Week 7 - May 16th - Eagle & Child A

The ever boisterous Eagle Team played hosts to Hollinhurst on a cold Friday night, when we all probably wished we were somewhere else??? The Green looked in perfect condition, but with the notable abscences of Duds & Wrighty, could there be an upset on the Cards??

Thanks go to Gary Ellis & Ian Turrell for standing in at short notice, both had tough games with Ian coming from behind & beating a battling & impressive John Turner to 20 & being one of 4 Hollinhurst lads to run out eventual winners to the same score. Gary nosed out Phil Challis to 15 & knew his scalp was on the line for much of the game.

John Pearsons 21-5 win over Martin Turner was immediately cancelled out by an out of sorts Charlie Cowsill going down to the same score too Cliff Wood. Tony Normans unorthodox technique once again defied the purists to dispose of Tommy Taylor to 16 & we took a slender 3-2 lead into the second half of the game, with the Agg at 84 - 78 it was game on.

Block 6 saw Johnny Blades slip to a 21-13 defeat, please remember to bring your own Bowls next week Bladsey!!! Yet another excuse to add to the weighty Tome which is the "Bladsey Book of Bowling Defeats" War & Peace is a short story by comparison????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With the Match standing at 3-3 & the final 4 games all showing a healthy lead to the Eagle, could the Eagle lads sense the sweet smell of victory??? would Hollinhurst sucumb to their 1st defeat of the season??? The baying crowd, fuelled by a copious supply of Mr Holt's finest Bitter were vocal in thier unwavering support, not least the shy & retiring David Rosenfield who takes every opportunity to exercise his vocal chords!!!!!!!!!!!

I am sure the final 4 games will prove to be the most compelling & crucial to Hollinhursts 2008 title winning aspirations. With all 4 games well advanced, the pendulum had swung to a huge Eagle advantage, with Eggy & Kenny both trailing by 19 - 7, Ian lay all but 17 down & I was all but 19 down. The probable outcome looked like a 10 - 4.5 win to the Eagle, but what transpired, left me with a smug grin on my face all weekend. On a full corner mark where Graham Butterworth had scored heavily against me, I finally pulled out 2 - 6" Bowls to sneak home, Ian had a grueller against John Turner & at all but across his huge experience proved invaluable, beating a foot wood from John. Performances of the week by some distance goes to Kenny & Eggy, 2 awesome, gritty displays of close tactical bowling left their opponents in disbelief, pondering how the F**k did I lose the game???

I am still scratching my head how we manged to run out winners by 13.5 - 3. A great team performance & a pleasure to be part of. Well done lads, bring on Hopwood Unionist B!!!!!!!