ALLEY CATS took the opportunity to put some welcome daylight between themselves and the bottom of the Swan Studley Skittles League table with a week 20 win against fellow strugglers Well Developed.
The losers played a man short but still took the first two legs to lead overall by four pins and, at that stage, Alley Cats looked in trouble.
However, better scoring in the next two legs saw the Cats build a good lead of 14 pins before also taking the fifth leg to eventually win comfortably.
For the winners, Neil Harrison made 40 (10-stack), Sam Billyard 36 and Pete Sollis and Ann Harrison 34 each. Well Developed’s Mike Gunnell equalled his team’s highest individual score with 41 (14-stack), Dave Bevan made 36 and Liz Hindson 34.
Another big loss for Swan means they remain just above the basement teams but the result was to be expected when playing a man short against runaway leaders Engineers.
The table-toppers took full advantage to take maximum points and had Mark Ganderton making 40 and Ian Greenway and Craig Sears 38 each.
Swan’s team score was a season’s low when playing with only nine players, with the best efforts coming from Phil Bussey and Bob Haycock with 32 each and Andy Reynolds with 30.
Still keeping Engineers honest in the championship race are second-placed Lodge Farmers who made their highest team score this season to demolish Team BG.
Team BG bowled first and scored a respectable 63 pins in leg one, only for Lodge Farmers to eclipse that with a 76-pin leg before making 72 and 73 in the next two legs.
That effectively decided the game although a poor leg four score let in Team BG to win the leg for a consolation point. The winners then easily won the last leg.
Lodge Farmers’ top scorers were Josh Kirk with 43 (15-stack) and Steve Smith and Paul Frizzelle with 37 apiece. Team BG had good returns from Lin Dyer with 39, Gail Stringer with 35 and Ray Cartwright’s 34.
A first leg lead of nine pins for Jumbo Jet Set was reduced to only two pins after leg three as Alcester Nomads fought back. Nomads then capitalised on Jumbos’ poor leg four total and opened their own nine-pin lead before also taking the last leg to complete the double over their opponents.
All Nomads players scored well, led by Gordon Povey and Mac Eaton with 37 each and Alan Cummings’ 36. Jumbos had Rob Quartly scoring 36, Dan Hill 35 and 34 apiece from Mick Stanton and Len Quartly.
Results: Alley Cats 9 (313 – ten players and 297 – nine players) Well Developed 2 (276); Engineers 10 (331 – ten players and 314 – nine players) Swan 1 (298 – nine players); Lodge Farmers 9 (345) Team BG 2 (316); Alcester Nomads 9 (334) Jumbo Jet Set 2 (317).
