THE SWAN Studley Skittles League’s annual Team Cup competition features two groups of four teams, from which only the top two in each group go through to the finals.
The event was played on a matchplay basis with the first players in each group competing against each other, then the second players against each other and so on.
In group one, Engineers started modestly but improved throughout the game to take the lead after leg four and, after leg five, qualify as group winners.
Conversely, Swingers took an early substantial lead and at the end of leg three were still comfortably ahead, only for their form to then desert them over the final two legs to finish bottom of the group.
Swan will also be kicking themselves as, after being handily placed in second spot at the end of leg two, found it subsequently difficult to score and had to endure a play-off against Alley Cats who had made a good last leg improvement.
In the play-off, Alley Cats and Swan fielded their two highest scoring players from the group game and it was success and qualification for the finals for Alley Cats, as Malcolm Batchelor and Neil Harrison totalled 15 pins to beat Swan’s Andy Reynolds and Kyle Phipps by a single pin.
During the group stage, top scores for each team were Neil Harrison (Alley Cats) with 40 (12-stack); Paul Clifton (Swingers, 39, 10-stack), Brandon Kelso (Engineers, 38) and Andy Reynolds and Kyle Phipps (Swan) with 36 each.
Group one results: 1 Engineers 18 points; 2 Alley Cats (after play-off) 14.5; 3 Swan 14.5; 4 Swingers 13.
Topping group two and easily qualifying were Lodge Farmers who led by substantial margins after each leg.
However, it was a close scrap between the other three teams. Each briefly held the second qualifying spot before Nomads edged ahead over the last two legs to progress to the finals.
Team BG and Jumbo Jet Set were left rueing their missed opportunities to finish level at the bottom of the group. Frank Morris (Lodge Farmers) was in good form making 40 pins, Alan Cummings (Nomads) continued his season-long good results with 37 (10-stack) and Jordan Cockette (Team BG) and Len Quartly (Jumbos) each scored 36.
Group two results: 1 Lodge Farmers 23; 2 Nomads 14; 3 Team BG and Jumbo Jet Set 11.5.
In the remaining league fixture, Lodge Farmers beat Jumbo Jet Set 8.5-2.5. Top-scoring for the winners were Tim Jones and Alex Cull with 36 each, while for Jumbos Rob Quartly was best with 39 (15-stack).
