Wednesday 22 June 2016

Doubtful pairing

Is it on or is it not? Our first round club pairs fixture was arranged last week. Then me and Geoff were selected to play for the club in the Dilley Cup at St Neots. Having put a cross against our names to indicate we were unavailable, it was pointed out representing the club should take precedence over club competitions. Fair enough. Cancelled our club pairs match.

This morning received a text saying the match against St Neots had been cancelled. They couldn't raise a team. A bit of hurried texting and some forbearance from our opponents and the club pairs match is back on. Four bowls each, over eighteen ends.

Up against the club's ladies two and four bowls champion and a capable ladies team member. It's our choice of rink. No surprise I choose my favourite rink six. Certainly not our opponents' favourite. There are mutterings about us surely being able to agree a compromise. Falls on deaf ears.

The lady champion is certainly on target in the two trial ends, rolling her bowls right up to the jack. Fortunately Geoff as our lead isn't far off either. Content with my practice bowls too.

The first six ends are all to us. Whenever our opponents get close, we knock them out or squeeze in closer. On the third end a wall of Geoff's bowls are just short of the jack to the left and we're sitting one up when I bowl. Just keep delivering strongly to the wall to keep knocking mine and Geoff's bowls nearer. We score seven out of eight bowls.. We're 12-0 up.

Our opponents rally for three ends but never score more than one. Thereafter it goes almost all our way. We end up winning 23-6 with one end to play.

Hardly bowled off line all evening. Weight pretty accurate too. Unbelievable result against such opposition. If we can keep up that form we'll make the final easily. Here's the scorecard.

4 comments:

  1. Could you say more about the end where you scored seven but were only one up when you went to the mat. Was the opponent's second shot displaced when you bowled into the wall your partner had created? How many yards of weight did you try to throw to get both your partner's and your bowls to count?
    This situation is not that unusual so your tactical approach is valuable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Clarke... As I went to the mat my partner had left us one up with a bowl about six inches from the jack, his other three bowls about two yards or so short of the jack, to the left and two or three inches between each. Our opponents' nearest bowl was over a yard short and to the right, and two of their other three bowls were also short and to the right but not close to each other. So although I had a good target of three bowls to aim for, my opposite number had her way to the jack obstructed on both hands.

      My shots were by no means drives. There was so much room to get in front of their nearest bowl, I just played to go past the jack so my line didn't need to change markedly. And not difficult to keep hitting the wall, since as I knocked one bowl in, my own moved forward after impact but was still on the same line. The end result was I managed to move all three of my partners bowls into the count, plus three of mine as well.

      One of those days when everything went right. Regards, John

      Delete
    2. What do you think your opponent should have done?

      Delete
    3. Best option was to get at least one bowl near the jack and reduce the count. Alternatively, to place an early bowl in front of the wall I was aiming for to make my objective more difficult. Final option (as always)... try to smash the head with a well aimed drive.

      Delete