THE Redditch Skittles League’s representative side were crowned champions at a national competition held in Torquay.
Renegades competed against 27 other teams from around the country and came away victorious following a stellar performance.
Teams were split into seven groups of four with only the top team progressing from each group.
And Renegades quickly found their stride in their opening group game against the Jay Bees from Gloucester as scores of 85 and 90 allowed them to open up a 15-pin lead after the first two legs.
However, Jay Bees responded well to lead by eight heading into the final leg only for Redditch to score 96 with their opponents unable to score the required 89 for victory.
Mac Eaton (55, 18 and 13 stacks) top scored for Renegades whilst Rob Quartly (50, 15 and 13 stacks), Glyn Morley (48, 18 stack), Alan Cummings (44, 15 stack) and Tim Jones (41, 11 stack) all impressed.
Renegades swept aside Pentwyn Follies from Cardiff in their next match as they won all five legs which included a score of 101 pins.
The pins were knocked down by Mark Ganderton (60, 16, 15 and 11 stacks), Craig Sears (50, 14 and 12 stacks), Geoff Loat (49, 16 stack), Cummings (49, 14 stack), Andy Clewlow (43, 17 stack) and Len Quartly (42, 15 stack).
However, Renegades slipped to defeat against Saints from Exeter in their third group game despite taking a 12-pin lead at the end of the second leg.
A poor third leg allowed Saints back into the game as their opponents scored 102 to take a 15-pin lead as Renegades eventually fell to a 19-pin defeat.
R Quartly (50, 15 and 10 stacks), Clewlow (43, 13 stack) and Eaton (39, 10 stack) top scored for Renegades.
Despite the defeat, Renegades finished top of the group via total pins scored over the three games to progress to the final.
The final took place across four alleys with the seven group winners joined by the highest scoring runners-up.
Renegades were paired with Drop Inn United from Ross-on-Wye as L Quartly (53, 14 and 13 stacks), Clewlow (52, 16 and 14 stacks), R Quartly (50, 15 stack), Cummings (47, 15 stack), Morley (44, 15 stack), Ganderton (44, 15 stack) and Jones (41, 11 stack) all recorded stacks.
The Redditch side scored 94 in the first leg compared to the Drop Inn’s 66 with Renegades still on top despite their opponents winning the next two legs.
A strong fourth leg score of 93 from Renegades helped them to victory with the last leg shared.
Renegades score of 430 proved enough for the Redditch side to be declared champions with 411 the highest score on the other alleys.
Back in Redditch, Scott Few claimed the League’s Invitation Shield as the division’s newest team, The Borough, celebrated their first major success.
The second round of the singles competition saw six players compete in four groups playing over five legs with the top three in each group qualifying for the semi-finals.
In group one, Aaron Evans (39, C and G Show) and Rob Baker (36, Swingers) sailed through before Few beat Alan Cummings (Nomads) by a single pin in a sudden death play-off after the pair, along with Rich Fisher, all scored 32 pins.
Group two saw Clewlow (36, Engineers), Mick Stanton (33, Jumbo Jets) and Julian Workman (32, The Borough) ease through whilst Craig McSweeney (37, The Borough), R Quartly (34, Jumbo Jets) and Dan Goodman (33, The Borough) advanced from group three.
In group four Jones (41, 13 stack, Lodge Farmers), Ian Greenway (36, Engineers) and James Marshal (34, Nomads) all qualified for the semi-finals.
The semi’s were made up of six players in two groups with the top three in each group progressing to the final.
Jones (38) topped his group and was joined in the final by Clewlow (36) and Workman (32) as the latter required a 14 stack in a sudden death play-off against Aaron Evans to reach the final.
The other group saw Stanton (38), Few (37) and Baker all comfortably qualify for the showpiece which was played over five legs.
And three players were tied for the lead after two legs before Few edged one-pin clear of Jones at the end of leg three.
Few maintained a single pin lead over Jones with Clewlow and Stanton just one pin further adrift with one leg left to play.
However, an impressive eight-pin score by Few in the final leg secured the title for The Borough player with Clewlow runner-up.
