Stuart had a vision before the game that we’d win. That would take two or three more winners than we usually get thought I….
It didn’t start well though. John Pearson raced to a 9-0 lead and didn’t look back, taking the game to 14-1 with five singles. A brief fightback by Trevor brought him back to 4-15 before John banged in three doubles to fly home in 19 ends.
Stafford started well enough, pegging the ancient Charles Cowsill back to 10-12 before some sepia-standard bowling blew Mr Morley away 21-10.
At that point I was called on the green but had seen Stuart Cameron start well in his game against Steve Edgar. What ultimately cost Stuart was his lack of twos, winning only two fewer ends than Steve but losing out 12-21. Three games gone and the familiar mountain to climb.
Dean Richardson was drafted in to fill the gap in the team vacated by dancing Dave, matching Tommy Wagstaff bowl for bowl over the first half of the game to trail 8-10 after 14 ends. End fifteen saw Waggy take a brace, only for Dean to put in a seven break and take control of the game. After a solitary response, a further six break from Dean closed out an excellent return to the first team winning 21-13.
Palmer D looked like he had his hands full with Tom Taylor, but his own game has looked in fine fettle this season and so it turned out to be. End 18 was the only end in the game where Dave was behind in a game in which he was usually 2-4 chalks clear, finishing true to course 21-19 for Dave against a tough opponent.
Half way, 3-2 down on winners and the best part of 30 chalks down on the agg. What could the second half do?
Match six saw Colin Palmer take on Ian “Boomer” Cherry. I’d seen Colin wrapping them in the run over, so it was no surprise to read that he’d surged clear 10-1. A few replies every third end from Ian saw Colin edge further clear to 14-6 and Boomer would score only one more point as Colin romped home to a fine 21-7 win.
Match seven was Mark Prosser against Terry “from Bury” Lytham. The first few ends were pretty awful and I stumbled into a 3-1 lead. Terry then put up six good woods. I was bowling worse than Ray Charles at this point but managed to claw two back only for Terry to pile any six on his total and leave me 13-5 down, then 15-6, then 16-8, then 17-10. Three singles later I’d started to bowl at last but Terry put a belter in at the next end to sit at the side of the block. Fortunately it would be the last chalk he’d score as I hit a length that Terry struggled with, closing the game out 21-18
Match eight saw Hollinhurst field a more than able replacement for Paul Dudley in the shape of Matt O’Neill, making a fleeting appearance in one of his Totty free nights. Graham Harrison started off well enough taking a 3-1 lead before Matt showed why he’d been selected for the county with a 16 break. Graham replied with a double before Matt closed out the match with five singles.
Match nine pitted Geoff Hilton against the home captain Paul Gardner. On the card, it showed as a game of two halves; Geoff went into an 8-6 lead after 11 ends, with the game over 11 ends later, finishing 21-7 to allow Geoff to share the kitty with Colin. I’ll leave Paul to give a fuller account of this one!
Match ten paired Steve Blaymire with Dave Wright. Again, a close game on the card with much of the first half shared to 7-7. Steve then put in a good middle section to pull out a 13-7 lead which soon became 18-10, only for Dave to peg him back to 16-19 before two no-balls at the last end left Steve an easy double for a famous win.
9-7 to the visitors. Well done lads.
