SWAN Studley Skittles League leaders Maudslay edged further ahead of main title rivals Engineers thanks to a nine-point success against Chris & Gerry Show.
Engineers could only manage seven against Team BG but Engineers, with two games in hand, would move hot on Maudslay’s heels with maximum points from these fixtures.
Next week’s game between the two teams is a potential championship decider.
Maudslay’s only blemish in beating C&G Show was to lose the fourth leg. Already 24 pins up after leg three, Maudslay produced a poor total in leg four to let C&G Show back into the game and reduce the lead to 13 pins.
A close finish looked possible but C&G Show could not maintain their form and Maudslay made the best leg score of the game to win comfortably and extend their sequence of successes to four.
Tom Roberts made 40 (13-stack) and Stu Griffths 39 (15-stack) for the winners, while C&G Show’s Craig Sears and Paul Hollis each scored 35.
Team BG ran Engineers close to be only a single pin behind after three legs and fancied themselves for a surprise win.
However, the fourth leg was decisive as Team BG made a poor score and Engineers took advantage to open a 15-pin lead.
Team BG responded by narrowly taking the last leg and, despite losing a sixth game running, were pleased with a four-point return which saw Carl Baker make 37 and Gail Stringer and Rob Baker 36 each. Engineers’ best were George Bird with 37 and Phil Jones’ 36.
Third and fourth spot looks set to be between Alcester Nomads and Jumbo Jet Set with the former slightly ahead by 8.5 points but having played a game more.
The match between the two saw Nomads always ahead, despite making a low first leg score, because Jumbos’ reply was even worse.
Leg four was decisive when Jumbos scored 68 pins and a way back into the game seemed likely until Nomads replied with a game-winning 74 pins.
Nomads’ Alan Cummings made 37 and Eddie Upright 36 (11-stack). Jumbos’ Rich Johnston made 39 and Geoff Turrell 35.
Fifth placed Lodge Farmers could yet have a say about third and fourth spots after comfortably beating Alley Cats.
Lodge Framers were always ahead as they completed a fourth successive win and have games in hand.
Alley Cats managed to take leg two but Lodge Farmers snuffed out thoughts of a recovery by putting in three good legs for an emphatic win.
Kim Clewlow, for Lodge Farmers, was top scorer with 43 (13-stack) and Tim Jones chipped in with 42 (11-stack). Alley Cats had Graham Bachelor scoring 38 (13-stack) and Malcolm Batchelor 34 (11-stack).
Only 11.5 points separate sixth and 11th place and Well Developed complicated matters by beating Swan to end a three-game losing run and consign Swan to a third successive loss.
Well Developed, who finished with the lowest winning total this season, looked on the way to a maximum points haul until poor efforts in their last two legs nearly let Swan sneak a win.
Swan needed 69 pins in their last leg for victory but fell just short. Jim Child led the way for the winners with 37 pins and Liz Hindson and Martin Brennan made 33 each. For Swan, Andy Reynolds scored 38 and Graham Howells 32.
Results: Maudslay 9 (331) Chris & Gerry Show 2 (305); Engineers 7 (325) Team BG 4 (312); Alcester Nomads 8.5 (319) Jumbo Jet Set 2.5 (308); Lodge Farmers 9 (327) Alley Cats 2 (294); Swan 3 (282) Well Developed 8 (287).
