The seniors travelled to the Pheasant,stood in the Car park for a while, went in for a drink, helped the remaining Pheasant boys and girls eat the tea then headed home. The journey back was hellish - the sky opened wide and let forth a torrent of water that made Noah’s flood look like a kid in a paddling pool. Four times the car submerged, streets were washed away while houses were propelled by us with the force of the current. The thunder boomed, scaring animals and nearly waking Ssavo up. Lightening was striking 100 times a minute all around us and for once I was thankful my fillings had long since fallen out.
Eventually we came out of the other side of this most ferocious of storms to find The messiah had already won seven and the game was on. Shortly after our arrival there was another deluge - not enough to clean the grime of CJ’s neck but a good few millimetres of the stuff. During the break, Wiggly cleaned the pub guttering, the sandwiches were called for and cancelled several times and we checked our plants had survived natures ravishing.
The game eventually resumed and the RSJC didn’t seem to happy about it but with Bob and Eddie barely scoring again after the break the Neelesh comeback wasn’t a major gain. Rocky started his game right after the break and walked straight into a hailstorm of stunning bowls from his young opponent. Rocky stuck with it but nothing was going to unsettle the lad and I don’t even think he knows who Kenny Rodgers is. From that point forward though the side were excellent, eventually winning by a comfortable margin. The crowd of one 8 year old boy went wild, chanting for the Olton and proclaiming us the greatest side to ever play bowls.
Sunday
Rearranged Sunday games are the worst but thankfully the Olton showed in force, with not only a full compliment of bowlers who had agreed to put themselves out but a fair few spectators. The green was still wet and slow but the weather was set fair and the green was drying by the minute. Timmy Bastock was in the Beer garden playing a game of spot the Sheldon bowler.
The game started slowly for us with the Hamstead first four bowling exceptionally well.
Larry came of first winning to 17, it was a solid but not spectacular match and I presume the carvery after was similar. I just hope they weren’t serving the lamb.
Jacko had come straight from football, no shower no change of clothes and no trainers. To avoid any unwanted aerating of the green Jack went on without his football boots and was the first of our players to play this season in their socks. Jack had to bowl well to keep in the game, eventually picking up a win to 17. Jack then curled up in a little ball and fell asleep. He looked so cute as he lay there snoring and talking in his sleep. “ please don’t drop me crags, I can bowl honest. I love you.” lets move on shall we.
With wiggy needing to go on last in case he qualified (cough cough) at the masters Scott took his place at number 3 and was the third in a series of close victories against opposition seemingly loving Sunday bowling. Scott came back from the brink of defeat to snatch a victory to 18.
Wiz was the final of our intrepid first four and again came up against a bowler on top form. Dave battled hard whilst trying every mark on the green but it was to no avail losing 13.
So 3 up after four
Yours truly took up the baton at five. With the game level and my opponent looking good I managed to lock into a mark and take the game to 12.
Please listen carefully This is an Olton Tavern service announcement. To all Taverners - bowling up and down the green is now banned and any jack within five yards of the top edge will be deemed in my way and sent back whether I am playing or not
At Six was JP. John has been a massive plus for us this year, a quality player and a top bloke his home form though has been a revelation and after another quality home performance sits with the fourth best home record in the club only 1 shot behind Jack Savage who lest we forget has not lost at home on a Saturday for 30 seasons. John bowled very well to win 7 and finally set us on our way.
With Richie unavailable Savo won the lucky number seven slot and Ping pong and his fly away woods didn’t disappoint. Great credit goes to his opponent who put himself out to play today when others more qualified wouldn’t. Savo won to 2.
Rocky rounded out the second four. For most of us so far we had been short of the block but Rocky played yesterday and was finding things a bit quick. Rocky though proved why he has been such an important part of our season battling the conditions and Saturdays harrowing experience but still showing huge character to come through with a win to 19.
After 8 we were 47 up
The Chris triplets were up next, Chris Greenhill having his best game for a couple of weeks to win 9. Chris Downes took the win in a very close and well contested game to 19. Chris James showed signs of holiday rust and couldn’t really settle anywhere on the green while his opponent really hit his straps bowling well throughout Chris losing 13.
