Weds 1st

Wednesday 1st

_{Well we're nearly ready to go (HA HA) still gotta pack but we'll be ready in the morning.}

Twas just a few before the EYC and all was getting fraught

No bags packed yet, checking everything worked, and all we had was naught

The nerves were getting mangled, the packing not yet done

Fri 3rd

Friday 3rd

_{Yesterday was a full day travelling and by the time we got the bowlers settled in at the Ibis hotel it was about 5.30pm local time. We landed in Copenhagen to bright blue skies and welcome warm sunshine and then drove across the bridge to Sweden. Today is a free day, although the bowlers will be having a practice at noon, and tomorrow is ball check day. It would also appear that some of the equipment that has just turned up has an element of damage to it, well done B.A. – but the sun is still shining!}

_{Next update will probably be Monday (boys doubles day) if you want to pass any messages on to the bowlers you can do this through EYC messages tab.}

_{British Airways were again successful in losing practically half the bowling equipment with only 3 bowlers (Jake, Matt and Katrina) left unscathed, all the others had one or 2 bags missing. We spent a nervous 15 mins or so enquiring about this and it would seem that B.A. decided to leave them at Heathrow. They were going to fly them over on the next available flight, so this morning they should arrive. We’ve just heard that the equipment has been delivered but there is still 1 bag missing (Danni Hopcroft), this will hopefully be found soon.}

Sun 5th

_{Sunday 5th}

_{Yesterday was a glorious day here and bowlers and supporters made the most of the sunshine and 19 degress C temperature. Some sightseeing was the order of the day with some very tired people by the end of it.}

_{Today was much cooler, which was good, as it was official practice for all squads (75 mins with 4 lane changes). The bowl is not the biggest and it's going to be very busy in there, so it's going to get hot. It was warm today in the bowl and with very few supporters. When the event starts it will be very hot. Should be fun too with only 1 single toilet for all the spectators..I think not!!!}

_{From what I was told the condition is hard but scoreable. Good luck to all our bowlers, keep the good wishes coming and some of the events are going to televised - look at the official eyc site BY CLICKING HERE}

_{Tomorrow is Boys Doubles, with Matt and Steve on at 1pm, followed by Jake and Elliot at 5pm.}

_{Girls start on Tuesday at 9am and 1pm. Tonight is the opening ceremony.}

Mon 6th

Monday  morning 6th 

_{Last night was the opening ceremony held at the Ibis Hotel, it was a terrific spectacle but the speeches etc. made it last a good 45 minutes.}

_{Our bowlers looked superb in their tracksuits but they must have been very hot as the conference room was packed with people.}

_{The parents/supporters all went to “cool off” later looking forward to the start of the event on Monday.}

_{Fran made a mascot for the hosting country and this was presented last night.} 

Monday  evening 6th

_{Today was a terrific day and a great start to the tournament. The boys doubles started with Matt Blythe and Steve Miller in squad 2 at 1.00pm. They started off well and remained solid all the way through to shoot a fantastic 2579, a mere 100pins off the all time record.}

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE

 _{During the break there followed a TV interview with the company covering the event which looked to go very well.}

_{All the supporters and other team members were there supporting them all the way along and stayed to watch the 2 “young uns” – Jake Daggett and Elliot Crosby – have a crack at beating the score set. They had a shaky start but dug deep and came back with an over par 2437 total.}

_{Matt and Steve finished in 2nd place overall and go into the finals tomorrow (Sweden, Denmark and Germany were the other finalists) and Jake and Elliot finished in joint 10th (I believe), which is pretty good out of 50 doubles teams. This all bodes well for the team event I reckon – fingers crossed.}

_{Tomorrow it’s the girls doubles, with Danni and Katrina starting off at 9am and Laura and Nikki following them at 1pm. Good Luck to the girls tomorrow, and Matt and Steve in the finals.}

Tues 7th

_{After the excitement and team camaraderie of the first day we were looking forward to day 2 proper of the competition.}

