Based on the Pryder Cup format, games took place in the form of triples, doubles and singles, one point awarded for a win no points for a loss and half a point for a draw.
As always team selection, (done in secret) as well as lane allocation and order of play would be crucial dependant on the rolling score.
The decisions for the captains being who to pair with whom and also which lanes to play on and in what order.
On paper the ‘Old’ team looked stronger but the ‘Older’ team counted amongst their team recent Open winners George Sasanow and Rob Knight.
The triples were halved and after the doubles games the ‘Older’ team led by 3-2, the magic number or points being needed to lift the trophy was six.
There then followed six singles games but crucially, controversially and maybe mistakenly, the ‘Old’ team selected their best players on difficult lanes and possibly their best player behind for the last round of games.
There were some surprises though in the first round of singles as Septuagenarians Larry Fitzpatrick and Uran Egerstaad pulled off surprise victories – Larry against former club champion Dean Lambert, and Uran against his younger sibling and also a former champion Ulf Egerstaad, whist Doctor Rock came though against Jonathan to complete a clean sweep in the first round of singles – meaning an invincible lead of 6-2 prior to the last round of singles for the ‘Older’ team.
In the dead rubbers ‘Older’ also won by 2-1, leaving the overall score ‘Older’ 8 - ‘Old’ 3.
A great achievement by a team with a combined age of 413 years and an average age of 68.83 perhaps showing that experience will always triumph over youth.
Well at least it did in this case.
Star players for the Older team were George and Doctor Rock who each won all 3 of their games.
The next major competition has been moved to Saturday, Feb 2 and is the annual Northern hemisphere versus Southern hemisphere `’Pryder Cup’
Non members welcome to join in.
– Robert Knight
Kamala Lawn bowling Club “The only one in Phuket” is open six days a week. All equipment provided. For further details on lawn bowls in Phuket, contact the club at 099-130 7255