RACHEL Morris became the first lady to win the Redditch Skittles League singles title in the competition’s 18-year history.
Morris overcame Glyn Morley, her father Frank Morris (all Lodge Farmers) and Angela Guest (C and G Show) in the final after scoring an impressive 34 pins.
In a tense final, the trio of Lodge Farmers bowlers led Guest by three pins at the end of leg two before Rachel and Morley took a one-pin advantage in leg three.
However, Rachel opened up a three-pin lead at the end of leg four as the other three finalists all faltered at the same time.
And a steady score of seven pins in the final leg saw Rachel finish on 34 to leave Frank and Morley needing stacks of 11 or more to claim the title.
Neither bowler looked likely to reach Rachel’s total who deservedly claimed the title to become the first-ever lady to win the competition.
In the earlier quarter-final games, Morley topped Group A with 38 pins as a three-way sudden death bowl-off took place to determine the remaining two semi-final spots between Guest, Jim Child (Nomads) and Dave Marriott (Jumbo Jets).
After all three bowlers finished on 30 pins, Guest and Child reached the semi-finals with a total of seven pins in the bowl-off.
In Group B, Andy Clewlow (Engineers) was in pole position to qualify but finished on 30 pins after failing to score in the last leg.
And Alan Cummings (Nomads) took full advantage to score a 14-pin stack in the final leg to finish on 45 pins while F Morris with 36 and Dave Orton (C and G Show) with 34 also reached the semi-finals.
In Group C, just three pins separated eventual winner R Morris, Andy Gill-Smith (Bernie’s Bolts) and Mick Stanton and Rich Johnston (both Jumbo Jets).
A last leg stack of 14 saw Morris qualify for the semi’s while Gill-Smith edged ahead of Stanton before James Marshal (Nomads) produced a stunning stack of 15 to pip Johnston to the final semi-final spot.
And in Group D, Craig Ellis (Engineers) secured top spot with fellow Engineer Maurice Wroe and Richard Long (Lodge Farmers) also qualifying, just edging out Rob Quartly (Jumbo Jets).
Moving on to the semi-finals, in Group A, Child, Morley and F Morris tied for top spot on 34 pins apiece with a sudden death bowl-off required to decide who would advance to the final.
Morris scored seven pins to secure his place in the showpiece with Morley’s five-pin haul enough to take him through to the final just ahead of Child who only managed to score four pins.
And in Group B, impressive scores of 42 and 40 from Guest and R Morris ensured the two ladies would join F Morris and Morley in the final at the expense of Marshal, Cummings, Gill-Smith and Orton.