_{The girls were now on the march and Matt and Steve had their finals to look forward to. Danni and Katrina started the day off to carry the flag forward. They had a slow and shaky start, similar to Elliot and Jake, but then in the middle started to get going. However, they suffered with many 9 taps and some horrendous bad luck and never really had a chance to reach their full potential. They continued through and finished well, but unfortunately out of what would be the medal contention level.}

_{Next up were Laura and Nikki and they started the set at a massive pace. During the first 3 games they were going off like an express train and were leading the pack by the middle of the set. Even against the mighty Latvia they saw them off with a clean pair of heels. During the last 2 games of the 6 game set some other teams really rallied and they were overtaken to miss out on what looked like a certain finals position. Mind you, it has to be said that these 2 bowled with spirit and conviction, but like the previous girls doubles they had their share of 9 taps and bad luck, but they led the field for a fair time - great bowling girls. The figures prove this too.}

_{Next in line were the boy’s doubles finals, and what we saw here was a combination of experience, talent, and raw guts, from 2 players who have been terrific and obviously get on really well. The team spirit in the boys was made obvious after the final, as the 2 “rookies” (Jake and Elliot) cleared all the equipment away whilst Matt and Steve were being interviewed and photographed. We are truly looking forward to the team events.}

_{The boy’s doubles finals was a fantastic event. Matt and Steve had the dubious hurdle of the “home team” in the first game, but their supporters matched the home crowd and by the 6th /7th frame the result looked obvious…England were going through.}

_{The big surprise was that the finals would be with Germany and not a Scandinavian team. Well I am glad to say the old “Dunkirk Spirit” prevailed and really by the 8th frame or so it was all over, maybe sooner actually, but Gold was assured.}

_{Junior bowling in England should be very proud and happy.}

_{First gold in doubles for JTE in five years!!!!}

GAMES CAN BE FOUND ON EASYBOWLS YOUTUBES HERE

Weds 8th

_{Wednesday 8th}

_{Wow…what a rollercoaster of emotions today has been.}

_{The Girls started off tremendously (although I missed the first game as Virgin media are crap when you are on webmail – Richard Branson take note) and they just carried on going. They were like an express train and incredibly impressive. It was a fantastic team effort, they led from the front under very difficult conditions and it was only in the last game of the 3 game set (with some very very unlucky pinfall) that they finally got caught. But they are up there with the best of them and they have plenty in reserve, so we are looking forward to tomorrow – apart from the early start!}

_{The boys got ready and commenced their practice this afternoon. About a minute before the start the entire bowl (and as we found out later the entire city) descended into darkness.  The spectators and supporters were asked to leave and the bowlers remained in the bowl. Apparently there had been a catastrophic power failure and the whole city was in darkness. There followed a 45 minute “lull” before practice resumed and the event re-started.}

_{It was a shaky start for the boys but they made a solid first game despite a few splits and many 9 taps during the first game (much like Danni and Kat in the doubles). They actually ground out a good score in the first game and were very near the leaders after that initial game.}

_{During the second game there were a few problems and Matt and Steve kept them going with some solid bowling.}

_{In the final game they rallied on the same pair as Greece and in frames 6/7 had actually overtaken them. They had some bad luck and made some errors which let the Hellenic team overtake them again, England finally finishing 4th in their squad.}

_{The girls showed what they are capable of and with the skill they showed today and some “fairer” luck they have a very good chance of qualifying with their performance today. At the end of the day all you have to do is make the top 4 remember.} 

_{The boys need to regroup mentally and start their campaign for the top 4, which is easily possible. They only need a good game to start them off, there is a considerable amount “left in the tank”, and the task they have is more mental than lack of ability. What you all have to realise reading this is that this tournament is Gladiatorial in the extreme. You literally have a couple of boards and if you miss that you’re in deep trouble. The conditions are difficult, and the competition is out to get you and the pressure is phenomenal.}

_{Your Peterborough’s and your Madison’s are a 10th of this to put it in perspective.}

_{Keep the good wishes coming, over the blog, by text or any other way, the guys and girls really appreciate this.}

_{They are battling away and I’m sure this year will show the results. We already have a gold, let’s hope that more medals are to come our way.}

Thurs 9th

_{Thursday morning What a terrific morning.}

_{The girls team second block started this morning at 8am with England narrowly in 1stplace, 20 pins ahead of the host nation. We all had high hopes.}

