification of time and money spent entering when there seems so little sign of any progress having a go at this level.
It is about experience and so I'll take the experienced Mr Lund's advice of course and see what happens at the next singles comp. I played a good game against John Coupe back in May at the Hugh Hornby Merit. I can do it. I CAN do it! 

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

Monday 6th August 2024

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2:

Eagle & Child 'A' 144-145 Brownedge Blue
v KEVIN TRUBY W 21-15

Galavanting on holidays and short breaks lately, I've not been a stalwart regular on a Monday evening and so I really appreciated captain Steve Marginson saving my place.
The least I could do was get a win for the team and came out of a good game the right side against recent Longton Doubles winner, Kevin Truby.
There was little in it from the off, but the key to an eventual win seemed to be not going behind at any point in this nip and tuck affair. I showed a bit of uncharacteristic patience and good concentration levels which paid off.
Turning over peg successfully proved to be a particular deal breaker, either stealing in or adding a second counter and helped make the difference, as was mentioned by my opponent at the end. We were pretty much level in the scores department before I got a strong finish together to play some very good bowls at the right time.
It was a good game, I enjoyed it. I wouldn't have moaned too much if I'd lost, but it was all about those last four or five ends and I managed to put Kevin under a bit of pressure when it mattered.
Our team lost by a chalk for the second week running and despite taking five wins from eight games. That the three defeats were all to thirteen suggests ominous bad luck. With only one team relegated from this division though, some more reasonable point scoring should he enough to stay out of trouble. 
A notable win on the night was for junior player Henry Hoyles who has been chucked in at the deep end this season but seems to take it all in his stride. A superb win against Brownedge man Nathan Hargreaves. This match went right to the final end, but Henry played a perfect lead to put a serious feather in his cap.

JOLLY WELL BEATEN

Saturday 4th August 2024

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE PRESIDENT'S DAY (Mr Ken Price)

At Hesketh Bank Bowling Club
FIRST ROUND
v BRIAN JOLLY (East Ward) L 11-21

The resurrection of this historic competition - not played since 2019 before the COVID outbreak - turned out to be a bonus bowling outing after being selected by Harry Glynn on behalf of the Eagle Reds team.
Whilst perusing notes in the competition programme, a chap next to me is getting his woods out and asks me who he's playing. He's got Terry McMullan, the winner five years ago and highly fancied to retain the trophy. 

"I won this back in 1969 you know", says said chap with a smile. Wow! Sure enough, he points his name out on the list of previous winners. Reg Alty. Fifty-five years on and now playing the chap who won it fifty years after his own success.

The match lived up to it's fascinating billing, with Reg rolling back the years and leading for much of the match until Terry ground his way back to lead 20-19. Reg saved the match with an incredible bowl to the corner when Terry looked to have done enough. The 82 year old then goes long to the opposite corner and sends a front touching lead to win it. It was a pleasure to watch.

The fairytale ended in the last eight for Reg, but once again the match went to the wire and Brian Jolly squeezed past him on the last end.
Prior to that, I was Brian's first round opponent. The vastly experienced East Ward bowler has won fifteen from sixteen in Division Two so far this season and wasn't the least difficult draw on the card by any means.
I didn't start well with ample room to win the first end yet still conceded two. After then going six down, I showed a bit of grit and sent a few decent bowls to come back to 7-9. But it was perhaps an underlying lack of belief, concentration, or both that I played two terrible ones on the next end which really was key to how the remainder of the match would pan out.
Again, Brian did leave opportunities at times but I just didn't snaffle them. Whilst I provided glimpses of good bowling, glimpses were never going to be enough against this, or in fact any potential opponent that day.
A first round knockout was hardly unexpected, but it was tough coming off that green at the end having not played as well as I would have liked.
I think I was playing the occasion rather than just the match and got a bit tensed up in front of a loyal little following from our club and a few other folk around the green who I've become familiar with in the game.
However, I got there and can put it down to experience.
Sadly, the competition's resurrection could be just a temporary one. Bizarrely, out of thirty-six teams and twenty-five clubs that play in the Leyland & District League, organiser David Hughes was pulling his hair just to get the sixteen players required for a finals day knockout. Not quite sure why this is, but it's a sad reflection.
The competition invites one representative from each team, normally one of the players with the most wins from a team and I don't understand why more bowlers didn't come forward to pick their wits against some of the league's best.
Aaron Hayhurst was the Eagle 'A' team (Eagle Blues) representative and showed his quality and competition experience to make the semi-finals, leading out for the match but going down 19-21 to eventual winner Shaun Fisher. My opponent Mr Jolly also went out in the last four to Penwortham's finalist, Callum Foster. 

JUST THE TONIC TO START THE MONTH

Thursday 1st Augist 2024

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-3: New Longton 'B'  175- 139 Eagle Reds

v DAVID DAWSON W 21-9

After another cheeky long weekender camping, missing another Monday night match left last Thursday's defeat to fester long and hard.
It must have done some good though. This felt like a return to the form I've been struggling to rediscover.
For the second week in succession I was drawn a rematch from this season's corresponding fixtures. David is a very composed player who can bowl well so I knew this was going to be a challenging game and especially on his home patch.
Following concentration issues last week, in the build up to waiting to go on at number ten I was determined to keep my head in the right place to maintain a readiness and eagerness for a tough game ahead.
Not allowing too many distractions, a bit of time around the green on my own, making sure I had some periods sat down after a full day on my feet, enough water consumed to go for a pee at least three times... basically anything I thought I didn't get right last Thursday when I started sloppy and allowed Mr Darch to dictate.
Greens are finally running a bit now after a period of much less rain than we've been used to over the last twelve months. Without a win yet at New Longton's Windsor Avenue expanse, I set out to keep things simple. Straight peg, nowt too complicated and send a good lead.
Typical then that it was a switch to the more risky strategy of round pegging that swung the match in my favour.
There was little in it early on and I was satisfied with that. I was playing fairly soundly and not letting David dominate possession of the jack.
If my opponent was trying to find a mark that I couldn't get to grips with, I actually managed to do that myself with a short lead bowl and an overly pinged second that conceded a cheap two. I should've known better to lead out where I did, it was an area of the green I was hopeless with during practice but I was trying to get out of the way of the other game still on. There was a lot of noise coming from the Banksy v Farrington affair. Sending those two clangers proved to be a turning point though.
Livid at the sheer pantsness of those two wayward woods, I did something else I didn't do last week and take a nice deep breath. I've noticed when I get worked up I might not actually breathe at all, so I thought I might make a point of doing so!
David led well to the corner, I was on a better road andl yet just shy but knocked it up with my next one which I think was a winner anyway had it not made contact, so I wouldn't concede it was fortuitous.
From here I decided to round peg to the social club corner, given that David had tried to send me there twice himself but not succeeded. Then retrace our steps along the side of the green towards the other corner. Back and forth, I seemed to get more and more accurate and put the heat on David who started to strike. One hit splattered the lot, but luckily I still held two. I got to nineteen and then sent another toucher in to the club corner. Surprisingly, David had a go at it with his first wood but missed. I turned over straight peg to try and block, but such was my feel for a length I sent another very close one and made a slightly bigger target.
Once again though, David's power wasn't quite matched by precision and I ran out to win. This latter half of the match is as well as I've played all season. I feel like a free spirit away from home this season and have produced most of my best performances on the road.
This game is as much a state of mind as it is of technique and skill. One bad game doesn't make you a crap player overnight, any less than a very good game turns you in to King Brian Duncan II.
Aside from playing better this year, I've learned that when I can settle in to the right balance of focus and relaxation and really enjoy what I'm doing, I can give most folk a game. 

