The usual (late) round up of the previous week.

Sorry the posts are late this week, your resident editor/typist has not been well :-(


Monday


Motorway Madness

Monday saw an early start for a rearranged fixture at the Grasshoppers. We set out in plenty of time from various embarkation points in a finely tuned plan not seen since D day. The motorway though took it’s toll, slowing to a standstill and leaving 4 of the team having to listen to the radio or speak to each other for long periods to avoid the boredom and keep their spirits up. I believe there was a sing song in Karen’s car - thank god she was driving alone or there could have been fatalities. To top of the madness it had started to hammer down and the feeling this would once again be a trip in the rain in vain enveloped us like the dark and brooding clouds forming above us. (oooh, very Emily Bronte! Ed)

Savo Cat and myself arrived on time to find the rain had abated and the green was playable. Five minutes of the role up were lost while we helped the elderly gent up the slight incline on a wet embankment. The grasshoppers were very welcoming and prepared tea for us all. Cat and I had a decent role up before retiring for a tea and to do the draw. Sav meanwhile slowly supped his tea, sorted his bowls and strolled to the green just in time for precisely two ends.

With 4 still on the Motorway and presumably turning to cannibalism and JL missing presumed having better things to do I completed the draw. It was my kind of odds but even a man like me wasn’t betting 50p that the three of us could pull the win out of the bag. With Me and Sav well down The Cavalry arrived and tried manfully to pull our games around. Alas it was not to be as I came of losing to 9 and half an hour later Savo came of losing 11. Cat though had found her range and had come of winning to 16. JL who went on the green straight from the car had a game that just about sums his season up, he played well but things just never fell into place and left him loosing 19. Ken got 6 without ever doing anything wrong. Karen cut a frustrated figure after her journey from hell ( my advice is to stop singing) and this never got any better as woods off line were had back and turned into touchers and while on a great run her jack came flying out the side of her hand going only 30 yards in the opposite direction of the corner she had been bowling so well. To top a miserable Evening for Cilla someone threw away the tea she was leaving to go cold before enjoying. Dave and Steve both bowled very well and could easily have won but fate once again seemed against us as both fell just short with 18 and twenty.

While we only amassed 1 point it could easily have been four and a much tighter game. Considering the circumstances and just how well the grasshopper guys played though it was a really good effort.


Tuesday

Tuesday saw us playing host to another community day with SoLO paying a visit. SoLO (SoLO Life Opportunities ) http://solihullsolo.org work with people with learning difficulties and it has been the clubs pleasure to host a number of afternoons with them. A group of 19 youngsters and 7 volunteers joined with 6 cub members to enjoy an afternoon bowling. We split into groups of 5 or 6 and after a crash course in the basics took to the green. It was great to meet the group and to reacquaint myself with a few youngsters like Adam and Jen again after previously seeing them with Reynolds Cross school. It was a lovely afternoon that was enjoyed by all and thankfully while we had the odd clap of thunder the rain kept at bay. I would like to thank SoLO, the volunteers and the children for coming and a big thanks to Dave Hosgood for organising the event from our side, and to Colin, Pete, Steve, Savo and Dave for their work on the day, It was great to see so many people enjoying bowls at its most fun. Bowls is a great sport that can be played and enjoyed by all irrespective of age sex or ability. Bowling clubs can be so much more than a closed shop of members hopefully with events like this, the Reynolds cross days and the Age UK Solihull visit we can continue to prove how much a bowls club can mean to the community and why they should be cherished and protected.



Wednesday

In sharp contrast to the late arrival on Monday we rocked up at the Acocks Green a full 45 minutes early, with the club not opening until 7 once again people were left to entertain themselves. Some took a wander to the shops, others pulled cans from their bags some chatted and told stories around a hastily constructed fire while others anti socially played with their phones. I am pleased to inform you that there was no cannibalism and nobody attempted a sing song. I think I will carry a pack of cards and some dominoes around in future just in case we get stranded outside a wifi zone.
First off for the Olton was the always quality Chris James winning 8 , this was cancelled out by Bucko’s card who bowled a much better game than his 8 suggested. CJ had a very up and down game with unfortunately about twice as many downs as ups losing 11. Scotty withstood a shaky start and Cj’s cut up his team mate tactics to win 15 and leave us 4 behind.

Once again a good card was cancelled out by the home team with myself winning six and Steve losing 5. Again the game was a lot closer than Steve’s five suggests and Dave Mahaffy’s performance against Steve was exceptionally good. Bringing up the rear Nee battled hard for 11 and Savo was Savo losing 16 and condemn us to a 20 shot loss. A huge thanks to nee and Bucko for filling in and to Julie and Jess for marking cards. It shows what a good group we have at the Olton when people are prepared to put them selves out some travelling across the city in crap traffic just to help the club out.


Thursday

With Mondays game putting the final nail in our slim chance of promotion we headed to Moseley as spoilers and it was a role most of the side reveled in.

John has had a season best forgotten but the hammering he has been threatening for a while came at the Moseley - a fine all round performance gave him the win to 6.

On the Flip side Ken was giving everything but getting nothing in return as he lost 6

Karen found the corners to her liking and managed to stay on them just long enough to pick up the win to 20.

Cat proved she was a cool cat as from 19-15 against she put together a great run to win 19 which left us 3 up after 4 but importantly with 3 points in the bag already.

Like Karen Steve was enjoying the corners but couldn't hold on long enough eventiually falling to 12.

Jack was excellent well he was up until 18-9 up Pete began to claw his way back and you could see the beads of sweat on Jacks forhead and panic in his eyes as his arm turned to jelly. With the ghosts of earlier Moseley performances fresh in his mind though Jack managed to keep Pete to singles and flopped across the line winning 18.

Dave didn't find anything to his liking as Chris "wiggy carrier" pegg plundered a victory to 4.

I was on last and won 19, i was very pleased.

5 points and a 20 shot loss proves there is life in this side as we head into the consolation cup semi on monday evening in good form.

The B side had an anticlimactic finish to a successful promotion season when the Kings Norton brutishly put some ringers in the side and stole victory from our plucky underdogs. 200 points and a safe second in the league though is a great performance, congratulations to all who helped during the season and good luck to the few of you that will play in the cup semi final for b side.