To many people, bowls seems such an easy game. Get two things right, line and length, and you will possibly score.
I didn’t really need to find out that the above might be right, but to manage those two skills at the same time is not always so easy. I proved it today.
We played our semi-final game against Paraparaumu on the Otaki green and for a time, our scores kept fairly close, but towards the end of the game, they shot ahead and won the game 23-11. Two things really stood out for me, the skills of players in the game, and the frustration I experienced at not being able to achieve my simple task, putting two bowls near the Jack.
Rex, Ray and Graham, the opposition players, were able to work out the needed skills throughout the game with accuracy most of the time. Mind you, sometimes luck came into it as well. As an example, we were holding shot, Rex drove, hit the Jack and it shot across the head ready to kill the end. Instead, it hit a bowl on the side, sending the jack back across the head to the opposite side, finally coming to rest, giving their team four shots. Quite spectacular at the time.
My two team members also played well and it would have been a lot more helpful if I had been able to consistently put my bowls nearer the Jack, but it didn’t happen very often. True sportsmen, they didn’t moan and groan, accepting that I was trying to do my best but….So the game ended for us and the Paraparaumu team had to face the Waikanae team which had beaten the Levin RSA team in the other semi-final.
It must have been a great game, going by the score, the win going to Paraparaumu 20-19.
Congratulations must also go to the Levin Women’s team (Carol Seal (s), Pam James, Margaret James) which played the final against the Waikanae team, loosing their game 10-17.
Tomorrow will see the Men’s Veteran’s Gala played at our club. A variety of skills will be evident but really, above all else, let’s hope all have a great day.