If I wasn't so organised...

Quarter-final of the Stocker Cup this evening. It's our Club's invitation-only competition, played on three rinks, twelve bowlers, two bowls each. Same format as our Thursday evening men's league matches, except that each rink must include a lady, played to EBF rules, and the winner is the team with the highest total bowls.

Got it in my diary for Friday, 6.00pm start against Hemingford B. Fortunately our A Team are playing on the same evening against Hemingford A. So one of their players alerted me yesterday that the match was to be played by Friday, but has actually been arranged for today. Bit of hasty diary rearranging and all is well. Phew!

Turn up at the Club at 5.35pm ready for our home match. Unusual there's no-one about. Maybe turning up late because of the 6.00pm start. Strange the A Team captain was driving away from the Club as I came in. Thought they were at home too.

Go and have a look at the notice board. Fortunately the match details are still up. Yes, says 'St Ives B v Hemingford B'. Then look a bit closer. The text 'Venue : Hemingford' grabs my attention. Oh no! We're playing away!

Rush out of the Club and into my car. Fortunately Hemingford is adjacent to St Ives. Thank goodness we weren't playing at the other end of the county! Peak rush hour and the bypass is awash with cars. With heart racing I arrive at Hemingford Bowls Club with almost fifteen minutes to spare. Phew!

Amble around to the rear of the car. Open the boot to get my kit out. It's empty. Brain explodes. Took my kit out when I arrived at our Club in St Ives and put it in the men's changing room. In my rush to get back out to the car and set off for the right venue, I've left everything behind!

Back in the car. Rush out of the car park. Thoughts racing. Will never make it there and back in time if I go around the bypass. I know. I'll go up London Road and park at the end of St Ives bridge. Cars are not allowed over the bridge, but it's the spot I can get to quickest to park and the nearest to our Club.

Rush out of the car. Sprint over the bridge and along The Quay, Wellington Street, The Ridings and Priory Road. Call one of the players to say I'm on my way, sorry to be late. Back by the same route pulling my bowls trolley behind me. What a racket it makes! Set off in the car feeling like I've just run a marathon.

Pull up in Hemingford's car park at 6.05pm. Rush through to the green, where all six rinks have still not started. Not just me that's late. In fact, the opposing skip on our rink doesn't arrive until 6.15pm. So ashamed of the slapstick comedy that is my disorganisation, I explain my lateness as 'a family crisis'. When I muck things up, I really make a good job of it! Echoes of my diary dilemma in 2013.

And the match? I play second. No surprise it takes me half the match to get on target. We lose handsomely on our rink, but having won on the other two both teams have the same total bowls. It's a draw and an extra end has to be played on all three rinks. Except one of their players has gone home. So we win by default.

Won the first round by default because the other team couldn't raise a side. With the result this evening, I reckon we're going to win this cup!