Dead Dog Dilly Dally - 11/11/09

In a season of little to be proud of the Dog fronted up for a match against a hated foe.... the Teachers from a unnamed school, had come back and in greater numbers, but this was not going to deter the beaten dog. A new look side ambled out onto the park, JTW* (see footnote below) a ring in, and The Hooded Finch, stepping out for the first time since retiring, and a valued extra it turned out. DDD Sr and Jr made up the numbers. The game started with an eb a flow battle but some quick thinking bowls from the Hooded Finch held the opposition at bay, and with 6 end gone the dog had taken a commanding lead. JTW a guy you dont want to play against but one you quite happily play with (annoying) was starting to get under the other teams skin, and the 1 pennant player they had felt the need to tell him that he should not be directing me.... as skipper...... so out came the sheep stations. The other skip was also a bit unnerved, feeling his powers of subduing kids at a primary school would work on DDD Jr, but this folly was met with gutteral tones of laughter "does he (JTW) need to come down here each end?" opposition skip said, "you can tell him not to if you like, but I think he is just excited and wants to kiss you" DDD replied. And so this cat and mouse game of niggle comments continued, but on the scoreboard is where it counts and the Dogs delivered on this account. Apparently the other 2 players for the Social Heirachy did not have tongues, or they were deft mutes as not a tone could be heard coming from them as the game went on...... whispering sounds instead, which sounded as intelligent as leaves on a tree. So it was that this persisted and with 2 ends to play the dogs started to slide. Up by 6 the dogs gave 2 away on the penultimate end to leave the door slightly ajar. As the last hint of light fell below the horizon, and the stillness of the air settled in for the night, DDD JR stepped up to the mat. Last to roll, on an end that saw the Hooded Finch fail to round out an otherwise spectacular night, and DDD Sr less than exciting. DDD looked down the other end. In his hand he held the last bowl, the Dogs were up by 4 but their snidey opposition held 4 on this last end.... so with the faint echo of meatloaf coming from the 1920s audio system, DDD bowled. As it cruised down the green the width looked good, but this had never been a problem for the skipper,his whole life his width was always good. The bowl took a turn at dog corner, and headed for home. A Whoop! erupted for JTW and DDD sr's lips as the bowl came to rest drawing shot and firmly placing their middle finger up at the less than moral opposition. With a smug smile DDD turned and shook the hand of the opposition Skip and if the conversation their eyes had, could be told in words, it would have been. "Lucky shot you little shit" the opposition skip would have said, only to get a reply of "Lucky? Lucky is your wrinkly old bowls ever getting close to the goal again you midget Santa!". and so the Dog walked off a winner.

Best
Hooded Finch - quality all night
DDD Sr - no bowls with the wrong bias
DDD Jr - always there to claim the glory.... might have been just 1 good bowl for the night, but it was the one and mattered

*Footnote: JTW from BBoys, is lets say, a colourful character. Never short of a comment when the game is close and does yell out from time to time when there is a good shot played by his side. He is a tallish man who chooses to support Movember all year round. The Albino caterpillar seen resting from the sun on his upper lip has been known to yell comments of its own when his excitement grows beyond bored!
But when you have a player like this on your side, like any good builder you always use the tools on hand and the largest tool was JTW.


DDD started the way he finished the week before, shot after shot taking the kitty in somewhat of a dance around the other bowls, always being the closest, toying with potential suiters but never to stray to far to let them in. If there ever was a question of the size of DDD Jr's shoulders, then tonight was the night.