REDDITCH Skittles League fixtures took a back seat as the doubles competition began with 26 pairs entering the competition.
The pairs, split into seven groups, will play games in a round-robin format with only the group winners and best runner-up qualifying for the quarter-finals.
In Group A, Luke Saunders and Craig Ellis (Engineers) and Tim Jones and Jamie McGill (Lodge Farmers) tied for top spot on six points apiece.
However, the Engineers pair of Saunders and Ellis progressed to the last eight having scored six more pins than the Farmers’ duo.
In Group B, Frank and Sue Morris (Lodge Farmers) won all of their games to take the maximum eight points available from their matches.
And in Group C, another Farmers’ pair, Andy Rumble and Rachel Morris, also took maximum points to reach the quarter-finals as both players recorded stacks of 17.
In Group D, Angela Guest and Dave Orton (C and G Show) topped the standings with maximum points while the latter bowler registered an 11-pin stack.
And in Group E, James Marshal and Alan Cummings (Nomads) won all of their game to advance to the last eight making stacks of 12 and 10 respectively.
Also in Group E, Craig Sears and Mark Ganderton (Engineers) qualified as the best runners-up due to having a superior pin total over the Group G runners-up.
And Ian Greenway and Maurice Wroe (Engineers) dropped a single point on their way to topping the Group F standings with Richard and Lynne Long (Lodge Farmers) finishing a close second.
Lastly, in Group G, three pairs finished on four points as Rob and Len Quartly (Jumbo Jets) edged through having scored just five pins more than closest challengers Paul and John Clifton (Engineers).
