A Tale Of Two Shittys

The good thing about playing for our team is that we are all a great bunch of lads and I really enjoy my night out with them. The bad thing is you never ever can predict a result.

Take our last two games. On successive weeks we played the Irish Club & the team formerly known as the New Berkshire Potters - The Windsor Nomads. These are two teams that, Julian Jacques apart, could not be more different. One is full of top quality players who can pot a ball off the chandeliers; the other plays at the Irish Club. Ba-da-Boom.

Before the Irish club match I considered we might win 2 or 3 frames, and that (with a bit of luck) we might follow that with a win over the Nomads. The target was 10 frames from the two matches.

Against the Irish I played my best frame of the season and with Lee also winning we were quickly 2-0 up. One bad shot in the second half cost me the frame against Terry Dingley, and with only Elroy winning in the second half we lost 9-3.

I was pleased with the way I was playing, and I moved into the last Thursday's 'Nomads' game with renewed confidence - at least I could win two games and get to 50% for the season?

Having the bare minimum six players didnt help, but it was the same six who took three frames from the Irish so I thought a draw was a realistic aim.

It started well - Lee won. Lee always wins. I think that he is probably the most under-rated player around. He is not the best potter in the league, but when you understand the rules as well as him, and you play to your strengths as well as he does you cant fail to at least compete in every match you play.

I played second, had four visits, one of which was a break, and I lost with more of a whimper that a bang. In the second half I was so desparate to win against Julian Jacques that I missed several sitters and gifted him the game. I lost both. I was tiny and he, and he was massive (as it were).

Lee won again in the second half - but no one else could even get close to winning and we lost the match 10-2. Unbelieveable. How can we take 3 frames from the Irish and only 2 against the Nomads?

The simple answer is usually the right one - we are not good enough. We do not have enough players who can win matches. Simple.