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Hethersett PF Away 22 Jul

Hethersett Playing Fields v Priory – 22nd July 2024

Following consecutive defeats, the short trip to Hethersett Playing Fields was not expected to be an easy opportunity to return to winning ways. Last season had resulted in a 41 shot defeat as the Priory team had gone down 63 shots against 104 shots, managing a draw on one rink but losing on the other three. 

On their short journey to Hethersett, the Priory team passed the old oak where a local landowner and his butcher brother are said to have sat long ago to chew the cud over local issues. By the time the team arrived at the playing fields, the sunshine which had warmed players at Priory Gardens a few days earlier had once again been hidden by a thick bank of rolling clouds but these did not prevent locals of all ages from enjoying the local amenities as witnessed as the team made the short trek from the car park to the green which was hidden behind a high hedge at the far end next to the speedway cycle track.

The evermore darkening clouds retained their contents and the Priory team declined the host’s kind offer to use the clubhouse in favour of readying themselves for the match alfresco under the lovely pergola adorned with vibrant hanging baskets.

Priory won the toss but decided to let the Hethersett team have the jack for the first end of what, for some, would be a first or infrequent opportunity to play a roving jack format with two bowls over 21 ends. The call of ‘I need a third wood’ would be heard several times during the afternoon and there were to be many ‘oohs’ and ‘arghs’ as bowls were delivered in all directions crossing, and sometimes colliding with others on the journey from mat to jack .

The Priory team faced different challenges on the individual rinks, or mats. On one they struggled to find the right length with short jacks being the theme for the day whereas on another it was long jacks causing the problems. Had the pre-match draw been different the overall outcome may have been more favourable towards the Priory team.

The match finished with a win for the hosts as the Priory team was beaten by 74 shots to 64 shots. Encouragingly this was a much smaller margin of defeat compared to the previous season and they had managed to win on two of the rinks.

The weather had remained kind and after the match both teams sat outside to chat and enjoy refreshing tea and coffee accompanied by a lovely spread of cakes and other delicacies. Both Captains gave brief speeches of appreciation and expressed their happiness at looking forward to the return fixture before the Priory team made the return trek across the playing field from green to car park.