Troublesome triples

Club's annual Triples Competition this afternoon. Eight teams of triples, names drawn from the hat. Each play three six-end games against three of the others. Two points for a win, one for a draw. Two teams with the highest points play the final. If equal on points, the biggest for/against bowls difference wins through.

The A Team is playing a final away at 4pm, so quite a few of the Club's best players are not here. Nevertheless, there's a couple of very good triples teams. Got form in this competition, having won last year. My partners this year are a good bowler from the ladies team, another lady who started bowling this year.

Looking at our opponents in the first match, we should win. Doesn't look that way at the half-way point. Three ends to them and 0-5. Their lead, a new bowler, is playing out of his skin. My opposite number as skip is also playing a blinder. But we win the next two ends, score now 3-5. We're sitting with shot as I bowl. Drat! I knock in one of theirs to give them shot bowl! We lose 3-7.

Lost the first match last year too, so no need to panic. Go into the second against one of the best triples. In spite of that, they lost their first match 0-9. Hope for us yet! Not to be. We don't win a single end, losing 0-12.

Realise we should have swapped our positions around before the last match. Our beginner has been playing lead, resulting in too many short bowls blocking access to the head. By the time it's my go as skip, I'm faced with mission impossible. My every other bowl was a drive to get us out of trouble. Each time I scattered the head we had no luck, ending up with us still down.

In the final match I play lead, our novice second. Result? A much closer game, 5-5 into the last end. We still lose, them scoring three on the last end. End up the bottom team by some margin. No points and a -19 bowl difference ~:0((((

The two teams in the final are mostly comprised of new or relatively new bowlers. A good sign for the Club. By no means a classic battle, the match is nevertheless entertaining. Followed up by a BBQ, raffle and awards ceremony. Good fun.