THE Redditch Skittles League representative team, Renegades, enjoyed a very successful mini tour of North Devon as they returned home unbeaten with a trophy.
Renegades took a 10-man team to Bideford for a competition against 15 other clubs mainly from the South West and Wales.
Only the top team from four groups of four would progress to the final round as Renegades quickly found their stride to beat Bunnas Bluebirds in their opening game.
Renegades registered scores of over 100 pins in each of the first two legs and eventually won 464-384 as Mac Eaton (53, 17 and 13 stacks) starred supported by Rob Quartly (52, 15 and 12 stacks) and Glyn Morley and Craig Sears (both 50, 15 and 12 stacks).
However, Renegades found themselves trailing up until the very last ball of the game against Big Hairy Spiders, needing 91 pins in the final leg to win the match.
Last man Mark Ganderton required a score of 14 for victory and produced a tremendous 17 stack to secure a nail-biting 431-427 win as Geoff Loat (52, 15 and 13 stacks) top scored while Alan Cummings (51, 16 and 12 stacks) also impressed.
Renegades sealed a more routine 426-380 win in their last group game against Barry Town Lads to seal their place in the final.
The Redditch side led by 14 pins after three legs and easily managed the 56 pins required in the final leg with another 100-plus score as Alan Cummings (55, 17 and 16 stacks) and Morley (45, 15 and 11 stacks) impressed while Len Quartly recorded a 13-pin stack – his first of the competition.
The final was played in pairs between four teams with the top-scoring pair across both alleys taking the trophy.
Renegades took on Original Sports and quickly opened up a 21-pin first leg lead and added another 22 pins after the second leg.
Original Sports hit back to win leg three by a single pin before Renegades won leg four to lead by 64 pins.
Renegades needed just 13 pins to win the final leg which their first two bowlers achieved and immediately began their pursuit of topping the highest score of 407 pins on the other alley.
Renegades needed just 55 pins to claim the trophy and cruised past the target on their way to a 96 pin final leg score as captain Andy Clewlow finished with a 14-pin stack while Loat (51, two 13 stacks), Cummings (50, 15 stack) and Tim Jones (48, 15 stack) saw Renegades seal a 449-365 victory.
That came after seven of the team played in two friendly games in Ilfracombe against the Sandpipers Inn and a side from the Ilfracombe Yacht Club.
Renegades won both matches comfortably, beating Sandpipers Inn 318-296 as Jones (53, 15 stack) and Sears (51, 18 stack) starred before then defeating the Yacht Club 329-286 as Clewlow (54, 14 stack) and Ganderton and L Quartly (both 49) impressed while the latter also managed a 13 stack.
