02/09/2026
The season is over in some of our leagues, but not yet in the Men's Midweek Triples East 1 league. Yesterday we hosted Denmead Green who are currently second in the table behind Cowplain Purple.
Leigh Park scores are first below as the home team.
Rink 1 had Peter Robinson as skip and it was a slow start for the first 4 ends after which Denmead led 2-3, but then a massive 6 was scored by Pete's team and they led 8-3, the scores then limped along as did Pete who had to retire from the game after 11 ends with a knee muscle issue. The score at this stage was 10-9.
Dave Lane was brought on as substitute and the team places shuffled. Denmead then levelled the match on the 12th end 10 all.
After what had been a really close match, the remaining 6 ends were split 3 wins each, but whilst Leigh Park scored 3 to take their score to a total of 13 the away side scored a 5, a 3 and a single to take the win 13-19 and 2 points to them.
Rink 5 had me as skip and after 5 ends we trailed 2-5, but felt we were in the match. End 6 brought us 3 shots followed by a single on the 7th and this gave us a lead of 6-5 after 7. Denmead responded with a single, but we then hit a 5 and a 2 to take a 13-6 lead after 10.
After getting into the front we then for some reason fell away on the next 4 ends, my number 1 & 2 would say what the reason was, but maybe not for this report (lol) during those 4 ends Denmead somehow managed to score 8 shots and took a 1 point lead into the 15th at 13-14.
On the 15th we were down 3, but had for a change good back bowls and I managed to hit the shot bowl that pushed the jack back to our waiting bowls and we scored a 4 to retake the lead 17-14.
Denmead won the 16th & 17th ends scoring 3 and going into the final end the score was tied 17-17.
Playing towards the clubhouse we found ourselves 3 down as I delivered my second bowl, which thankfully drew in on the back hand to sit aside the jack and we held shot. Despite a couple of frustrating attempts the opposition couldn't get the shot and so we pipped them 18-17 and 2 points to us.
Rink 4 was where the late action was, but before that Alex Vernal Snr as skip had a very even fight on their hands and after 7 ends the score was level at 4-4. After 9 ends it was 6-6 and then Alex's team won a couple of ends and took the lead 9-7 after 13. This game as we know can take some turns and a massive 5 from Denmead on the 14th took them into a 9-12 lead with only 4 ends to play. Denmead were desperate for the win and the overall aggregate to aid their chase for the championship spot, but the next 3 ends went the home side way as they added 6 to lead 15-12.
Now the situation developed as this was the last rink to play. The state of play was
Rink 1 13-19
Rink 5 18-17
So Denmead led by 5 overall, but down by 3 on rink 4 made the overall +2 for Denmead. That's the picture, on end 18 on rink 4 the home side were holding 3 with only the Denmead's skips last bowl to come, (update this so its now +1 to LP) For some unknown reason and a real school boy error the skip and number 2 agreed that as they were 3 down on this end they would win the overall match and decided to not deliver their last bowl.
I then said ReallY ? you now lose the match, they were bemused and confused, but when is was explained that the score was now 49-48 to Leigh Park, disbelief set in. they thought losing a 3 on the last end would give them victory, but had forgotten that they were already down 3 after the 17th and so would be down 6.
Not only that on Rink 5 the last shot that I got on the 18th was put down that they got oil their card, this thankfully was corrected before cards were submitted, i'm sure a few words may have been said after this whole event, they would have been if it happened to us.
The upshot was that we won 49-48 and took 10 points to their 2.
