SWINGERS C defeated Engineers A 110-91 in the final to win the Swan Studley Skittles League Triples Cup.
It was a deserved triumph for the victors who, in the final, were in front by only three pins after leg three but, after Engineers A had made 19 in leg four, answered that with a 26-pin total of their own thanks to a 14-pin stack by Paul Marsh.
It opened a ten-pin lead before starting the last leg. Needing a big last leg score to stand a hope of overturning that deficit, Engineers A then had a calamitous bowl and recorded only 13 pins.
Unsurprisingly Swingers C had no difficulty making the target of four pins as Marsh scored 41. Best for Engineers A was Darren Saunders with 35.
The Swingers league team would have gone out of existence prior to the 2018/19 season but for a number of Redditch Round Table members coming to the rescue and strengthening the perennial strugglers. Their reward is a first trophy in many years and particular congratulations go to the Marsh family, who represented Swingers C.
The quarter-finals consisted of two groups of six teams from which the two teams topping each group contested the semi-finals.
Scores were as follows: Quarter-final group one – Swingers C 119; Team BG A 100; Lodge Farmers C 100; Nomads C 98; Lodge Farmers A 95; Jumbo Jet Set A 92.
Quarter-final group two – Engineers A 93; Swingers B 90; Lodge Farmers D 89; Swan B 88; Engineers D 88; Swingers D 86.
The first semi-final pitched Swingers B against Engineers A and the former never got going despite Andy Norris’ 31. They were already behind by nine pins after leg four and could only muster a further 11 pins in their fifth and last leg to leave Engineers A, with Luke Saunders finishing with 37, to easily progress to the final.
In the other semi, Team BG A looked favourites to reach the final going into the last leg. At that stage they led by six pins and added another 17 pins in their last leg to leave Swingers C needing a difficult 24 pins to reach the final.
This never looked in doubt though as each of the trio bowled well in making 26, with Paul Marsh top-scoring with 38. Ray Cartwright was best for Team BG A with 35.
Semi-final results: Swingers B 76 Engineers A 93; Team BG A 100 Swingers C 103.
