B.J_Byles Blog

This is my blog on bowls from when i was 9 years old right up to now.

2004 (November-December) – 9 years old

• Just started playing this silly game called ‘Indoor bowls’ abit more properly at Whiteknights Indoor Bowls Club at the age of 8 whereas before i tried it at Rivermead Bowls club when i was 6-7 being a pain on the green running all over the place like a deranged baby but apparently I’m suppose to be quite good. Playing in Junior Club with some other kids like me is quite fun, crisps and drinks after was tasty.

2005 (April-September) – 9 – 10 years old (1st season)

Reading Bowls club

• Just started playing ‘outdoor bowls’ at Reading Bowls Club. Why is it so heavy, i cant even reach half way.
• Got the hang of this now.. chuck it up as hard as you can.
• Playing some friendlies with my mum and dad as well as monday points.
• Playing in the ‘Berkshire Kennet League Final’.. Just turned 10.. Leading for Mike Newman and subbing for Robert Newman (England International + Commonwealth games member).. Played well everyone else said and won my first medal to put on my blazer.

• Got to the semi-final of the my first outdoor club competition (Novices Singles) but lost 21-14. dammm !

2005-2006 (November-April) – 10 years old( 1st season)

Whiteknights Bowls club

• New start of the ‘Indoor Season’ started playing junior club again… Same old crisps and coke at the end.
• Now playing in league games (Division 1) for ‘Phoenix’ with my dad.
• Played in a few club friendlies for Whiteknights with my dad, One time our coach wing mirror smashed a cars door on the lay-by and had to sit there for a hour listening to the rugby final between England and Australia and that listened to that moment when Johnny Wilkinson drop kicked that winning goal!!.
• Playing in my first competition final (Under 16 Singles) against Matthew Irenmonger, lost 21-13 but got a nice trophy.
• Entered the club pairs with my dad and lost our 1st round against Andy Harkness and Peter Swinn.

2006 (April-September – 10 – 11 years old (2nd season)

• New season of the outdoors but playing at Maiden Earley Bowls Club, was dad’s decision not mine. But I’m a tad bigger and a tiny bit stronger so should be able to reach during April………. still struggled !!
• Playing in a few friendlies and Kennet league matches so far.. also in the monday points… Soo cold during May !! brr! have to wear a jacket miles to big.
• Got selected to play in the Under 25 Home counties league team in my first year to join the squad… I have the smallest shirt size in the team.. XXS
• Started my club competitions but lost my 2-wood singles after being 10-2 up after 8 ends and lost my handicap singles. But will always remember the round when i had to play Reg Pound in the club singles and his wife Jean Pound  started controversy saying you don’t have to accept the ‘mat’ if i give it away (If you win the end you have the decision whether to keep the mat for the next end or give it to your opponent so you can have last bowl of that end). My dad rang up a county umpire and she refused to speak to him on the phone .. but then at the end i still beat him 21-1 LOL !… but unfortunately lost the next round to Gary Bailey.
• Played in my first county competition (Under 25 Singles) and the county pairs with my dad, in the under 25’s i got through 1 round but had to play Simon Jones (England International) Lost 2-0 (sets)but nearly won a set of him. In the pairs we nearly beat Robert and Mike Newman losing by 2 shots at Reading.

• Still playing in Kennet league games but got dropped for one of them….
• Had to watch club finals day on the side and got that weird feeling in your belly where you so badly wanted to be out there cause you know your better than them.

2006-2007(November-April) – 11 years old (2nd season)

• New indoor season again.. Still playing at Whiteknights Indoor Bowls Club with my dad and mum. Now playing in the afternoon league with my dads team ‘TMX’ as well as junior club again and the same old food after but a new person joined… Mitchell Cooper.
• Playing in some friendlies for Whiteknights with my dad and league games for Phoenix and TMX.
• Entered the Under 25 singles and Under 16 singles and the under 18 pairs at Whiteknights got to the final of all three but had to play Simon Jones again in the  Under 25 final and lost 21-12.. But in that picture its funny when you think.. that 5-6 years on i will win a national championship with him. In the Under 16 singles i won against Matthew Irenmonger and in the Under 18 pairs i was with Cameroon Gibbons and won against Cathy Edwards and Mitchel Copper.

