IN THE latest Swan Studley Skittles League games, it was a week of low scores with the surprising exception of Alley Cats who won for the first time this season to move off the bottom.
Alley Cats defeated Swingers, now struggling to maintain their early-season promise. Despite going behind after leg one, Alley Cats then opened a big lead over the following legs to finish with their season’s highest team total and run out comfortable winners as Tony O’Connor made 39 (13-stack), Ann Harrison 35 and Loz Gaizley and Sue Matthews 34 each.
Swingers had Brenda Leake and Tony Howell with 34 each and Paul Clifton and Brenda Morris with 32 each.
Maudslay, with games in hand, needed to beat opponents and table-toppers Engineers to be tight on the heels of the leaders.
However, it was not to be in a low-scoring encounter as Engineers took the first two legs, each by a single pin, before stretching the lead to 15 pins after the next two legs.
Maudslay had the better of the last leg by ten pins but it was too little, too late, although Engineers made very heavy weather of making only 50 pins in their last leg to win the game.
Engineers finally made their season’s lowest score and were grateful their opponents also played below par.
The winners had Craig Sears and Maurice Wroe scoring 35 and Brandon Kelso and Ian Greenway 33 each. Maudslay’s best were Dave Ford with 36, Dean Watson 35 and Dick Walters 34.
Scoring was even more difficult between Team BG and Lodge Farmers, as both teams produced their season’s lowest team totals.
Team BG won the opening and closing legs but in between Lodge Farmers won each of the other three legs. Just like Engineers, Lodge Farmers made heavy weather of making only 45 to win the game and needed their last two bowlers to get them over the line.
Lodge Farmers had top individual scores from Tim Jones with 35, Rich Cunningham 33 and Richard Long 32. Best for Team BG were Ray Cartwright and Josh Stringer with 34 each and Margaret Sanders with 31.
Alcester Nomads posted their season’s lowest team total, but it was enough to end Well Developed’s three-game winning run.
Well Developed actually led by five pins after leg three, before Nomads found some form over the last two legs to register a flattering win.
Well Developed were left regretting not taking advantage of what was, for Nomads, a modest team total. The losers had Martin Brennan making 35 and Shirley Searle and Liz Hind 33 apiece.
Nomads’ Alan Spreckley scored 36, Margaret Povey 35 and Alan Cummings 34.
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory were Swan, playing a man light against Jumbo Jet Set. The first leg was halved before Jumbos led by five pins after leg two.
Swan then made light work of being a player down and controlled the rest of the game – until the very end. They were well on target to register their first win of the season before their last two players bowled but, needing only eight pins between them, could only manage four pins.
For lucky Jumbos, Rob Quartly made 36, Dave Young 34 and Steve Wardle and Rich Johnston 32 each. Swan had Kevin Masters with 40 (13-stack), Helen Racki 34 and Ally Dix and Andy Reynolds 32 each.
Results: Alley Cats 8 (331) Swingers 3 (268); Engineers 9 (315) Maudslay 2 (310); Team BG 3 (276) Lodge Farmers 8 (285); Alcester Nomads 9 (315) Well Developed 2 (304); Jumbo Jet Set 7.5 (302 – ten players and 289 – nine players) Swan 3.5 (286 – nine players).
