THE GAME points dropped in the match between Lodge Farmers and Maudslay did little to help either side’s chances of catching Swan Studley Skittles League leaders Engineers, who now hold a 13-point lead over second-placed Maudslay with a game in hand.
Lodge Farmers took the first three legs against Maudslay to lead at that stage by 15 pins and looked favourites to win. Although Maudslay pulled two pins back when winning leg four and then produced a good last leg total, they left Lodge Farmers just a modest 57 pins to win the game.
However, that is when the wheels came off for Lodge Farmers who could only manage to score 52 – their second-lowest leg score for the season – and they slipped to a narrow loss.
This was a surprisingly low-scoring game between teams who usually make big totals. For Maudslay, now second, Dick Walters made 38 and Jack Watson and Paul Matthews 35 each.
For disappointed Lodge Farmers, who dropped to fourth, Tim Jones scored 36, Glyn Morley 34 and Chris Prichard 33.
Even lower-scoring was the game at the other end of the table between Well Developed and Swingers as both teams made their worst scores of the season.
It was Well Developed who prospered, however, to win the game and ease their wooden spoon worries.
Twenty-one pins ahead after three legs, Well Developed could afford to relax over the remaining two legs as Swingers shared leg four before taking the final leg for consolation points.
Margueritte Bayley scored 36, Alan Thornhill 35 and Ros Pottinger 34 for the winners. Swingers’ best were Paul Clifton with 38 and 29 apiece from Daren Harman and Brenda Leake.
Well Developed will be very interested in the result of Swingers’ two games with Alley Cats which could well decide which of these three teams finishes bottom.
Back at the top, only 1.5 points now separate second and fourth in the table, with Alcester Nomads the meat in the sandwich following their win over Team BG which kept alive their hopes of silverware.
Nomads came from behind for a third successive game but after three legs held only a four-pin advantage. They then scored heavily in the last two legs to win comfortably.
The defeat leaves Team BG looking anxiously over their shoulders at the sides below them, but they have probably done enough already to finish around mid-table.
Team BG’s Nicky Coleman made 38, Maggie Reynolds 35 and Carl Baker 34. Nomads’ Alan Cummings scored 40 (14-stack), Mac Eaton 37 and Alan Spreckley 36.
Swan took a big step up the table by easily beating strugglers Alley Cats to take maximum points. Swan’s team score was their highest of the season, spearheaded by the team’s highest individual score this season from Scott Frankton with 41 (13-stack) and team-mates Andy Reynolds scoring 39 and Dan Albut 36.
Swan opened the game with a 76-pin first leg to establish a 16-pin lead which effectively decided the result. Alley Cats slipped towards the bottom with this defeat and will probably need to win at least one of those two games against Swingers to avoid bottom spot.
Alley Cats had Malcolm Batchelor making 35 and Tony O’Connor and Sam Billyard 32 each.
Results: Maudslay 7 (304) Lodge Farmers 4 (300); Swingers 2.5 (268) Well Developed 8.5 (281); Alcester Nomads 9 (333) Team BG 2 (312); Alley Cats 1 (290) Swan 10 (336).