BACK TO THE DARCH SIDE

Thursday 25th July 2024

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-3: Eagle Reds 168-201 Victoria

v MARK DARCH L 16-21

No sooner had I give myself a big warm hug for getting some home form together, I start a game bloody awfully and find myself ten down for the second time this season.
Mark was on his game, of that there is no doubt. But I just wasn't getting things right at all in these early exchanges and no surprises then that the dark side returned.
I seemed to have departed myself from producing the natural basics of bowling and the frustration boiled up. There was inevitability a reaction and I side footed a bowl towards the nearby visitors end ditch, only for it to kick up and clank around in the chairs and back of the stand to make it sound a lot worse than it was. I've seen bowls fly in there at over thirty miles per hour and bury themselves in the gutter. How that tame act of petulance made it up on to the concrete flags I do not know.
As a result, it was sincere and humble apologies to our visitors from just North of the Ribble and also my waiting opponent who must've wondered what all the kerfuffle was about.
As is the norm though, a bit of tension release brings about a spell of much better bowls.
I started to put some good ones up and find some accurate length. That said, even a cracking two wasn't enough against Mark on one particularly high class end though. But it's ends like that I can deal with losing.
I knew I was clawing back some respectability to the score, but little did I know at the time that 0-10 had been turned around to 13-13 and on merit. Mark's game hadn't really wavered.
If only I could have pressed the reset button at this point. Instead, I reverted to earlier form with a couple of loose ends and then, rather than scrap my way back again, I drove myself to distraction and make a total dog's bollock of the next three ends. Firstly, flinging two off the green on a mark I normally enjoy after just getting the jack back. Then I can't send line or length on Mark's straight forward mark across the visitors end. Mark hits nineteen here and my scorer Alan Robinson tells me I'm fifteen. I'm still in it, but I honestly think I'd done my own head in. From there, Mark then sends me round peg to our Town End bench, which again is a staple of my home mark diet. First one narrow, second one I turn over and shoot through with still too much juice in my arm. Game over.
My concentration levels weren't up to the job this evening, even after I managed to have a decent spell.
Mark played very well and was solid all game, avenging my victory over him at his place earlier in the season. He said later it's as well as he's played this year, which on one hand is a compliment, but I've gone ten down here, resolved the issue, but then got myself in a mess again. As much as applauding my opponent, I can't help but be very bloody cross with myself. It's a strange old game, as I do keep on mentioning.
Eagle Reds are on a bad run now after early season promise and my reverse was part of a resounding 3-7 loss on the night. 

AUGUST TO DEFINE A SEASON OF PROMISE

There's no doubt my bowling has improved this season. Testimony to this alone would be the amount of away wins taken. Three or four notable performances have tapped in to yet another level that I must now drive towards on a consistent basis.
I should be grateful for some improvement, but just lately it's felt like my game has gone off a bit. Win or lose, I'm not not coming off the green with an all round satisfaction of how I have played.
Everyone has a poor match now and again, but there's just something not quite clicking that happily did click away earlier in the season. Maybe I've missed too many Monday games on holiday and generally not played or practiced enough the last month or so?
Whatever, it's vital to find that better form again or a season of promise could easily dwindle in to the very ordinary during a busy August. This next month is a real test, along with league fixtures there's Leyland League President's Day, Autumn Waterloo, Eagle & Child President's Day and Farington Singles. I want to do myself some justice in these competitions, but to do so I need to get my head in the right space and get some confidence going again.
  

A BIT OF HOME COMFORT

Monday July 22nd 2024

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2:

Eagle & Child 'A' 160-123 Coppull 'A'
v ALWYN JONES W 21-11

As our home green at the Eagle begins to recover, there's more grass on there now than I've ever seen on it. It seems quite sensible to me that it's not being cut too often or too hard. Whilst this means it runs a bit stiff at times and arguably an easier green to for visiting players to adapt to, there would seem little point in undoing the good work and scalping it, especially with the first dry spell of the whole year imminent.
The surface is improving all the time and finally I'm starting to gain a bit of confidence on there again. It's only taken a few months!
This match started out a very close affair against left hander Alwyn. There was nothing in it for a long spell. I might have got to double figures first but my opponent had a good spell to come back and should really have punished me harder with his second bowl maybe three or four times. As such, I still had a point lead at 12-11 but then suddenly found good length and put a good run together. As I gained more belief, Alwyn's seemed to sap and it was a combination of a block of good consistent bowling from myself and Alwyn just not putting them up as well as he was earlier that helped me see the game out from that point.
With seven winners on the night, a crucial point scoring evening for the team in our efforts to stave off a relegation threat. 

WINNING THE HARD WAY AGAIN

Thursday 11th July 2024

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-3:

Eagle Reds 179-187 Ashton BC 'B'
v MICK CROSS W 21-20

For all the inconsistency and subsequent frustrations during this match, I shouldn't berate myself with the usual self depricating dribble and instead credit myself for somehow finding a way of winning it.
After the boost of coming out the right side of a close match two nights earlier, there seemed to be a bit of extra bite that's been missing this season when games have wound up to a close finish.
Mick played a very good game and didn't give me any freebies at all, I had to earn more or less every single point against him. Given that I wasn't playing as well as I wished, this made for an uncomfortable evening on the whole.

The old temperament chestnut did crack on the occasion when my second wood was foot-scooped off the green on to the concrete flags after the first one was sent nowhere near the land, sending me over the edge after a period of struggling to play to as well as I think I can.
I got the words, "Now, now, steady on lad" from teammate Arthur Parker, the most famous lollipop man in Leyland of twenty-two years just down the road from home, featured on BBC local News having now finally retired at a still spritely 87. 

I certainly didn't want to upset Arthur, but it was sheer frustration and for all my efforts to put a lid on being reactive, something still has to be released occasionally to settle down and get my game together.
It was at this point I trailed 10-16 and post-tantrum, could envisage little more than trying to get a decent score from the game and gloss over defeat as best I could.
Crown green never fails to prove itself a funny old game though because I then put together my first consistently decent run and suddenly put Mick under a bit of pressure. 
It was a typically chilly Summer 2024 evening again but I had stripped down to my short-sleeved shirt having got a bit of a cob on with myself and my opponent was quite visibly sweating up too. With the green now to ourselves, it got a bit tense out there.
Just as I got myself a point ahead and had two more good ones up in waiting, Mick produced a fantastic weighted effort to knock the jack up for two of his own.
It went down to the wire. I chose a fairly uncomplicated straight pegger and my lead was two feet short. Mick shot through by three feet. I corrected my second bowl very nicely indeed, a little wide of my first but knowing it would peg inside if the pace was right and it was.
This left Mick with a big headache for last bowl of the match. He came over and had a look at them. I'm not sure what I'd have done myself? Probably followed my last bowl with a bit more weight and hope to get lucky. Mick came in with weight but missed all and thankfully I scratched out a win from the jaws of defeat for a second time this week.
Not exactly happy with how I've been playing overall, but most of my losses this season have been tight affairs that could have gone the other way so it's been good to finish a couple of games a bit stronger.
Our team did well against one of the stronger sides in the division, losing the match only by a few chalks in the end. A great win from that man Arthur Parker coming back against their top block Peter Dyson 21-20. John Waddecar back on form and also Phil Donnelly, Judith Farrell and Alan Robinson taking victories to shore up a decent night of point scoring.
In a match I was scoring earlier in the evening, Barry Wright came back brilliantly against the division's leading bowler Joan Beer from 1-8 down to 13-12 up, but just lost momentum to see out an upset.

