As we have said before in these reports playing Olveston is always a challenge due to the quality of their players and the number of Middleton Cup players in their squad. So playing Olveston on their home turf is even more of a challenge but I am delighted to report that we rose to the challenge and prevailed on the night, although it was a very, very close run thing. 🤔
On Roger’s rink with Jon, Keith and Mike I they lost 6 of the first 9 ends falling behind 4-9. Dropping a 4 on the 12th end meant the deficit increased to 6-16 but ultimately it is a team game and as Kevin might say it is important not to let an opposition team get too far ahead in terms of the overall score and this rink held the tide and finished 10-19.
On Josh’s rink with Calvin, Larry and Mark P having been 5-2 up after the 7th end then picked up a 5 on end 8 to lead 10-2 but Olveston bounced back almost immediately picking up a 4 on end 10 and another 4 on end 12 to trail 12-10. We then went on to lead 15-10 after end 15 and the two points looked “in the bag” but nothing is ever certain in bowls and on end 16 Olveston picked up a great 5 to tie the score 15-15. I didn’t see the final end as I was playing but the result was a 2 for Redland and a final score of 17-15. 😃
It was at this stage that all eyes turned to Jim’s rink with myself, Nigel and Will. Suffice to say that going into the last end we were leading 17-10 which meant that with the other two rinks finished the overall match score was tied. 🥹 🤞
I played probably to worst end that I played all night with Ted Mangan putting two bowls within a couple of feet jack high and my bowls at least a yard short. Nigel however stepped up to the challenge with his first bowl swallowing the jack and ending a couple of feet from it. Ultimately the whole match then rested on the last bowl of John Smallwood (amazing to think that of all the 816 bowls bowled that evening it came down to the very last wood. John had a very difficult shot with a number of woods short and as his wood came into the head the line looked perfect, which it was, but it just went past Nigel’s wood and we picked up a 2 to win the match 👏
A really great win and very welcome in our Division 1 campaign. I would like also to acknowledge the gracious way in which Olveston members accepted defeat and congratulated us 👍
Calvin has asked me to make specific mention of Roger and Mark P who he said played two great woods to help with this win so well done both 👍
Hopefully we can carry this momentum forward into future games……..
Finally good luck to Josh on Saturday in his Middleton Cup game against Oxfordshire 🏆. If they get to Leamington we might see Josh on the TV (or at least You Tube) think of that! 📺