_{The 1st game started with a bit of a shaky start and I think nerves were jangling a bit. The team settled after the 4th frame and proceeded to dig out a good game, despite the “9 Tap Demon” coming to visit once again.}

_{They moved lanes for game 2 to the other end of the centre where the TV control desk is and it is very hot indeed, very cramped for spectators too. They set off to a very good start and it was obvious by the second frame that they were “down to business”.}

_{The 1st game had been a gutsy and courageous struggle on a very unfriendly lane, this was now the game that was going to set them up for a medal position and the girls knew it. They carved out an 825 game just when they needed it, as the Swedes were also building a good score along with Israel.}

_{Game 3 involved a small move and the girls started in earnest with strikes and spares. Once again this game required the girls to dig deep for the result they needed. The Dutch and Finnish were battling hard for 4th position and all the time the teams from 2-5 were changing places with the Swedes increasing their lead gradually.}

_{The Dutch went big in the last game chasing the Finnish girls and this went right to the last frame with Finland striking out to keep their nose ahead.}

_{So the top 4 are Sweden (4868), England (4783), Israel (4779) and Finland (4624).}

_{England will meet Israel in the finals for a possible silver medal, which is going to be a tough match. There is no reason why we can’t go all the way at EYC 2009.}

_{If they work as a team and help each other they are capable of beating any in the top 4. Good luck to our girls.}

_{The boys are on at 5pm for their 2nd block so it’s going to be a long day.} 

Thursday evening

_{It was the semi-finals for a silver medal position, lane 19 was the place, and Malmo was the venue, Israel were the opposition. It is known that Israel support their team well (and why not) so the Barmy Army were employed with Matt Miller Snr.  as "songmaster". The girls started off well and kept with the opponents all the way through until maybe the 7th frame. It was really nip and tuck all the way. Then we missed a few spares, they did too, but they struck more than England did.}

_{It was a good solid team performance and at the end of the day it has to be said that the best team won in that game. The Finnish girls had bowled superbly to beat the "home side" in the semi finals, only winning in the last frame. They proved their metal against the Israeli girls by lifting the title and fair play to them for that.}

_{In the boys finals....it goes back to what I said earlier. There is a bowling god, and unless that is on your side - you have a problem. I didn't see the final but it was obvious all through the last set that the bowling god was smiling on the Hellenic team and they couldn't fail to capitalise on that, and why not - we would! They conquered Sweden, no mean feat, and finally went on to lift the title.}

_{Tomorrow is the boys singles, Elliot and Jake on at 9.00am (no lay in for us then!) and Matt and Steve following at 6.00pm. With a ceremony on in the middle of the day (1.00pm) there will be no rest for many of us, and another long day!}

Friday 10th

_{Friday Morning}

_{After a late night Thursday this was an early start today. Elliot and Jake had drawn the 9am squad for singles (I will have to stop calling them rookies as it is Matty Bythe’s 1st Europeans too) so we got to the bowl about 8am. They both seemed calm and had put yesterday behind them. This showed in practice where they both had good looking shots.}

_{They both started off well and then Elliot started to suffer splits and missed spares, whilst Jake continued strongly. This was also the main feature of the 2nd game, and I would Elliot must have gone through the entire stock of the bowling bags trying to find something that would work consistently.}

_{What you must realise is that compared to the JTE/BTBA events or leagues back in England Adult/Junior, this is incredibly difficult with immense pressure and the condition is totally unforgiving. You need to match up ball/lane condition/pace very quickly as it is this combination that will enable you to carry. You then may only have 5 frames or so until the condition alters slightly, which will then require one of these aspects to be altered. Anyway the lads dug deep and continued, Jake hit a bad patch in the middle of the set, whilst Elliot recovered and due to a couple of good finishes posted some reasonable scores. At the end both of the lads finished strongly with a terrific final game.}

_{Hopefully the event finished for these 2 on a high and they will gain significantly from the experience. Either way they should not be annoyed with themselves as they both tried their best and if you turn the result sheet upside down neither are anywhere near the top, which is a great result.}

_{The last squad of the boys singles starts in about half an hour and Elliot is still 14th in the All Events (top 24 qualify for Masters), although I would imagine that will alter significantly after 9pm tonight. We will just have to wait and see.}

  To round a tiring day off;

Steve finished 20th to reach masters finals.

