Turned on a single bowl

County competition match this evening, first of seven to play. This one the men's pairs. Two bowls each, twenty-one ends. EBA rules. No live bowls in the ditch. Only shots within two yards of the jack count. Playing two brothers from Royal Oak Bowls Club, Godmanchester. The brother I'm up against as skip has been a County singles champion.

For the first seven ends there's nothing in it. Then their lead gets his eye in and they win five of the next six ends to go 12-5 up. We're in real trouble on the fourteenth end. Maximum length jack, we're three down and my first was woefully short. If we lose this it's curtains. Give my last bowl some real heft. Surely it's heading for the ditch. But I've caught the perfect widest curve and nudge up against the jack. One to us!

Having thought they were on a home run, that bowl seems to take something out of their lead and he's suddenly struggling. Winning a further consecutive four ends, we're 14-12 in the lead! And on the nineteenth end we're sitting with three as their skip plays his last bowl. Surely we're now home and dry. But yet again the match is turned on a single bowl. The opposition's last bowl nudges close to the jack. One to them and 14-13 to us.

The last two ends go to the opposition, the match ending 14-17 to them. So close, the score in ends 10-11 to them. Next County match on Friday, men's two bowls singles. Playing away at one of the top local clubs, Hemingford. Here's this evening's scorecard.