The dry spell continues...

On the 24th March the Teesside Pirates were in Leeds trying to rectify the mistakes of the last tournament.

Things started out well, everyone arrived on time and with everything they needed. Spirits were high on the way and thanks to the driver having SatNav we didn't get lost either. Bonus!

Personally I like the AMF Merrion Center in Leeds, sure it doesn't have a lift so I make a hell-of-a-noise entering the place, going down three flights of stairs, bowling balls clanking on each and every step. However being situated underground does have it's advantages, like the lack of sunshine getting in your eyes, the more controllable temperature but above all else (and this has nothing to do with the alley being underground) the lanes are nice. I've well here before, scoring my PB 276 in years past and getting a 10 bagger (10 strikes in a row). However it's also the venue where we have only won trophy, one trophy in 4 years, thankfully the trophy was mine, so I tend to enjoy the place more than my other team mates.

Long story short.

Lanes were a pain in the rear, very difficult oil pattern meaning very few strikes for me, making my 170 average over 9 games all the better, thank god for my spare being ace that day! So I did well with just a couple of dud games, my team mate (The tournament was doubles based) did ok, not as well as he'd have hoped but given his excellent form recently he was perhaps a little hard on himself. We had two other teams taking partas well, they all managed decent games, no major catasphrophies. Alas it was only me and my team mate who managed to get through to the final round, we were in 6th place, 20 pins behind 5th who were only 45 behind the team in 1st, it was wide open for any team to win, alas, it was not meant to be, both me and my team failing to get the best from the lanes.

So there we are another tournament and another defeat. At least we have the Hull Trios and Quads to look forward to in May... The Trios being a fancy dress tournament... fun times.

This is Benji Dude, asking you to take a walk in my shoes.