Mahinda’s Little World

I’ve done rather well on the sporting scene over the last few days…

Shooting

I was on fire at the rifle range last night. Not literally. After Sunday night (and the rest of the weekend), and a fairly hard day at the office yesterday, I was feeling very bleary-eyed, so wasn’t expecting much. I’ve been in a very poor run of shooting form of late, too, being down in the low 90s rather than the mid 90s that I’d reached at the start of this year.

I was even more despondent when I realised that I had two competition cards to shoot.

I got the rifle ready, got into position, and my knees started hurting - I’d taken some of the skin off them at Saturday’s hockey match.

But somehow, I fired off a 99! And then a 97! Basically, my best ever score, and then my joint 5th best (I think). In nine years of shooting. It was a “good” 99 too - there’s a small dot right in the middle of each target, and I obliterated something like 5 out of 10 of them. Even the shot that dropped the point was only just out.

I’m hoping for really good things once I get a decent rifle. Maybe even the national leagues. Just been on to the firearms coppers again, and elicited a promise that the forms would be sent out again. I’m seriously contemplating quitting the Monday night badminton and instead spending half an hour just relaxing in my car with my eyes closed.

Hockey

I also seem to have cemented a place in our 2nd hockey XI.

Saturday saw my second proper match for them, against Northop Hall, at home. As right back, against a team of big lads, it was quite a physical game. Literally a game of two halves, we went in 0-2 down at half time, but managed to win 3-2. I even managed to set up the equaliser - I got the ball just inside our half, sprinted with it to the top of the D, and played an inch-perfect ball through to Dave, who just had to sweep it into the goal.

Almost did the same about 5 minutes later, but John put it just wide.

I’m still not quite there yet, though - the shape and movement of the team is completely different to what I’m used to with the thirds.

I’m missing the 3rds already, with their (our?!) “warming up’s for girls, now where are the cigarettes?” attitude. I may drop back down when a couple of absentees start playing again, but I think it’s more likely that we’ll be used as rotating subs when we’re all available. Or something.