Biggleswade bashing

First of this year's biannual friendlies against Kevin, this one at St Andrews Bowling Club, Biggleswade. Won both home and away last year, and after Monday's Two Bowls Club Competition win, arrive at the venue with an air of confidence.

The green is looking much better than in past years. So is the form. Line and length reasonable on trial ends, and I go two up on the first.

Then the wheels come off. Kevin is playing long jacks. I'm struggling to reach, particularly on the upward incline. Overnight rain has made the green slightly heavy. By the sixth end it's an embarrassing 2-9 to Kevin. Win the jack back and move the mat right up the green. A couple of singles to me. Then bowl the jack too short and we're back to the next four of five ends to Kevin. I'm heading for a thrashing at 5-15.

Get hold of the jack and stage a rally. Medium length ends seem to be doing the trick. As we start the sixteenth I comment it's a good time for a four bowl win. Bingo! Four to me and 12-15. Swap a couple of ends. It's 14-17. A good win could see me draw level. Not to be. Kevin takes the next two ends and a 14-21 win.

Should have recognised the limitations of my form of delivery. A crouch stance that attempts to minimise all body movement other than the arm means there's only a certain amount of forward thrust possible. A long jack in the uphill direction on the slightly heavy green could only be reached (if at all) by such effort that it was difficult to keep to the line. In similar circumstances must revert to an upright stance, where forward body movement gives greater range.

That makes the overall score now 4-4, summary and scorecard as below.

Date	Location	Result	More info
Sep 2014	Biggleswade	Kevin 21 - 14 John	Click here
Sep 2015	St Ives	John 21- 16 Kevin	Click here
Sep 2016	Biggleswade	Kevin 21- 19 John	Click here
Apr 2017	St Ives	John 22 - 15 Kevin	Click here
Sep 2017	Biggleswade	Kevin 21 - 9 John	Click here
Jul 2018	Biggleswade	John 21 - 18 Kevin	Click here
Sep 2018	St Ives	John 21 - 18 Kevin	Click here
Jun 2019	Biggleswade	Kevin 21 - 14 John