Song of Innocence

When I arrived at the bowling alley at a quarter to eight last night, Ben was reclined with a coke and the alley was pleasantly dotted with a handful of regular bowlers. And despite the expected confusion from the counter staff when I asked to be put on the same lane as Ben, it turned out to be an epic night.

Why?

Well, for starters, we both had averages over 160, which for us isn't bad over ten games. Additionally, we both scored 203 in different games, as well as a clutch of 170s, 180s and a 190. Our spares were solid, and it was a genuine shock when one of us left a frame open twice in a row.

Personally speaking, it was the best I've ever bowled, not just because of the high scores and the average, but because the ball was rolling naturally and was going almost exactly where I wanted it to. There have been purple patches before, but they have always been individual, and at the expense of the opponent. This time it was two way traffic, and from the first ball to the last, it was anyone's match. As it turned out, I managed to prevail by 20 or so pins, but it could have gone either way.

One thing that I have realised since last night is that Ben is the better bowler. He uses house balls, which are not very reactive, worn and have chips and non-customised finger holes. In order to get strikes, he has to be more accurate than me, and doubly so as he bowls a straight ball, not a hook. Were I to bowl in Ben's fashion, he would whitewash me everytime by hundreds of pins. As things stand, he usually prevails when we play. If he ever learns to bowl a hook ball, I'll be in serious trouble.