Matt finished 28th

Elliot finished 32nd

Jake 53rd

_{Girls singles tomorrow so a rest fo Steve but plenty of racous noises to be made by the boys and supporters alike to get the girls into masters placings.}

sat 11th

Saturday 

_{First on were Nikki and Katrina, with Danni and Laura following at 1pm. I unfortunately missed the first 3 games in the early squad as Matty Blythe’s cold (which has been doing the rounds since he brought it out here – thanks Matty!) descended on me last night. The first 3 games had been steady looking at the scores but from what I was told (and saw in game 4) carrying was becoming a major problem with many pocket shots leaving stubborn pins standing.}

  _{In the last 2 games Katrina started to achieve a decent carry rate and ended with 2 big games, but it was just too late in the day. Nikki still relentlessly had to spare her way to a good score, which reflects much of the last few days, but she has battled through and her sparing has been marvellous. Nikki also ended on a 200+ game at the end of the singles but the carry had cost her a few places in the all event standings with Katrina’s big finish in the singles just enabling her to overtake.}

  _{The 1pm squad saw Laura and Danni move onto the lanes for the singles with Laura laying in bronze all events position, but could she hang on? The first game wasn’t great for Laura (159) whereas Danni had a good start with a 202. The 2ndth (last game) Laura was still in 3rd place for the all events, it all depended on the last game. She needed a 200 at least, but a 220 would have been safer. game was a complete reversal with Laura shooting a terrific 278 and Danni having carry problems with a 164. Danni changed her bowling line during this game which put her in good stead for the rest of the event averaging 198+ for the remainder, an excellent achievement which could have easily been more with a bit of luck (that deserted her) with the carry. Going into the 6}

  _{Once again the last game was a travesty with 8 good pocket hits resulting in one strike, with Laura eventually grinding out a 176. This dropped her out of the medal positions for the singles (which she was on target for) but crucially leaving her short of the top 3 all event places; something that she had richly deserved with a solid, gutty and loyal performance for her team.}

  _{Both Danni and Laura have qualified for the Masters, a fact which reflects the performances they have put in over this championship with Laura finishing 5th and Danni 11th. So the excitement will continue as in addition to the 2 girls qualifying, we also have Steve Miler in the boys Masters as well.}

Masters sat

 _{Girls Masters – Step 1 Danni Hopcroft vs Belinda Lupa (Ger)}

_{This evening we have Danni and Laura bowling in the masters. This is a series of knockout 3 game competitions bowled as a head to head final on 1 pair of lanes. There is no pinfall carried over from each game, it’s just the number of games won. If you are 2-0 down it’s over. Danni was to meet a German girl, Belinda Lupa, and they both started off well in game 1. It was really neck and neck until the 7th frame when Danni hit pocket and left a nasty 8-10 split. The German girl finished off without opening and that game went 232-209, but was much closer than the score suggests.}

_{In game 2 Danni bowled first and made a perfect shot to carry 10, with Belinda opening. This game carried on with Danni narrowly ahead, when in the 6th frame both girls opened leaving the scores with Danni leading by one pin. Danni shot 9/ with once again a solid pocket hit, whilst Belinda bowled a terrific ball and took all 10. During the competition it has been noticeable that a light pocket hit will invariably carry and this proved to be the case in game 2. Danni continued making good shots but scoring 9/ and then in the 9th frame Danni again received an 8-10 split from a good solid shot ending up in a 2-0 defeat.}

_{I wish to take nothing away from Belinda who bowled well but it was a shame for Danni who had performed and behaved superbly all through the tournament.}