....................

Since the Ashton game, holiday time and a couple more short breaks ahead are set to affect my Monday nights in the Chorley league mainly, but a very busy bowling August ahead with four additional competitions on the horizon.
After eight bowlless days, I managed to tap up Aaron to put me through my paces and jolt me straight back to a competitive level. He did just that, two good games but beaten to eleven and fourteen. I couldn't touch him on his current form and there is now a small gap on our fireplace where the Hargreaves Cup has departed to the house next door. 

TIGHT MARGINS VERSUS MARGE

Tuesday 9th July 2024

PRESTON & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-4: Eagle & Child 'B' 161-189 Longton VM 'B'

v MARJORIE PROCTOR W 21-19

Another hot and cold performance was only just hot enough to get the better of impressive bowler Marge. 
With a couple of Mondays out of the picture for the very reasonable excuses of a stepdaughter's graduation ceremony and a week away, the offer to help out on a Tuesday in the Preston League was duly snapped up to keep up some match practice.
Coasting in to a 5-0 lead early was a very brief feeling of comfort before Marge made herself at home on the Eagle green putting up good leads on quite a few marks that her smaller woods took a distracting line that my larger ones didn't necessarily follow. Note to self to sometimes just concentrate on following the jack!
It turned in to a very tough match, nip and tuck going in to the late teens. Even putting some of my best bowls up wasn't enough as Marge had a habit of finding perfection if I had two good ones on.
At 18-17, I found perfection myself with two belters on a peggy mark near the north edge of the green. Even Marge couldn't mess those two up. But then I messed up myself next end needing just one to win.
Luckily, my opponent also missed her chance to lead out for the match and left me with a good yard to fill to both save and win it.
Marge will have been within her rights to feel disappointed at not winning the match, but as I said to her at the end, it was very close and could easily have gone either way.
I made the preconceived decision not to go chucking a veteran lady long. Especially after this Eagle team's vice-captain, club treasurer, caterer and general wonder woman Pat Lewis (5ft nowt and in her 82nd year) was taken to the corners - and the cleaners - by her younger male opponent, who at least had the grace to apologise for picking on his opponent not being able to reach.
Chalks are chalks, it's a team game and all that... but bloody hell. This is the fifth tier out of five in the Preston League. Nobody wins the proverbial town clock in this division.
Marjorie probably would have reached anyway, but I stuck to my purist principles and, well, almost regretted it! But the win feels better having tried to play bowls than just chucking.

The thing is, if I ever play the long game I want to be effective at it. Not just reach, but get close and consistent with it. I'm not there yet. I've probably rambled before about sending woods that reach and yet still two yards off the jack. It's not my idea of point scoring at any level.
Five winners each in this match, but Longton ran out on chalks. Chucking long against Pat actually did make a difference unfortunately.
I quite liked the vibe in this new Eagle 'B' team, of a few seasoned vets I've already teamed up with, quite a few keen crown green beginners and the potentially precocious talent of junior player Henry Hoyles. Henry has a much more controlled game than when I paired with him in last year's Spring club doubles. He's playing a lot of bowls matches now and that can only help him grow further in the game. 

ANOTHER AWAY WIN SO MUSTN'T GRUMBLE

Thursday 4th July 2024

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-3:

Longton VM 180-160 Eagle Reds
v GRAHAM JOHNSON W 21-12

A game of good ends and bad ends on Longton's lush main green that was running beautifully.
Fair to say I scored more good ends than bad ends which reflected in the scoreline.
Graham looked as if he was going to be a very tough opponent early on, with a nice delivery about him, but too often his length let him down. Neither of us had a particularly long stretch with the jack, although I did have a decent run along the bottom section of the green which Graham surprisingly just wasn't getting his head around despite home advantage. This seemed to be where a decent lead was built. Despite the hot and cold nature of this performance, I seemed able to pick a good bowl out when I had to. Besides, an away win is never to be baulked at so I shouldn't pick too many critical holes in myself, even though I want to. This season my results continue to be better on my travels more than at home on the Eagle. 
Our team result wasn't a total disaster with three winners on a big tricky green. 
What a bowling facility at Longton. Last season when I visited here, the second green next door to the main one had gone to pasture. Now it looks in fine nick, just like the main one.
Two greens with lots of character and lovely surfaces side by side, social club bar and plenty of sheltered spectating. A good sized car park too, what a bloody good venue. This may sound like a review for a spoof 'Crown Green Visitors Guide', but Longton VMSC is one of quite a few local gems going strong. 

HALF A JOB JOHN

Monday 1st July 2024

CHORLEY &DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2;

Black Horse  'A' 164-129  Eagle & Child 'A'
v GRAHAM ALTY L 19-21

Affectionately and not with malice (I hope!) my colleagues in the workplace would occasionally call me "Half a Job John".
I mean, I think I do actually do my job, whatever that may be because I haven't really got a description as such, but occasionally I can get distracted by other arising tasks and forget to backtrack... therefore leaving half a job.
In my defence, said colleagues can be overzealous in their condemnation, for literally I cannot do two things at once.
But that is the legend of Half a Job John!
Half a job is becoming something of a habit on the bowling green too, as personified by letting yet another lead and potentially benchmark win slip away.
I started the brightest against form player Graham, whose record proves he has been a difficult player to beat this season. The home player's initial sloppiness might have contributed in the first few ends, but I began to lead well and was full value for a 13-4 lead, after just getting the block back straight away with two absolute crackers on a long peggy mark over the crown.
I knew Graham was not going to meekly concede though and consistently led out well to go on a run. Although managing to mainly restrict him to singles, he ground himself back in to it very well and lead 14-15. 

From there, ownership of the jack changed hands regularly and three or four times when I got back in I didn't manage to lead well or take off from where I had left off earlier. This proved to be my downfall. There must have been four or five occasions when I let myself down and just didn't put Graham under pressure when I had the chance. Knocking him up when going for a two didn't help, but I scrapped away and still got to 19-19 with jack in hand.
I tried as simple a straight mark as I could, but the wonderful green at the Black Horse in Croston doesn't do many simple straight marks. My first bowl drifted from the straight jack line and my second found the road but shot through.
Pretty fed up with myself at that, there was more than enough room for Graham to take the match and deservedly so because I had my chances and fluffed them.

I think perhaps I can't concentrate for long enough in a match and I need to address that.
Now three of my five defeats in the Chorley league this year have seen leads of nine, ten or more overturned. I got off to handy starts in two of my three losses in the Leyland league too. 

It's not so much a worrying trend, for it's been against good and experienced players... so just getting in to that leading position in the first place is a measure of progress. Needless to say though, it's a bit annoying.
Most of my league losses this season certainly might not, or should not have been. I've never been able to state that before, so whilst half a job it may have been, at least it's a good half!
Only one winner for our Eagle team on the night as our SOS man Geoff Bibby salvaged a point. It's looking like a tough second half of the season to stay up.
First day of July and it's still not warm enough to play an evening out in just one layer. Definitely the coolest Summer I can remember for over a decade. I've known cool and wet ones before, but it's certainly a chilly breeze for the time of year.
Excellent running conditions, but not condusive to pottering around a drafty bowling green all evening. 

RUNNING ON THE BACKBURNER

Good running conditions it may be, but, same old story and another period of a month or so without running has gone by.

