Beaten by a whisker

Here's the magnificent display of trophies and awards just before the bowls club presentation ceremony late this afternoon, on completion of all the finals matches. Was fascinating to take a look at the trophies afterwards. Some of them are over 100 years old and have all the winners' names displayed.

Was a wonderful day. Although the weather was a bit windy, grey and damp, it wasn't nearly as bad as was forecast. Lots of spectators, much applause in appreciation of good shots and, although there's still a couple of weeks to go before the end of the outdoor bowls year, with the AGM and a fun club competition beforehand at the end of September, a lovely end to the outdoor competition season.

So how did Geoff and me do? As the scorecard shows, we narrowly lost in the last end (of 18 ends) 14-16. Although I was again nervous, we both got off to a really good start and after five ends were 5-1 up. I tailed off in the middle of the match, but with Geoff maintaining consistency they only managed to bring things level by the eleventh end. The deciding end was fourteen. We were lying one shot up when my opponent knocked the jack through to the back of the green with his last bowl to leave them lying three up. Although my last appeared bang on target, it just knocked another of their bowls in for four to them.

Even then, five down with only three ends to play, we pulled it back to go into the last end only one down. Geoff left his bowl right up against the jack, but his opponent managed to squeeze two bowls in between. When my opponent put another bowl close in to leave us three down it really did look like curtains. With my last but one bowl bang on target I managed to break up their group, but still left them one up for the end. Although my last bowl was close, it wasn't close enough and we lost the end by one.

Was such an honour and a buzz to be in the final and to play as well as I've ever played. Geoff and me have agreed we'll enter as a pair again next year.

At least that leaves me with clear objectives for next year... to win a final and be a natural choice for the men's B team.