As stated earlier I put wiggly on twelve to give him the chance to qualify for the midland masters at The Colebrook. It turns out he had more chance in the masters at Augusta. Reason 16 the Moseley changed the locks on wiggy – He just can’t do anything right. You enter the merits to a) bowl against better opposition. B) To qualify C) to win friends and influence people. Wiggy played a bowler about the same level , he lost and was roundly booed and hissed at for being Wiggy so he pretty much failed on all counts. The Boy can’t even lose properly! If you are going to lose then lose and do it in style, at twenty nil down lug both in the pit. Strike at someone else’s end. leave your woods where they are and make a break for it climbing the wall and escaping, do whatever you like but do not start a comeback. If you positively have to start a comeback, for gods sake don’t get to 18 and then stop. The comeback isn’t a heroic effort unless you win, it is just a humongous waste of time if you then don’t go on to win the game. You wasted your own time, you wasted your opponents time, you wasted all the spectators time and most of all you cost your team mates a whole lot of piss taking time. Wiggy I am disappointed in you.
To round off the character assassination, here is a picture of Wiggly showing us the washing in the boot of his car. Don't ask because I don't know!!
Fair play to Wig though he put his disappointment aside and bowled a tidy game to win 12 and close out the game , Final score 236 – 174 a victory of 62 for those without a calculator.
A big thanks to Hamstead, to all the supporters, to Timmy B and to all the Olton players who gave up their Sunday to play. You can all have next weekend off.
Reynalds cross assembly
As some of you may know we link up with Reynalds cross school over the summer term and they send a group down to come and play on the green. This activity is organised by Jess who works at the school and is Neelesh’s far, far, far better half. All summer on a Tuesday Steve Myatt and Cj have given up their afternoons to help facilitate the kids enjoyment and provide a different activity from the norm for them. We are proud of our links to the school and we have strived to show that a bowls club isn’t just for the current bowlers it is an important community asset. Hopefully we can continue this link up and have more with other schools and organisations to get more people using the green and more people interested in the game and the club.
This year we decided to run a raffle with proceeds going to the school. It was a bit last minute but we still managed to raise 185 pounds for the school so a big thank you to all that bought tickets. We were invited to present this cheque at an assembly that showcased the activities the school had partaken in. Unfortunately the assembly was held when both Steve and Colin were away - I know the school would have loved to have thanked them for their work and they would have loved to attend. In their stead I went to present the check and enjoyed a fantastic assembly showcasing how the children did at the activities. I hadn’t been able to get Tuesdays working from home so hadn’t been to any of the sessions but it was great to meet the staff and present the children with their certificates. It was an honour to be able to present Leanne with our cheque and I am immensely proud off the club and all involved in this endeavour.
The surrounds
The one thing I noticed about the tavern over the years is how the surrounds started to look drab and dull once Jimmy Bailey wasn’t able to keep up his gardening. On my return this year though it is great to have seen how much effort members have put into making the place look pretty again. O know it takes a lot to pretty a place up with Gilly and Dave Lowe sat there but it is working. Dave Hosgood has worked wonders with the hanging baskets , Jaymo and the chuckles have added plants to the border and Rocky has toiled hard not only planting and looking after his plants but has somehow managed to keep ours alive and impart some green fingered knowledge into us gardenaphobes.
The results are amazing so once again I would like to thank everyone for there hard work and Jaymo for buying colourful weeds. Hopefully we can continue this one and keep improving the surrounds. We should also look into selling cuttings after seeing the prices at notcutts we could be onto a goldmine.
Alan the Cowboy
On Monday we played Henley in Arden in the qtr final of the Heart of England constellation cup. I have no idea why its the constellation cup or which constellation my money is on Alan the Cowboy.
At home Karen and Kenny T both got twenty while Killer lost sixteen. Little lord Lowe, after complaining that he was to unwell to bowl, decided that excuse was rubbish and confessed to being too drunk to bowl. Never fear though we put the sprinkler on and gave him a cold shower. It appeared to do the trick as he won 6 to secure a home win by 8.
The away leg was an eye opener for me, apparently every time we drive past going to Stratford Scott informs me there is a green there but I think he is making it up. I definitely didn’t know it existed. If I had known I would probably be a member - posh ladies playing tennis is exactly the sort of place I want to be hanging about at.
Scotty won 13 snapping a sixteen game win streak for his opponent. I wouldn’t want to be cruel but I think Ray Charles was number 13 Helen Keller 14, Stevie Wonder 15 and Jack Savage was 16
John continued his run of bowling well but getting little for it as he lost 14
Steve got his monies worth losing twenty and once I stopped ogling the tennis players won 8. For a victory of 13 away
Next stop the Semis and a potential showdown with the b side.
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