Not injury or illness thankfully, but having recently taken on a big domestic job (a massive job and certainly not half a job) it's been pointless committing myself in a half arsed manner.

To be fair to the bowling side of things too, I've not been practicing much and just playing my league matches.

Not running can also affect my bowls I think, from a psychological point of view anyway. Getting a bit of running pain through the system and those endorphins flowing improves endurance for concentration and could also be the gateway to arouse that little bit of extra belief and spirit to get a close game won. 

We'll see. Running shoes definitely back on shortly when I go on holiday.

LADY LUCK PAYS BACK IN FULL WHEN I DIDN'T NEED IT

Thursday 27th June 2024

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-3:

Eagle Reds 158-184 Bretherton 'A'
v JACK TAYLOR W 21-5

A bit of surface water from a few heavy showers bounced on to a dry green and made bowling a push during practice, but by the time young Jack and I came on last match, the moisture had soaked in and the green was running again. 
By his own admission, Jack wasn't adjusting well and whilst it took a few ends to settle myself, a lead quickly built up against the young Brethertonian. I was playing fairly solidly, but sometimes my second counter wasn't always good enough really and yet still made the cut.
On a few occasions Jack was unlucky not to hit something and make a difference. When I did land two poor short ones, unbelievably Jack managed to knock me up when trying to get past for two. I couldn't help but sympathise with him, I didn't deserve owt at all for those two very lazy woods. 

It was like all the close shaves of bad fortune I've had in the last two matches were paid back in full by Lady Luck when installments would have been a more beneficial return.
Jack needed a break of luck more than I did. I didn't give him the opportunity to get going really. By the time he started showing more of what he's capable of, I was approaching the finishing line and at all-but it must be said that the last end would have graced any match, anywhere.
In front of the visitors end, Jack led out on a swinging round peg in to the corner and sent a great lead bowl, but I nipped in to reply with a front toucher. Jack then plays an incredible bowl, tapping mine up slightly to release the jack and his bowl trickles on around the back to count. 
The jack was just about in view though now and so I turned over peg and landed another toucher. It was a cracking end. 
Bretherton have another young lad, Sam Minshull in this team and both Sam and Jack are nice lads, keen bowlers and I hope to see them develop in to very good players over the coming years. The game needs lads (and lasses) like these, and more of them.
It wasn't a good result for Eagle Reds on the night though. Some close games, but only three winners to Bretherton's seven sees our opponents pass us in the table and we slump back to second from bottom despite a promising first half of the season. 

DENNIS WAS A MENACE

Monday 24th June 2024

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2:

Eagle & Child 'A' 132-155 Black Horse
v DENNIS NORRIS L 16-21

It soon became clear my opponent Dennis was going to be tough nut to crack and the last thing you need when up against a better player is bad fortune.
Knocking the jack up to him twice in the first three ends was just the sort of generosity he didn't need.
That said, I had a good spell to come back and lead 7-5 but inconsistency let me down this evening. My lead bowls switched from devine to dreadful and I just couldn't keep the block for more than an end.
Dennis punished even the slightest mistakes and kept nudging further ahead as we went in to double figures. Another couple of unfortunate clips of the jack went against me too.
At 14-20 I played a brilliant end to take two and give myself a fighting chance, but then sent a terrible lead next end. Dennis sends a good lengthed bowl difficult to beat. I'm on the perfect road but frustratingly short and it's a third home defeat in four Chorley league matches at the Eagle. A fortress no longer. 
I played very well in parts against the Black Horse man, but it required more than that to get this chap on the back foot. He adapted very well to our still changeable green conditions. A bit of homework afterwards reveals Dennis, nice chap as well as a good bowler, doesn't lose many in any of the leagues he plays in.

It was a good show all round from the visitors, a good side who won five from eight to sit level on points with league leaders Bretherton. 

BURNT IN BURNLEY

Sunday 23rd June 2024

TERRY MAGUIRE DOUBLES

At St Andrews Bowling Club, Burnley
First Round
Paired with AARON HAYHURST
v DEAN BUTLER & LEE LONGSANDS L 6-21 (off 3-3)

Perhaps the less said the better about a late invitation to join Aaron in a doubles competition at Burnley. We can do nowt but try and take something from the experience.
Neither of us played well and we didn't get a chance against this strong East Lancs pairing who clearly knew the green well enough.
Lee Longsands, recent winner of the Hugh Hornby Merit, knocked us out from the back if we did get in and Dean Butler led well and consistently from the front.
Winning the toss, with tails on a one pound coin that rolled on it's side and threatened to stay upright (that's how lush the green was) I trickled the jack in to the ditch straight away and that start epitomised the rest of the match for us.
We did limit our opponents to singles on the first four ends, but our resistance popped when conceding a four on end five and the curtains started to draw on us.
I was out of my depth here, straight in to the firepit on this green with no practice whilst Aaron just didn't perform to his usual standards and we were probably the easiest first round pickings from a stacked field of Lancashire and Yorkshire bowlers.
What a cracking green and set up though. I can only hope I get a crack at playing here again one day. 

A LONG NIGHT IN THE VERNONS DEN

Thursday 20th June 2024

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-3

Vernons BC 206-154 Eagle Reds

v BRIAN PROCTOR L 15-21

I'd already had a long day in more ways than one, but it was also the Summer solstice. The longest day is the very best evening to be last match on at Vernons whilst their floodlights await a repair job one day.
I had a good idea I would be facing the very experienced Brian again here and sure enough that was the case. I knew what to expect and began the match playing very well indeed, picking up some well placed twos and Brian having to produce great woods and one imparticularly incredible bowl to keep my score down.
Slowly though, after a couple of ends where I could have led better, Brian had a decent run although I limited him to singles, even when he was stretching me out long distances. It was developing in to a good game. Brian just about in charge of momentum, I had a few ends cross with myself at rolling short, but I'd evened the score back at 12-12.
The next end was one I won't forget for two unbelievable reasons. Firstly, I picked up the wrong wood as Brian approached after sending his second. I've no idea why I did that, it really had been a long day, it was just a silly mistake.
It was on a shortish mark and the first three bowls weren't great, you could see what was happening from the mat pretty clearly and a Vernons teammate had also indicated to Brian he was one down.
It didn't need to be a toucher to win it, an easy bowl for Brian and he was well on his way to walking across before I stupidly picked up that second counter.

"Oh flippin' 'eck Brian, I'm sorry I picked the wrong one up".
I was expecting something along the lines of a wry smile and, "Aye go on, I'll let you off... this time."
Instead, my opponent says, "Oh?? I'll take the two then I'm afraid", and raises both arms to the scorers!
I actually couldn't believe it. If it wasn't so clearcut, I'd have expected what was coming and obviously accepted the consequences. But it wasn't a tight end and it was perfectly clear what was going on. Also, this is Division Three, the basement division of the Leyland & District League, we weren't playing for money.