• But also won the Club pairs with Mike Newman as i had to sub for Robert Newman as he way away on international duty and played Gary Stacey and someone else in the final and won…. I was so happy because i got my name on the trophy and honours board

2007(April-September) – 11 – 12 years old (3rd season)

• New outdoor season and I’m back at Reading Bowls Club with my dad and mum.
• Played in friendlies with my mum and dad and played in monday points and also got into the Kennet League Team which was good because they had the Reading Chronicle show up every time we played at home and i always seemed to make the paper.
• Selected to play in the Under 25 Home Counties squad and also got to play in the Under 25 County Double rink.
• Played in club competitions.. Novices Singles.. club pairs with Wynn Jones . …Club triples.. Won the novices singles against Bob Eckett 21-12 and lost club pairs against John Snook and some Scottish bloke and lost the triples with my dad and Roy Johnston.
• Entered the under 25 singles again but lost in a early round. But also entered the Unbadged singles where in my first round i had a good comeback against Matthew Irenmonger when i was 18-9 down and won 21-19.. i was so happy and then progressed into the open stage (Last 32) at Wokingham bowls club and lost to a 80 year old man 21-12

2007-2008 (November – April) – 12 years old (3rd season)

• New indoor season and still the food is exactly the same in junior club.. fizzy drinks and crisps. But we do have some nice red shirts!!

• Played in friendlies still with my dad, but not as many as before.. and played in evening league games and afternoon league, but moved from Phoenix to the big team in division 1 … Christchurch where they had the likes of Mark Bantock (International + Commonwealth games member) Robert Newman (International + Commonwealth games member), Mike Newman and Gary Stacey. Won the evening league with Christchurch. and the evening league knockout.
• Selected to play in the Under 25 County Double rink against Surrey but lost!!!
• Entered more club competitions this year, the club pairs with Mike Newman but unfortunately lost in the semi-finals.. and in the under 25 singles i lost to Matthew Irenmonger in the final 21-17.. but won the under 18 pairs. Also won the County pairs with Mike Newman against Michael Knights and Martin Chant at Rivermead Bowls Club with conjunctivitis on my left eye. I looked like i was on drugs.
• Played in more competitive competitions representing Whiteknights in the London and southern counties shield.
• Played in my first county game this season with my dad. Have to play 3 games to get your county badge but fortunately got mine because i won the county pairs.
• Selected to play in the Home Counties League for Berkshire.
• Started to move my competitions nationally and won the regional EBYDYS at Mid Glos Bowls Club and qualified for the national finals the next season

2008 (April – September) – 12 – 13 years old (4th season)

• New season outdoors with Reading Bowls Club with my mum and dad still.
• Played in some friendly games with my mum and dad but not many as i started finding them really boring. Also played in some county friendly games with my dad as well as getting picked for a Middleton Cup Trial against Somerset and lead against Louis Ridout. The Middleton cup is the highest standard of team competition in the county against other counties in England. I also played in the home counties league team for he first time which is one level before the Middleton cup as well as being picked to play for the Under 25 Home Counties League Squad and the Double rink Squad.
• I entered the county under 25 singles but lost in the group final, also entered the unbadged singles but lost in the second round and entered the Benevolent Triples with Mike Newman and Craig Whitley which we won with Robert subbing in the final as Mike fell over at Royal Household and then gaining my county badge, this was my first ever county title.
• Played in more competitive games for Reading such as the ‘Top Club’.. and ‘club championship’ where in the top club i played in the 2wood singles where i lost to Carl Brooks.

• Club competitions i won the club pairs with Ray Clark but lost the handicap singles to Mike Newman and lost the 2wood against Mike Newman.
• Won the Kennet League for the second time thou !

Kennet League Champions

2008-2009 (November – April) – 13 years old (4th season)

• New season indoors at Whiteknights Bowls Club with my mum and dad.
• Played in one friendly with my dad at Wealden Bowls club just because of their food HAHA !. But also played in evening league games with Christchurch and afternoon league with TMX, won the evening league with Christchurch again !
• Entered the club singles for the first time but lost in the semi-finals to Duncan Christie 21-17. Got to the final of the under 25 singles again but lost again to Matthew Irenmonger 21-20. Won the under 16 singles beating Cathy Edwards 21-6 also was runner up in the club triples. But got told i couldn’t enter the Under 16 Singles anymore because it wouldn’t be fair on the others Bearing in mine i still qualified to play in it for the next 3 years !
• Entered the national singles,pairs with Duncan Christie and got to the area semi final losing to Simon Jones and John McGuiness , triples with Duncan Christie and Robert Newman but lost 2nd round to John McGuiness and fours with Duncan Christie,Martin Friend,Steve Gilbert but lost in the area final to Andrew Knapper at West Berks when i just got off the plane from Florida and struggled to stand up as i was so jet lagged and the under 25 singles where i lost to Mitchel Cooper.
• Selected to play Denny Cup for the first time and also the Liberty Trophy (Equivalent of the Middleton Cup but indoors)  where we got to the semi-final and lost to Dorset by 2 shots.
• Selected for the Under 25 double rink (2nd year).
• In the EBYDS (English Bowls Youth Development Scheme) National finals i finished joint 6th in my first go to get to the finals.

