WITH the Swan Studley Skittles League fixtures all but completed, attention turned to the annual Triples Knockout and the opening rounds featured four groups of six, from which the top three in each group would qualify for the final rounds.
In group one, the big-hitting trio in the Nomads A team surprisingly could not produce their league form and were eliminated alongside their B team. This opened the way for Lodge Farmers’ C and D teams to progress together with Swingers D.
Lodge Farmers C were always in the group’s top three and had Roger Powell returning a good score of 36. Only Richard Long of Lodge Farmers D scored better by making 41 (16-stack). Swingers D, all from the family Clifton, had Paul top-scoring with 37 (12-stack) and they too were never out of the group’s qualifying spots.
It needed a 13-stack in leg two by Ian Greenway, finally totalling 41 pins, in group two for Engineers D to steady his team after the other two players could only muster five pins between them.
Engineers D then completed good scores over the final three legs to end second in the group, but they could not catch Nomads C who led the group throughout, with James Marshall top-scoring with 40.
Team BG A comfortably qualified in third spot with consistent bowling and had Gail Stringer top-scoring with 33.
Group three was arguably the group of death, containing six strong teams. Two fancied Engineers teams had nightmare games and crashed out, although their consolation was the comfortable qualification of Engineers A as Craig Ellis made 47 (14-stack).
Joining them in the finals are Swingers B (top-scorer Ewan McDonald with 37) and Jumbo Jet Set A (top-scorer Len Quartly with 33). Ann Harrison’s 13-stack as she top scored for Alley Cats A with 37 was in vain.
Cruising through to the finals were Swan B, helped by stacks from Andy Reynolds with 40 (15-stack) and Roy Salmon 33 (11-stack). Equally comfortable were the Marsh family representing Swingers C, who finished only two pins short of the Swan B total. Best scorer for Swingers C was Gary Marsh with 38.
Lodge Farmers A claimed third spot with Frank Morris making 33 as they edged out the only all-ladies team of Swan A, for whom the best score was 34 each from Julie Tomlin and Helen Racki.
Results: Group one – Lodge Farmers C 98; Swingers D 98; Lodge Farmers D 96; Alley Cats C 92; Nomads A 89; Nomads B 89.
Group two – Nomads C 106; Engineers D 101; Team BG A 95; Jumbo Jet Set B 89; Swingers B 83; Alley Cats B 72.
Group three – Engineers A 104; Swingers B 97; Jumbo Jet Set A 96; Engineers C 90; Alley Cats A 88; Engineers B 85.
Group four – Swan B 106; Swingers C 104; Lodge Farmers A 94; Swan A 90; Lodge Farmers B 83; Nomads D 76.