It was an honest, all be it daft mistake and I expected to receive a small dose of good sportsmanship under the circumstances. Instead, I thought my opponent was being ever so slightly an arsehole and inside I was riled.
I got back to 15-15 and had the chance for two, convinced I'd adjusted wide enough to pass his short one, but somehow knocked Brian up instead. That summed things up from then on.
Back to being launched long, corner to corner again, unfortunate not to get in at one side but nowhere near at the other where Brian was wrapping his lead around superbly. Brian then gets a sketchy two from all four bowls scattered yards away to go to nineteen and plays a belting lead next end. My head had gone by now. I just wanted to get out of there and go home. I sling both woods too strong and off the green. That's that. Total head fucker.
I should have laughed off the whole incident earlier. That way, I'd have stayed relaxed and maybe got myself back in to the mode I started the game in.
Rules are rules, yes. But there's also unwritten ones in sport. I suppose I'm judging the man based on what I would have done in that exact same circumstances.
How do you go home and rest easy though, after taking a point you know damn well wasn't yours - a defaulted one at best?
We are very different people.
Last week in the reverse fixture, Chris Jones kicked the bowls in before we had a look and I might have had two. I overlooked it, but said to myself I won't let him do it again. Maybe I'm too soft, too nice?
In the end, I decided not to shake Brian's hand. A rare and controversial move in this game. Then I hear folk chunnering at greenside implying I'm a bad sport... the absolute irony. 
I explained to Brian why I was resisting to shake and that I wouldn't have done the same to him. He said rules are rules, that I'm a good player but I need to learn these things.
There's a stark element of truth in what he said there, but days later I'm still convinced it was shithousery to take the extra when it was clear it wasn't on.
Regarding the handshake, I said I'd sleep on it. I'll probably offer my hand one day and have the conversation, but for now I'm a bit pissed off and the dust hasn't settled with me.
One thing I do need to learn is not to let things affect my game. Just as happened last year against the very same player, unexpected happenings got my heckles up which probably cost me a better chance to win.
Yes, Brian Proctor is right in that I certainly need to learn and I will definitely put it down to experience.
Last week in the reverse fixture, my opponent Chris complained his teammates were "keeping dry" and not supporting around the green. They were away from home on a damp evening in old Leyland suburbia. On their own patch though, under a beautiful summer evening, they are a contrastingly rowdy lot. The football equivalent of visiting Vernons Bowling Club would be the 1980's Millwall. A rough around the edges venue, tough place to get a win, where something seems to happen more than you bargained for and the home contingent like to give you a bit of lip!
Steve Loynd was our only winner, to seventeen against my pal Lee Dalton in a tight game, with Lee coming back strong.
On the whole though, we took a proper battering in the Vernons 'Den'.

FAVOURITE GREEN BAR NONE

Monday 17th June 2024

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2 :
Bretherton 156-121 Eagle & Child 'A'
v JOHN BAINES W 21-12

Two visits to Bretherton's green in the space of a few weeks. I'm a lucky boy. I could happily play there every week.
John started off really well and looked confident, winning the first three ends and knocking out a good two I'd made. He was aggressive when I got in, knocking me out a few more times, but if you keep on getting two decent woods up there your opponent has a lot to do. I managed to keep up a standard I was really happy with most of the game and put some scoring distance between us
Unfortunately, I did get a bout of allbutitus - an affliction when you get to twenty and start getting tetchy, sloppy or both.
It started having sent the jack for the match, but then waiting for one of my teammates to pass on a mark I nailed to win here a couple of weeks ago with a very good two. The wait didn't do me favours, this time I'm a yard short then more than two yards over. John wraps it up with his second bowl, then wins the next two ends and I'm nowhere. Thankfully, a really scatty end between us playing off a ridge down to the clubhouse ends up being mine by the slightest of margins from George Lloyd's double-check measuring.
Not a graceful finish by any stretch, but I played well for most of the match and it was a good away win.
Only two winners in total on the night for our struggling "A' team, Geoff Bibby our other winner with a good victory over Peter Stringfellow. Bretherton showing their strength in depth on the night despite key players Neil and Sharon Rigden away in the Isle of Man for the Tourists competitions. 

SLEEPING EASIER AFTER A HOME WIN

Thursday 13th June 2024 

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-3: 

Eagle Reds 156-176 Vernons BC

v CHRIS JONES W 21-9

It was good to put Monday's match behind me and take a comfortable win. David Green's comeback was put to rest and I could peacefully nod off fairly quickly and avoid another day in the workplace hanging on to yawns in such a desperately goosed state as Tuesday.
It wasn't altogether pretty against Chris, but thankfully enough to keep me on track as I try hard to rekindle the purple patch of form a few weeks ago.
Chris played some ends extremely well and showed what he can do, but struggled in some areas of our green and got himself rattled by his teammates not circulating around the green for support. (More on that later)
My opponent took the first three ends, which I'm thoroughly used to now at the Eagle, but I came back with two decent twos and then had a good stretch of success over the middle of the crown to take further advantage.
When Chris did break my progress, they were very good woods but he just couldn't keep me out for more than an end after his handy start.
I sent some good ones up, but not enough to be truly satisfied with myself. Good twos were hard to come by and whilst I did score quite a few doubles, often it wasn't the prettiest second that nevertheless counted.
It's the return fixture at Vernons next week as tonight marks the halfway mark of the Leyland League season.
Our team have enjoyed much better results than last season when we were propping up the table for much of it and currently lie ninth from twelve and outside the bottom three. Four winners against fifth placed Vernons tonight was a decent effort. Vernons have an outside chance of promotion with five or six solid players who win regularly. A
Nine wins from eleven so far and my form away from home has been the real game changer this season. Four wins out of five on the road in this league and five from seven including Chorley League - both defeats at 20-21 and should've bloody won them.
Some tough games to come, even tougher I suspect. I need to tap in to the form I showed not long ago with a bit more consistency and if I can repeat the second half of the season with another seven, preferably eight or nine wins then that would cap off a much improved season very nicely indeed.

CHRIS CROSS WITH TEAMMATES
My opponent Chris got himself distracted by a lack of support around the green from his Vernons teammates.
He was quite vocal about it so I'm sure he wouldn't mind me mentioning it. I thought his frustrations were understandable, but was surprised he let it affect his game so much. If teammates know he likes someone around the green for him, then there should have been. Earlier on Chris was busy giving information, coming on to help measure and the rest of it, so to have nobody seemingly interested in his game (even his scorer stayed putt under the visitors end roof) it became a bone of contention.
Sometimes when Chris wanted information, there wasn't a Vernons player even near enough to shout over to, so just played his wood anyway and then got more annoyed when he lost the end.
I guess we are all teams of individuals and probably some more than others.

What team players are expected to do or don't do around the green when they're not playing appears to be quite subjective and that's why there can be disharmony about it I suppose.

I sit with a very centre ground opinion on this because personally I prefer to play a game without constant information or advice which I can find distracting. I'll ask nicely if I want to know. Encouragement is great, obviously, and I'll take that. Clichés and statements of the obvious can drive me mad, but I politely absorb them because it's part of the game and I know it's just folk just trying to help.
Off the green, if scoring on a match say, on a Thursday night when I'm left to my own devices, I generally follow that match around so I am there for any questions, but trying to avoid being noticed or in the line of play. Sometimes I might get chatting and stay in the same place for a few ends... whatever goes really.
On Mondays though, our captain Steve gives us zonal areas to cover. I try my best to comply but it isn't entirely practical all of the time and especially when we have a small squad. Steve gets frustrated when someone's not at their post, such as when I was sorting drinks out with my opponent in the clubhouse last Monday and then ended up embroiled in a number of short conversations. You can't be in two places at the same time.

Competitive bowling it certainly is, but certainly at the level I play at it's undeniably also a social thing and I still want to have time to talk or have the crack with people, otherwise the whole evening is just too intense and takes away some of the enjoyment. 

