ENGINEERS retained the Redditch Skittles League title after beating Bernie’s Bolts in their final game of the season.
The defending champions needed just five points to retain their title and saw off Bernie’s Bolts by 15 pins to pip Lodge Farmers to top spot for the second season running.
Engineers were not daunted by Bernie’s Bolts good first leg score of 71 and topped it by four pins before increasing their advantage to seven pins at the end of leg two.
And Engineers racked up an impressive 88-pin third leg to take a decisive 32-pin lead only to lose leg four by a single pin.
Bernie’s Bolts made 71 pins in the last leg which left Engineers needing 41 pins for victory and scored 55 to comfortably reach the required total and claim the title in the process.
For Engineers, Andy Clewlow (40, 18 stack) top scored after a stunning third leg display which included taking all nine pins with his third ball – known as a flopper.
And Mark Ganderton (39) and Graham Hingley and Jo Kelso (both 36) also impressed while Ganderton also finished the season top of the aggregate scoring list with 636 pins and also topped the ‘Best 12’ scores with an average of 38.33.
For the Bolts, Mark Andrews (46, 15 stack), John McSweeney (36) and Dan Goodman (33) top scored.
Bernie’s Bolts also featured in the last game of the season against C and G Show as the two teams traded the first two legs with the Bolts holding a one-pin lead.
The Bolts stretched their lead to seven pins after winning leg three and took a 25-pin lead at the end of leg four after capitalising on C and G Show’s low score.
C and G Show took leg five by a single pin but suffered another defeat as Dan Goodman (38, 13 stack), Mark Andrews (38) and Mark West (36) top scored for the Bolts with Angela Guest (38, 15 stack), Aaron Evans (35) and Andy Maine (34) on form for C and G Show.
And Guest also topped the ladies aggregate scoring list with 609 pins and topped the ladies ‘Best 12’ scores with an average of 35.75.
Engineers finished four points clear of closest challengers Lodge Farmers at the top of the table with Jumbo Jet Set in third, Bernie’s Bolts fourth, Nomads fifth, The Borough sixth and C and G Show in seventh.
Results
Engineers 346 (8pts) v Bernie’s Bolts 331 (3pts)
Bernie’s Bolts 327 (8pts) v C&G Show 303 (3pts)
