IT WAS a funny old week 11 in the Swan Studley Skittles League as seven teams made either their highest or lowest score of the season.
Engineers, the only team to do neither, now top the table for the first time this season.
Both Team BG and Well Developed made their best scores so far. Team BG took leg one by 13 pins before Well Developed reduced the deficit to only five pins after leg two.
However, Well Developed were 13 pins adrift again after leg three and, although winning both of the last two legs, could never quite get on terms with their opponents.
Team BG’s last leg score was poor and left Well Developed to get a manageable 61 pins to win their first game of the season but, after a bright start, they slipped to a narrow loss.
For Team BG, Ray Cartwright top scored with 40 and Alex Beard and Carl Baker made 37 and 34 respectively.
For the losers, Janina Brennan made 36, Ron Skidmore 35 (12-stack) and Mike Gunnell 35.
Alley Cats made their season’s highest score and were another team left 61 pins to win – this time to take the scalp of unbeaten opponents Engineers.
Alley Cats, who had led throughout the game, found the pressure too great and had to be content with having given Engineers something of a bloody nose.
Consolation for Alley Cats was Tony O’Connor’s 43 (16-stack) which was his team’s highest individual score to date, while team-mates Loz Gazeley made 39 and Anne O’Connor 34.
Engineers’ best came from Mark Ganderton with 40, Phil Jones 39 and John Bool 38.
By contrast, Alcester Nomads and Jumbo Jet Set played out a poor game as both teams registered season lows. Nomads were the more consistent team and, having lost the first leg by only three pins, took the lead by five pins after leg two and were then always in front.
They finally left Jumbos to make 68 pins for the game but Jumbos were yet another team unable to keep up a good start in a last leg as they went down to a successive loss.
Alan Cummings made 41, James Marshall 35 and Mac Eaton 34 for Nomads, while Jumbos’ best came from Dan Hill with 37, Len Quartly 33 and Ben Jones 32.
Lodge Farmers and Swan both produced sub-300-pin scores as the former came out comfortably on top.
The winners opened an 11-pin lead after leg one before surrendering that advantage as Swan fought back to level the score.
However, Lodge Farmers quickly regained the 11-pin advantage in the next leg and then won the last two legs as Swan had one of those games to forget.
Jason Kirk and Richard Long made 37 and 33 respectively for Lodge Farmers and Holly and Sally Racki made 35 and 32 respectively for Swan.
Results: Team BG 7 (313) Well Developed 4 (307); Alley Cats 3 (325) Engineers 8 (332); Alcester Nomads 8 (309) Jumbo Jet Set 3 (298); Lodge Farmers 9 (291) Swan 2 (267).