SICK AS A GREEN PARROT

Monday 10th June 2024

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2: Eagle & Child 'A' 147-150 Fox Lane 'A'

v DAVID GREEN L 17-21

In the ladies 20K walking race at the European Athletics Championships in Rome a few days ago, Laura Garcìa-Caro was in third place down the home staight of the arena and grabbed the national flag to wave and drape around her shoulders.
The Spanish lass was all smiles, punching the air with joy at the prospect of a bronze medal.
It's always worth a shoulder check though. Unbeknown to Laura, a Ukrainian athlete Lyudmila Olyanovska was making up significant ground and incredibly claimed the third podium place just a few strides from the line.
Missing out on an athletics championship medal far outweighs losing a bowls match in the second tier of the Chorley & District League (Just!) and at 14-2 up, I definitely wasn't flag waving and know only too well that in this game, you've won nowt at all until you reach 21.
But there may have been a momentary similarity in how Garcia-Caro must have felt as success slipped through her grasp to what was going through my mind after taking a commanding lead before throwing it away. Failing to break David's comeback on seemingly simple, piddly straight peg marks that barely broke the minimum distance was painful submission.
In the aftermath it just felt totally ridiculous that I didn't manage to get in for nine ends and that the match ran away from me.
Lessons learned though in that I should have been aggressive whilst still with a healthy lead and sent some disruptive bowls with more weight. Something would have happened eventually, but instead I kept trying to play the perfect wood, convinced eventually it would come.
An inch out here, an inch out there, a couple of wafer thin measures and yet it just didn't happen.
I just needed to get out of that hole I was in and was confident of taking him anywhere else on the green and finishing the job off, but it wasn't to be. David's run of woods to win were cleverly close but not clustered and so never creating a big, tempting target.
Early on I was playing fine. David however, was nowhere near the player I've seen on many occasions and wasn't getting a length. Those two factors combined meant I flew off in to a big lead quite rapidly.
Having got out of his first attempt at draining me with the short and straight game, I won a couple of ends to move up to seventeen and was holding two more. It was looking like I was back in the driving seat until a fantastic bowl from David proved to be the turning point and his winning run commenced.
Interestingly, the friendly New Zealander can be more parrot than kiwi with a lot to say when he's losing. He doesn't say so much when he's in the ascendancy though. I pointed this out to him later as we scored the same match, to which he chuckled and said he wasn't aware he does that. I can't help thinking there's more to it than he let's on, the wily bugger! To be fair, his behaviour was more an observation than distraction.
It was a sickener to lose the game the way I did, but credit to Mr Green who has been around the block and is well known as a good bowler in these parts. He clawed back very well from twelve down and not even playing well in the beginning.
I felt as though I was the better player on the night, but experience and tactical nouse made the difference in this match.
An absolutely bloody awful night's sleep followed, going over end after end in my head. In fact I didn't sleep much at all, and when I did I kept waking up from bloody awful bowling dreams!
My capitulation contributed towards a narrow defeat for the team. Four winners each, Fox Lane took the local bragging rights by just three chalks. 

EVERYONE'S HAPPY

Thursday 6th June 2024

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-3: Bretherton 'A' 176-181 Eagle Reds

v JOAN FIELDING W 21-14

This turned out to be a game with a completely different feel to what I've been used to, but in a good way.
They're a great bunch down at Bretherton and Joan is a lovely lady. I've nattered with her on a good few occasions and I played against her partner Paul Ascroft here in my first season. Very sadly, Paul passed away last year.
Joan must have heard overinflated rumours of my recent improvement, as earlier in the evening she pleaded with me not to beat her to nil. I've seen Joan play, I've seen her results recently and so I knew that was never going to happen.
That humble and resignated approach changed the whole mood and context of normal service for a league match though. Of course, I still wanted to win, but not too heavily and thankfully that wasn't a choice to make because Joan played well.
My opponent put good woods up, wasn't short when I was on and knocked me out a good few times, unluckily finding tight gaps on occasion too.
My game was mainly good, a little wayward at times, but this beautiful green is a tricky one and even catches home bowlers out at times. It took a number of closely nestled twos to collectively keep Joan at arm's reach on the scorecard.
She had a decent run with the block and was just starting to make me feel uncomfortable when I finally broke with a good two and got the shout I was on nineteen.
A good lead followed, but I knocked myself out being greedy on my second bowl. Joan sent a perfectly delivered second for two and my full time scorer, Terry Grayston, tells me that nudges her up to fourteen.
Fortunately for me, Joan slightly overcooks both bowls on the last end and two good lengthed efforts thankfully put the dampeners on a comeback.
In the end I was happy to win, obviously, but also pleased for Joan to get fourteen. She seemed surprised and rather happy with that, but I think she should be a bit more confident about her game. 

Later she asks me why I didn't send her on long marks - which I suspect she is used to from fellas in this league. I think firstly, it's tricky enough at Bretherton playing shorter stuff. I'm nowhere near good enough to come here and whizz it corner to corner. I'm trying to improve my game and winning long ends on the cheap because my opponent might not reach is not a tactic I want to use unless I get in a pickle and absolutely have to.
As it was, Joan and I had a really good game in the end. I think we both enjoyed it.
Our captain Harry Glynn was a happy chappy too as the team picked up a vital win here by just five chalks, maintaining our flighty position outside the bottom three. 

HARD TO BEAT

Monday 3rd June 2024

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2: Coppull 'A' 146-116 Eagle & Child 'A'
v JOHN WHITE W 21-17

To Coppull then for the first of two away games this week and my first time at this green. A well kept surface with interesting marks, a big crown that plateaus at one side and dips away quickly off the other.
It seems unfortunate that they had to forego what was once a notoriously difficult corner to make way for the Con Club's extended patio-cum-beer garden. It's the same sort of sporting venue sacrilege that reminded me of the Normid Superstore in the corner of Bolton's Burnden Park.
I started the game brightly enough, but it soon became clear that anything less than a good bowl would get licked by home bowler John. I could feel him edging away and getting too much possession of the jack. But I wasn't bowling badly by any means, just caught out on a few home marks that took a few ends to work out.
When I heard 9-13 I expected worse, it felt like worse, but I'd been putting some savers up. Sometimes only by a measure, but they all counted to keep me in with a shout.
If the key to success was scoring twos in my last game, it was saving twos in this one. John had me under the cosh a couple of times with looping round pegs off this big crown that he played very well and was difficult to follow. I'm past panicking in these situations though, it's a case of concentrating, sticking at it and believing that eventually a break will come.
It would have been 8-13 when I was a bit narrow, but my length was good. On closer inspection, I was in and broke Mr White's spell.
I then went on a run myself, coming back to take the lead before a couple of overshot woods let John back in for two.
There was nothing in it over the next few exchanges as we edged up to 16-16 and a tight finale.
My leads were frustratingly not quite as tight as I would have liked from that point, but John wasn't quite managing to sieze opportunities like he had been doing. Maybe a bit of tension from John's end, but I'd put even better woods up that got beat earlier in the game. A big end to win was getting the jack straight back off him at 17-18 and I managed to battle over the line, with a bit of fortune on the last end when, having to reach to save, he knocked me up for two.
This wasn't the best I've played of late, but with a first visit to this green I showed a bit of grit, didn't get flustered and whatever the results of late, I'm becoming hard to beat.

Three winners out of eight on the night for our team wasn't a bad return here, but we'll be hoping to fair better at home in the local derby match against Fox Lane next week. 