_{Girls Masters – Step 2Laura Ellis-Montgomery vs Natasha Ross}

_{From the 1st frame it was obvious that the “triple crown” spirit was there with Scottish and Irish supporters exceptionally vocal in support of Natasha (Scotland). Laura started off with a solid strike and never really looked back in game 1, convincingly winning the first 207-143. However, in game 2 she had a real battle on her hands. It was nip and tuck all the way with Natasha putting in some terrific shots and Laura was in the unenviable position of having to match every shot to stay with her. It was nail biting to say the least, but Laura kept her cool all the way through, despite the highly vocal support for Natasha with the Dutch joining in as well. Natasha finished first on a 209 and Laura prepared for the 10th frame knowing it was make or break. She released the ball and immediately the shot looked good, bang the 7 pin stubbornly remained standing – she had to spare. The spare was good and with the bonus shot Laura needed 4 or more and converted this with no hesitation sending a pocket shot straight in to score….yep you guessed it…9! But that was enough, 2-0 to England.}

_{Boys Masters – Step 1 Steve Miller vs Alessandro Stilletti (Poland)}

_{This was a real clash of styles, the “businesslike” Miller against the unorthodox Polish bowler. In practice Steve had looked solid as a rock and he certainly proved that in game 1. Straight out of the traps like a favourite greyhound, he was denied the 300 that he deserved in frame 4 with another 9 tap which he spared cooly to shoot a fantastic 279. Alessandro had a very unfortunate start with several opens in the first 7 frames or so until he settled down, but could only achieve 192 in reply. In game 2 Alessandro put together some useful shots with}

_{Steve staying alongside but with the Polish bowler narrowly ahead. In frame 6 he opened and Steve walked up knowing it was his opportunity. He nailed the door firmly shut with a terrific strike and finished off staying ahead with a 233 against the Poles 211. 2-0 to England and Steve was through to the next round in impressive style. It certainly was “Miller Time!”}

Masters sun

_{Girls Masters – Step 3 Laura vs Chantal Jacobs (Holland)}

_{Chantal is a great Dutch bowler we have met many times at the Youth Games in Holland, so this could have been a very hard match. It looked like it would be when both girls started off with 4 in a row and the Dutch crowd were making a terrific noise, which hushed a little in the 5th when Chantal shot a 9/ whilst Laura continued to strike relentlessly. In the 6th Chantal was very lucky not to leave a 6/7 from a wild shot, but the 7 slowly fell over as Laura banged in yet another strike. In frame 7 the “strike machine” faltered and left the 3/6/10 but that was chopped and the 10 remained standing. Chantal could only spare and followed that in the 8th leaving the 1/2/8/10 which couldn’t be spared. With Laura adding to her strike tally the game was effectively over, 255-200 in Laura’s favour.}

_{Onto game 2 and both girls spared the first frame in what appeared a very nervous start. In the 2nd Laura came back with a solid strike with Chantal hitting 8/. In the following 2 frames Laura again hit pocket for all 10 (albeit a little lucky), but what has been evident during the last few days is the amazing carry that this young woman achieves, from what is essentially a very simple style. Chantal could only spare in reply and in frame 7 she was left with the 5/7/10 which effectively spelt an open frame and the end of the match.}

_{It was a shame to see Chantal obviously lose heart after this (and who would blame her) but it was an awesome display of carrying from Laura that was universally admired by all nationalities watching. So a guaranteed medal unless I am mistaken, and another nail biter to watch a bit later on today. Great stuff!!}

 _{Girls Masters – Step 4 Laura vs Carmen Haandrikman}

_{Carmen was the last Dutch girl left so the support was immense. The first game went pretty well and again it was nip and tuck and although the “carry queen” was having a few 9/ frames she was 5 pins ahead and both level advantage going into the 9th. We all had our fingers crossed when Laura left the 1/2/7 from a light hit, the spare wasn’t converted leaving the 7 pin and a first game result of 219-209 to Carmen.}

_{In game 2 it was again even until Laura suffered 2 splits in the middle of the game, one was converted but the other left an open. Carmen also opened in frames 7/8 and if luck was with us there was a very slim chance for Laura. That chance was taken away with 9/ in frames 9/10, although followed by a terrific strike out with the bonus ball. However, against the strikes of the Dutch girl game 2 went 222-186 against Laura. But she had won another medal for England in brilliant style and we all thank her for it.}

Well done Laurs!!

_{To quote a well known chant that will be missing after this year….}