UK BOWLS   V     UK CIVIL SERVICE

 DATE: 12^TH FEB  2006   VENUE:  GEDLING  NOTTS

This game was doomed from the start, what started out as a fairly strong team on paper dwindled quickly. A total of 18 players from the original squad pulled out: most of Scotland; all of Wales and 1 or 2 English. Even utilising all reserves we were still 5 sort 4 days before game was due to be played.

Had it not been for Julie finding another rink from her brigade and some frantic phoning & bullying by me on some English players we would have had to draft in wives…..for a auk game that all at the AGM wanted!!!

What we ended up with was a 3/4^th string team and we certainly paid the price. That is not to diminish the determination and effort put in by the team on the day they fought valiantly but were totally outclassed. By 10 ends we were 55 shots down and so you could say we improved in the second half or you could draw the conclusion they coasted. What ever, it turned out to be cricket score and we certainly suffered a batting collapse early on.

To be fair their president said it was the strongest team they had fielded for a long time, with several international players in the squad.

In essence we did not give them a game and I doubt whether there will be a fixture next year. To be fair they did say that they tend not to play the same teams every year – this may be true or just a sporting diplomatic statement; had we beat them or even come close on the day perhaps the story would have been different who knows!!

Whatever, a disappointing response from our players (the ones that pulled out) and a catastrophic defeat on the day, one which I do not want repeated.

IN SIMPLE TERMS IF YOU WANT THESE MATCHES BACK US OR WE WILL SIMPLY DROP THEM, I WILL NOT HAVE YOUR OFFICIALS TIME WASTED.     

M. GEORGE     (Capt)