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TWOS

Thursday 30th May 2024

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-3:

Eagle Reds 151-190 Longton VM 'B'
v RICHARD THURSTON W 21-7

I've discovered the way to deal with our home green is like a visiting bowler would do. Just take it as it comes on the night and not rely too heavily on what one might consider to be previous knowledge.
Two home wins this week was the target to get my home form back on track and I completed the second one with even more authority than the previous evening.
The green had been cut, so a slightly different beast to the night before but I soon picked up on it and for once at home, took the first end and avoid going behind.
The game swung either way early on and my opponent looked a handy player, but I've started putting good twos up with more regularity and more often than not had him coming after me with a bit of pace. Richard could rightly report a story of bad luck at times, but I stuck to the task and made it difficult for him. Even when Richard did get in with good ones, I'd be back on it the next end. There were a few ends I could have played better, but generally speaking it was possibly the most brutal I've been in terms of not giving my opponent much of a chance.
My scorer Arthur shouts "all-but" and I was surprised. I hadn't realised how far I'd got ahead. With last night's game in mind, I play straight peg and whilst not perfect, requiring a good bowl from Richard that didn't materialise.
Coming off a bit quicker at number ten, I grab a beer and endeavour to watch the remainder of Jimmy Sloan's game at number nine. No sooner had I pulled the ring off the can, disapointingly, Jimmy's game finished too. Lights out. That was that.
On the night. I might have been lucky not to be drawn against Arthur Parker's opponent, Rowland Lee, who was licking everything up and part of a good Longton side that won easily on the night, with seven winners to our three.

MAYBE IT'S AN AGE THING
Whilst the bowling is going in the right direction, the running hasn't been going in any direction whatsoever.
No injuries as such, just six or seven weeks of not feeling up for it. Nothing done on the bike either apart from the meagre six mile round trips to work and back.
I don't think it's been a lack of motivation, just that beneath what has appeared at face value to be wellness, I've been tired, stiff, lethargic at times, coughing up a bit of crap first thing in the morning and I don't know what's been up exactly. All I knew is that running wouldn't help. This sort of thing has been happening with more regularity over the last ten years and so maybe it's just an age thing. I don't feel as though I've put any weight on since abstaining from training either, which is a weird one.
All that said, feeling a bit fresher, I had a few tame outings last week before a good 54 minutes on the Rossendale fells up Fo Edge and Cowpe Low from Edenfield whilst on a camping weekend.
Loved it.
Base fitness remains in a good place to be able to just go out and do that run on the back of nowt much for a while.
I don't know where the running is going so rather than start getting delusion ambitions about it again, I'm just going to peck away at it and see where I get to as the year goes on. 

BACK TO WINNING WAYS

Wednesday 29th May 2024

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2: Eagle & Child 'A' 137-129 Hoghton

v GARETH WHITTLE W 21-10

A Wednesday nighter instead of Monday this week in the Chorley league. Our troublesome Eagle green was treated to a verti-cut and deep seeding at the weekend, with a longer term view to restoring it back to it's best.
I hadn't played at all since last Thursday and this rearranged game was a timely break from it to be honest. I'd had four tough and tightly fought games in eight days, all four were defeats despite mainly playing well so it was a mental break to come back keen, fresh and determined to push that bit harder for a win.
I expected a very tough game from Gareth, whose name sits in my memory bank somewhere as a very decent player. But the Hoghton man wasn't consistently getting to grips with the sluggish pace of our green and left me opportunities at key moments of the game.
The first end was a horror show though, as I sent my first one three yards over, my second one almost just as short, and two poor woods from Gareth scattered in between them were good enough to win. "Bad end", said my opponent. Actually, it was bloody awful.
The game started properly next end though, Gareth sends a very good lead towards our clubhouse but I pipped it with my first bowl. It was looking like a close encounter on the cards as the next few ends were tight and it was the visiting bowler who pushed ahead at 3-5.
I settled down though and started sending some good leads, backing them up with a decent second on occasion and, just picking away, doing what I was doing, was gobsmacked to hear I'd turned the game on it's head at 14-5.
More of the same and a good two in front of the visitors end sat me on the brink at 20-8. I should have played straight peg, kept it as simple as possible, but the devil in me played round peg on a mark I enjoy - but cocked up on this occasion - with Gareth rolling two close ones to keep himself in it. Having got to twenty first during my last two games and lost, there was a threat of getting hot under the collar if I couldn't break again quickly. Two down on the next end after my first bowl ran through by a yard, a bit of pressure on now but I took my time and found a perfect adjustment to feel the relief of that winning feeling again.
Gareth was a very gracious opponent with a bit of class amout him. He's played the game many more years than I have and whilst unhappy with the way he played, recognised that wasn't entirely the reason this game got away from him. 

On the team front, four winners each but won by eight chalks. Home wins are important for us, however close. 

DYSON LONG GAME SEES JAWS OF VICTORY *VACUUM-SHUT AGAIN

Thursday 23rd May 2024

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-3: Ashton BC 207-158 Eagle Reds
v PETER DYSON L 20-21

Heavy rain all day yesterday, some showers today and drizzle during play made for a fair old chuck on Ashton Bowling Club's splendid big grassy green.
Heavy greens certainly suit the long game home players at this level and Peter was exceptional all evening with it to be fair. Lose the block against this chap tonight and it required a fair old sling of a bloody good bowl to get it back.
My comparatively shorter and simpler game was also executed quite well though and so this made for a quite a game.
I started well, put some good ones up and had to clench my bum a few times when Peter came in to steal, but probably went five or six up before sending two that weren't tight enough and gave my opponent a chance to do what he wanted to do.
Off we went, whizzing up and down the longer length of the green on tightish round pegs and I was sending stuff that wasn't bad, saving a few times, but Peter was getting really close from some distance.
I've learned you just have to ride the storm in these situations, keep sticking them up there until something goes your way and eventually he left me a yard to fill in and I did so with a much needed two. Until then, it felt like that early lead had been significantly munched at and possibly now reversed to his advantage.
I was playing fine though, it's one of those things. It's another different green and different conditions, bowls were rearing up quicker and I felt somehow that wasn't to my advantage against this chap on his home turf.
Eventually a better spell came my way again and I began to win more ends than I was losing. It was still a surprise to hear I'd gone 16-15 up though when I finally got a shot at playing widthways over the top of the crown. I'd been wanting to get there all match, it's becoming a favourite mark of mine on away greens. My lead bowls were really starting to sharpen up. If I put two good ones up, Peter would knock one out, but I continued in charge of the block with four more singles to go all-but.
At this point, Peter, who seemed to be a little bit of a Jekyll and Hyde character throughout the contest, was having a big moan to someone at the side of the green behind us. I don't think it put me off as such, but maybe it was a slight distraction as I sent the jack further than intended and near the green's edge (Under the gaze of Harry Glynn, who, as recently mentioned takes a dim view of playing to the borders when all-but!)
I wanted the ground to eat me up. I made amends with a very reasonable lead bowl just a foot and a half off the target though, but my second one - wide and overshot in to the gutter - was unforgivable. Even something short would've done to block or be of some nuisance value. It was a very poor bowl at a critical moment.
Sure enough Peter stole in with his second delivery, a great shot to save the game. Off we popped again on long marks. Firstly in to a corner where his second bowl won by a tight measure. Then we are up and down the long roadside end on round pegs and after more combinations of Peter's accuracy and a few unfortunate moments for me, see my lead shrunk back to 20-19. At this point, my first bowl beats his. Surely I've got him now?
Unbelievably, Peter throws a better second and knocks the jack up closer to his first for two. I didn't quite get there, again perhaps the wrong shot choice, turning over and hitting something might have saved the game but I lost it on that critical end a little earlier really.
I think generally I was a shade unlucky at times in this match, but I ground myself back in to a very good winning position again, only for a bit of tactical numptyism to allow my opponent back in.
The second time in four nights I've lost 20-21 from a decent match winning position away from home. But, having played some good stuff to get myself there in the first place.
Playing well against good players - but not quite getting over the finish line - it's frustrating just now, but it's a kind of frustration I can deal with. I'm playing better than I ever have and even though results aren't quite going my way, I believe they can start to.
I can still get better. There's still plenty of my game to tidy up.
Captain Harry, after putting my tactical errors to rights (and letting me know he beat my Monday opponent Pedro to four once, on the sadly now built upon Railway green at Lostock Hall) once again said, "Don't worry about it."
So I won't. I'll keep on keeping on, learn from the detail and hopefully start converting these tough games in to some wins.