2009 (April – September) – 13 – 14 years old (5th season)

• Another outdoors season at Reading Bowls Club with my mum and dad but this would be my last year at Reading as I’m moving to Desborough Bowls Club (Maidenhead) .. Big  transfer news it was for some reason ..
• Not playing any friendlies this year as i find them so boring and not very exiting at all !!.
• Got selected to play in the Middleton Cup against (1st year) and also got picked to play in the Home counties Squad (2nd year).
• Won the Berkshire Kennet league for the third time and also won the Benevolent Triples for the second time with Mike Newman and Craig Whitley at Desborough against Neil Haines but also subbed for Paul Bunting in the County Fours final against Andrew Knapper but lost in the pouring rain.
• County competitions i lost my singles to a person from Tilehurst Bowls Club in the second round and Under 25 singles i lost to Matthew Ellis in the group final again !!

2009-2010 (November – April) – 14 years old (6th Season)

• Still playing at Whiteknights(leagues and some club competitions) but also joined Desborough to play national competitions out that club as they are much stronger than Whiteknights nationally.
• Entered the national fours with Matthew Hyde, Richard Reid, Chris Hitt but lost in the 1st round to Andrew Knapper and under 25 singles i qualified for the national finals but lost in the last 16 to a guy from Falaise Bowls Club (Sussex) 2-1 (sets)
• Selected to play for Desborough in the Denny Cup (2nd year) where we got to the quarter finals but lost to Cumbria at Erewash Bowls Club.
• Selected for the County Under 25 Double rink and the club double rink for Desborough where we got to the Last 32 losing to Dorchester.
• Won the London and southern Counties Shield at Croydon where the lights are awful.
• Club competitions at Whiteknights i won the club fours with Peter Seaman, Chris Hitt, Mike Newman but lost the under 25 singles to Mitchel Cooper 21-20.
• Won the league at Whiteknights with Christchurch… No one can stop us !
• Finished 2nd behind Lee Brown by 1 point in the EBYDS regional qualifiers but still qualified for the national finals.
• Got to my first national final at Nottingham Bowls club in the Liberty Trophy against Durham but lost.
• At Desborough in the club competitions i won the under 30 pairs with Kyle mallindain against Katrina Jones. And won the under 25 singles against Lee Brown 21-18

  Liberty Trophy Final VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

2010 (April – September) – 14 – 15  years old (7th season)

• My first season at my new bowls club (Desborough) but this time without my mum and dad.
• I entered the County Fours with Matthew Hyde, Simon Jones and Alan Price and under 25 singles. We won the County fours against Colin Brooks at Morlands Bowls Club but lost the Under 25’s against Lee Brown at the same stage (group stage) Has got to change sometime soon !!…
• Selected to play Middleton Cup and Home Counties League.. (2nd year) Didn’t have a successful campaign though !
• Club competitions at Desborough i entered the singles, handicap singles, 2 wood and benevolent triples with two young lads Andrew Buckley and Kyle Mallandain. I won all three competitions… with the singles against Mark Clisby 21-16 becoming the youngest ever person to win the club singles at Desborough beating Andrew Knappers record. In the handicap singles i won against Mark Clisby but in the 2 wood singles i lost by 1 to Mark Clisby again..!! Fortunately won the Benevolent triples with the young lads easy.. qualifying us for the county benevolent triples next season.

• Also.. you may of think that season is finished but still more to goo .. For the first time ever for me i qualified for the Worthing National Finals in the Fours (As we won the county) and the Club Double Rink. In the national fours we got to the Last 16 but loosing out to Hampshire in a game i will never forget !! And in the Club Double Rink we lost in the semi- finals to St. Austell in the most immense game ever !!..

