Biggleswade Bowler Beaten By...

... oops! Mixed the headline up as Kevin predicted. But the scoreboard cannot lie. Maybe 'Beaten By Biggleswade Bowler' is a little more accurate.

Shot down to St Andrews Bowls Club in Biggleswade to take on their men's four woods club champion and ex-workmate, Kevin. Been aiming to fix up a game for some time. The news of his club competition win was like a red rag to a bull. With my own competition final coming up on Sunday, could I just maybe take the RAC Insurance title?

Got off to a good start, two up after the first end. A further two and I was 3-2 down. Didn't win another end for a while, Kevin well in command at 10-2. His ability to always get one bowl close was making it difficult. And finding a channel on one end that directed his bowls straight to the jack was causing me a problem. 

At 18-10 reminded Kevin of the psychological barrier that sometimes overcomes bowlers on the edge of a win. Seemed to work for a while, pulled it back to 18-15. Another two to Kevin... time for another reminder at 20-15? Who knows what would have happened if I had... the next end Kevin got the winner he needed, 21-15 to him and the title 'RAC Insurance Men's Singles Bowls Champion'.

Memorable bowls? Amongst many good shots there was Kevin's, played so wide he turned away in disgust to leave me watching his bowl catch a hidden incline and land within inches of the jack. For me, a yard on shot to move the jack from Kevin's three up to two up for me.

Good green, plenty of character. Great early evening bowls session. Looking forward to the return match next spring in St Ives. Here's the satellite location of St Andrew's Bowls Club in Biggleswade...