*There had to be a Dyson technology pun in there somewhere, even if that heading is rather coarsely concocted.
Before the match, Terry Grayston, our team's only winner on the night, said he's got my scorecard (who else?) and that on paper, my opponent looks like a sucker for a game of bowls. I said I'll mop up as many chalks as I can for the team.
Hoover hell do we think we are? 😝

ANOTHER DEFEAT THAT DEFINES PROGRESS

Monday 20th May 2024

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2: Brownedge Blue 158-113 Eagle & Child 'A'

v PEDRO YATES L 20-21

Another new green to tick off at Brownedge, but a familiar opponent.
Seeing he was on their team when practicing, I did think to myself, "Oh bollocks. I bet I get him tonight." 
Sure enough I hear, "You're straight on Johnny Boy. Harry's got your card... you're playing... Pedro." I knew it.
Having twice faced Mr Yates in local singles competitions and handing him a straight forward route to round two on both occasions, this was a chance to at least try and give the mon a decent game.
I started the game very well, trying to keep things fairly simple but putting up tight woods, some perfect leads and some well recovered second bowls jetted me off in to a lead of 10-2.
Without my game dipping much though, Pedro got his game together and had a very good spell himself with the block to come back strongly and nudge in to an 11-12 lead.
I managed to slow his progress at least and neither of us seemed to keep hold of the jack for long, but at 16-18 it was looking as if my opponent was the one sneaking towards the finish line first.
The game took a twist again though when I took advantage of enough room to take two and then won the next end with a good lead to regain an advantage at 19-18.
Here was my first opportunity to take the match, having led sweetly over a mark I enjoyed playing over the crown away from the clubhouse, I just had to send another behind it and whilst on the road again, annoyingly I fell short. I rushed it. Maybe I got cocky, I don't know.
Still one though and now all-but, straight pegging in to the far clubhouse corner was available and had also brought some earlier joy and seen Pedro go a little wayward. At the point of back-lifting the jack I get called to stop as long tapes are out on the match playing across us. Just as I was in the flow again.
At least the interruption was justified - the mark measuring less than the minimum nineteen metres - but where did my head go during that minute's wait?
I then don't send the jack as far as intended, overcook my first bowl and inexcusably miss the road on my second, drifting away to the left and leaving an easy two for a player of Pedro's calibre.
Down to the last end now and the home bowler throws hard to the opposite corner where we hadn't been during the whole match. His first bowl tidy enough to give me something to do to beat. Sadly, I didn't make it. Just not quite tight enough on my land and lacking a touch more weight. I needed a third go at it, but you only get two. I felt I'd chucked the game away but remained in good spirits. Pre-match ambition achieved of giving this chap a game.
Pedro is a man of very few words, but when shaking hands he tells me the green isn't running and pegging like it should be. I don't know if that was a slant on why perhaps he didn't play as well as he thought he should - thus why it was such a close game - I guess I felt the same about the Eagle green against Maurice Jackson last Thursday. But I won't let my own effort be devalued, it was my first visit there on one of his home greens and at times I played really well on it.
To come away knowing I could (and to think I should) have won that game is a sure sign I've raised the bar recently.
Not a good night overall for our team with only Harry Derbyshire taking a win. I had the pleasure of marking Harry's card. 

He's back and playing very well, making fairly easy work against a good young player in Nathan Hargreaves. Harry beat the biggest legend of them all in crown green, Brian Duncan, on here a few years ago in the veterans league and used a similar mark on the green tonight with equal precision to at least salvage us a point. 

ALMOST A COUP AGAINST A COUPE!

Friday 17th May 2024

HUGH HORNBY MERIT TROPHY

1ST QUALIFYING ROUND
At Frenchwood, Preston
v JOHN COUPE L 18-21

Based on recent form, there was reason to genuinely believe I could give a better account of myself in this latest attempt at a singles tournament.
Despite having never even seen the green at Frenchwood before, watching a stacked field of Lancashire's Premier Division and county bowlers roll up, I still felt like I should concentrate on what I can do, rather than worry about what I can't.All that said, I probably exceeded my own expectations by giving a player of John Coupe's clout a proper game.
Without the self inflicted weight of expectation I felt in the league match last night, I turned up relaxed, just played my game and enjoyed it.
No practice and first match on, tails never fails and I win the toss, landing a toucher with my lead bowl. Start as you mean to go on.
The game stayed quite close throughout, even though it felt like it had got away from me at times. I think I led on a few occasions earlier on. All in all, aside from the odd bonk bowl or end when I sent a clanger, I was mainly finding the right road and adjusting length pretty well.
There were shots coming off tonight that didn't quite make it the previous evening. I amazed myself at times, sneaking in when John had two good one's up, knocking him out after he'd knocked me out, a controlled strike to knock me in for two... I was being a massive pain in the backside for him. John changed tact go short, delicate round pegs off the crown and down the distinctive slope of the green that runs adjacent to London Road, which climbs from the River Ribble in to Preston.
He seemed to start inflicting more damage then, sending very difficult bowls to beat, but I started to get the hang of it and broke his rhythm with a few adjusted second bowls that again, I have to pinch myself in hindsight that I pulled off. Too many to just be lucky though, I think?!
John gets the shout of nineteen on the board. I knew I hadn't disgraced myself, but not bothering to know my own tally thinking it might now be irrelevant, little did I know how close I actually was.
Saving the game with one of those trickling little round peggers that had to be spot on, I was up on the next end with a not too shoddy lead effort on the brow of a ridge very near the green's edge. John not only sends his second with better weight to win, but taps his other one nearer than mine in the process. Bugger!
I turn to shake his hand. I find out I'd got to eighteen and was lying nineteen-across until that cracking last bowl of his.
John seemed relieved to have got over the line and was both curious and complimentary of my performance.
He knows the green very well, probably got pre-match information from organiser Andy Fleming that I'm not up to standard and so wasn't expecting such a tough game I suspect.
I explain that I like entering a few comps to gain experience, but often feel out of place in this sort of environment. He assured me, "No, no, you're not out of place", to which I think I gushed and said, "Ah thanks, John!". Doubts, of which there have been plenty lately, about whether or not to continue entering competitions should be eradicated for now after this evening.
On paper, John had the easiest first round draw, but in the end he rated it the toughest of his (no less than) eight games played so far this week. Now that really is a compliment. Not to get carried away of course, but I have a right to feel warmly encouraged about my bowling just now.
John ended the previous week in a last sixteen tie at the Penwortham Singles competition when running his legendary brother Simon close to 17-21. "Golden Arm" as he is known, Simon Coupe has been - and very much still is - one of the all time greats of crown green.
Holder of this trophy, Simon went through again on the night as did John who overcame another tight game against Steven Bolton to make finals day.
Tonight's performance reinstated some confidence and persuaded me that last night's disappointment can probably be brushed under the table as little more than a blip.