2010-2011 (November – April) – 15 years old – (7th season)

• New season at Desborough and turned out to be the first turning point in my career…
• I entered the national singles, under 25’s and fours with Michael Knight, Richard Reid and Matthew Hyde… In the singles i lost to David Miles in the 1st round 21-18.. In the under 25’s i qualified for the national finals but losing on the last bowl to go through to the semi-finals to Martin Heizman (Sussex) (2-1)…and in the fours we lost to Alan Price in the second round.
• In the EBYDS i qualified for last year.. i finished 4th place.. losing in the singles semi – final to Jonathan West.. But i won the regional qualifiers at Mid Glos to qualify for the National Finals next season but this time its at Worthing (Outdoors).
• I also got the chance for the England team by being selected for the England Under 25 International Trial at Kingsthorpe but didn’t get in the final team
• In the club competitions at Whiteknights i finally won the under 25 singles beating Mitchel Cooper 21-9 with a banging headache!!!!.. but also lost all the other competitions (singles to Robert Newman semi-finals..Pairs .. semi – Final… Triples.. Semi-Final.. Fours.. Semi Final)..
• At Desborough i won the club Under 30 Pairs with Damien Cleary against Connor Wisely and Kyle Mallandain with a MASSIVE SCORE ! like 39-9. as well as the Under 25 Singles against Kyle Mallandain 21-18.
• At the end of the season i got picked to play in the singles for Desborough at the Folkestone Top Ten at Folkestone Bowls Club.. where i won the singles there not losing a game.. beating a Welsh International in one of my games.. And in the Leonard Denny Memorial we won beating Wey Valley in the final by 5.. In total at the end of that season i won over £300  

2011 (April – September) – 15 – 16 years old – (8th season)

• Another season at Desborough where turns out to be the best year of my career so far!!..
• I got selected for the England Under 25 International Trial .. Unfortunately at reserve but i wouldn’t of expected to be considered for one anyway.
• Selected to play in the Middleton Cup (3rd year).. And we managed to qualify for the finals at Worthing..
• Played Kennet league for Desborough where we got to the final against Thatcham but unfortunately i couldn’t play as i had a Under 18 International trial…
• County competitions.. i entered the singles.. fours.. and under 25 singles.. In the singles i lost in the second round to Peter Gosling in the pouring rain !! 21-18.. and in the fours we got to the final and won against Robert Newman.. and in the under 25’s i lost to Kyle Mallandain at the same stage as always.. 21-20 but he got to the national finals of the under 25’s that year so its good i lost to him. But in the Benevolent triples.. me and the to young lads.. Andrew and Kyle we won the final at Morlands.. But i will always remember the semi-final at Three Mile Cross Bowls club where i had to play the hardest shot ever to roll a bowl out over 5 feet and to stay on the CRAPPEST side of the rink to force a extra end!! And i did it !! Somehow ..
• Qualified for Worthing (National Finals) in 5 different events.. (Fours, Double Fours, Middleton Cup, Under 18 Singles (EBYDS).. Under 25 double rink)… We got to the semi-final of the Double fours.. losing to Shaldon on the last bowl by James Webber.. Middleton Cup we lost to Devon in the final.. In the Under 25 double rink we lost to Huntingdonshire in the 1st game.. But!! i won the Under 28 Singles (EBYDS) as well was winning the National Fours.. being the second youngest ever winner and now qualified to represent England in the British Isles in Wales next year..

2011-2012 (November – April) – 16 years old – (8th season)

• New season at Desborough and Whiteknights.. Still playing national competitions out of Desborough and club competitions out of both clubs but leagues only at Whiteknights.
• I entered the Singles.. Under 25 Singles and Mixed pairs.. The mixed pairs was with Commonwealth games bronze medallist Sian Gordon.. But unfortunately lost in the 1st round where i thought we would go far.. In the Under 25 singles i lost in the area final to David Miles 2-1.. (sets) and in the National Singles.. i have had my best run ever because normally i go out in the 1st/2nd round but now in the semi-finals against Andrew Knapper.. but still yet to play that..Touch wood i win..
• Selected for the Denny cup (4th year) and Liberty Trophy (4th year) and so far have reached the quarter-finals of the Liberty Trophy playing Dorset at Bournemouth and in the Denny cup quarter final we have to play Nottingham.
• I got selected for the Under 18 Mixed International Trial for the first time .. This was on the same day as the Kennet League final so i had to have a full hard week of practicing indoors as i have just finished the outdoors… But i got selected for the series representing England for the first time.. i got picked to play in the respected disciplines (Singles and Triples).. I won the Gold in the triples with Chelsea Tomlin and Thomas Segolo.. but finished 7th place in the singles..  But our England team team finished top of the table infront of England 2 haha ! ..

Of course.. we all like to have fun now and again.. So here are a few videos we did from the team hotel..