One down, five to go

Men's 2 Bowls semi-final this evening. My opponent one of the A Team skips. Beat him in a quarter final last Sunday. Can I do it again? A 2 bowls match is something quite different, being a test of pure drawing skill. Played to EBF rules, so restricted movement of the jack, only bowls within two metres can score, no live bowls in the ditch.

The winner of this competition represents the Club in the County Champion of Champion 2 Bowls Competition. If the first bowl is wayward you're immediately in trouble. Main aim, get close to the jack so if you lose the end you only do so by one.

Long jacks troubled my opponent last Sunday. My jack to start, and the same tactic is working for the first few ends. He's short or wide, I'm much closer. After five ends I'm winning 6-1. He rallies to pull back to 7-6 to me. Another good run pulls me away to 15-9 in the lead.

Rather strange, he's becoming more successful on long ends, I'm changing to short ends to keep ahead. By the twenty-fourth end we're all square at 16-16. He scores two, I pull one back. We exchange single win ends to stand 18-19. On the last end both my bowls are just too short. Two to him and the match lost 18-21.

Feel quite relaxed about the result. Of course would rather have won, but satisfied at really pushing one of the top Club players so close in what is the most difficult competition to play. Three semi-finals and two quarter-finals to go. Just need to get to Finals Day in at least one competition!

As darkness draws in, me and the Chairman have a chat. Success! He recognises I'm playing well enough to be selected for the A Team. We discuss possible replacements for me as B Team captain and agree on someone. He's going to have a word with the candidate.

Here's this evening's scorecard.