TABLE-TOPPING Maudslay’s unbeaten start to the Swan Studley Skittles League season came to an abrupt end when opponents Engineers won comfortably to climb into second spot.
The victors are now the only unbeaten team. Their success was more or less sealed over the first two legs.
Maudslay bowled first but their opening leg score was poor by their standards and Engineers took advantage to open an eight-pin lead before taking the second leg by a further 14 pins.
Maudslay made the remaining three legs much closer but could not claw themselves back into the game, losing two of the legs by narrow margins and only managing to tie one leg for a consolation half point.
Ian Greenway’s 44 (15-stack) was Engineers’ highest individual score to date and he was well supported with 39 pins each from team-mates Luke Saunders (ten-stack) and Maurice Wroe.
Maudslay’s Mark Sanseverino replied with 38 (13-stack) and Dick Walters and Stu Griffiths scored 34 each as their team recorded their lowest team total of the season.
Jumbo Jet Set were another team making a season’s lowest team total and they paid the price as they went down to Lodge Farmers.
Lodge Farmers did not need to be in top form to win the game and climb over Jumbos into third spot. In a low-scoring encounter, Lodge Farmers took the first two legs by 13 and six pins respectively before Jumbos woke up to take legs three and four to lead overall by four pins going into the last leg.
An excellent last leg score by Lodge Farmers left their opponents needing 65 pins to win the game but Jumbos rarely looked up to the task and slid to defeat.
For the winners, Graham Hingley made 35 and Patsy Kane and Kim Clewlow 34 apiece. Jumbos’ best was 36 by Dan Hill and 35 each from Rob Quartly and Pete Battle-Welch.
Results: Maudslay 1.5 (318) Engineers 9.5 (344); Lodge Farmers 8 (312) Jumbo Jet Set 3 (305).
