AFTER spending over half the season seeking a first win in the Swan Studley Skittles League, Team BG – fielding a player short against Alley Cats – could have had little hope of opening their win account.
As in their previous week’s game, they started brightly to take the first two legs to lead by eight pins and then just like the last encounter allowed their opponents back into the game as Alley Cats won the next two legs to build a healthy six-pin advantage.
Team BG then rallied to make their best leg score of the game – 64 pins – boosted by a Cassie Holmes’ 15-stack to leave Alley Cats needing 59 pins to take the game.
In a tense finish, Alley Cats fell two pins short to give a relieved and delighted Team BG who sealed a victory at last, if only by a single pin.
Holmes for Team BG made 37 and Sue Croton and Margaret Sanders 35 each. Alley Cats’ best were Ann Harrison and Natalie Clarke with 33 each and Anne O’Connor’s 31.
Well Developed also played a man short against Lodge Farmers but were unable to copy Team BG’s success.
Lodge Farmers were ruthless in taking all five legs as Well Developed produced their lowest team score of the season. Up by 17 pins after leg one, Lodge Farmers pulled steadily away to finally win by a massive 67 pins and take maximum points.
Well Developed are now only a few points above bottom-placed and fellow strugglers Team BG and both teams will be in an interesting scrap to avoid the wooden spoon.
Meanwhile, Lodge Farmers’ win lifts them into contention for the runners-up spot and they had Jason Kirk making 38 (14-stack), Glyn Morley 38 and Frank Morris 36 (11-stack).
Only two players for Well Developed made 30-plus scores as Martin and Janina Brennan scored 38 and 31 respectively.
Another comprehensive win went Nomads’ way against Swan and lifted Nomads back into second spot.
Nomads started with a 71-pin leg and Swan could only manage 52 in reply. Swan threatened to get back in the game when taking leg two by six pins, but produced low scores in each of the remaining three legs to finish with their lowest team score of the season.
In completing the double over Swan, Nomads’ Geoff Loat scored 39, Alan Cummings 37 and Gordon Povey and Mac Eaton 36 each. Top-scoring for Swan were Andy Reynolds with 36 (12-stack), Phil Bussey with 34 and Charlie Withers with 32.
Results: Alley Cats 3 (300 – ten players and 288 – nine players) Team BG 8 (289 – nine players); Lodge Farmers 10 (322 – ten players and 307 – nine players) Well Developed 1 (240 – nine players); Nomads 9 (332) Swan 2 (291).
