THE GAMES to complete the first half of the Swan Studley Skittles League produced some surprising results and also the game of the week – Swan versus Maudslay – which Swan won by a single pin in a high-scoring game to end their opponents’ nine-game winning run.
There was little between the teams after two legs but then Swan – finishing with their highest team total of the season – pulled out a 13-pin lead after leg three, reduced to ten pins going into the last leg.
Maudslay then made an excellent last leg score to leave Swan wanting 66 to win and this was only gained as their last player Graham Howells made six.
Main scorers for Swan were Dave Maule with 38 (11-stack), Carl Moorman (38) and three 37s from Al Lumb, Bob Haycock and Andy Reynolds.
Maudslay’s best were Tim Greenaway 40 (11-stack), Dean Watson 38 (12-stack) and Mark Sanseverino 37.
Unexpected was Well Developed halting a run of five losses when beating Lodge Farmers. Well Developed won the first four legs, each narrowly, to lead by just eight pins after four legs and finally left their opponents 66 pins to win.
This was too much for Lodge Farmers, although they did gain a consolation half point for equalling Well Developed’s last leg score.
Martin Brennan with 38 and Ros Pottinger and Marguerite Bayley scored 34 each for the victors, while Tim Jones (37), Roger Powell (33) and Chris Prichard (32) were Lodge Farmers’ top scorers.
It was no surprise seven-man Mixtures lost to Alley Cats, now buoyant after three consecutive wins.
Mixtures, though, won two of the five legs thanks to good scores from Gwyn McDonald 39 (12-stack) and John Day 35 (16-stack), but Alley Cats also had good scores from Pete Sollis and Neil Harrison with 35 each and Sam Billyard’s 34.
Engineers’ unexpected loss to Jumbo Jet Set ended eight successive wins as they scored their lowest team total of the season.
As with the previous week, Engineers lost the first two legs, and then won the next two to be only five pins adrift.
However, Jumbos kept their nerve to make a 70-pin last leg and leave Engineers needing 76 pins to win, which proved too much for last year’s league runners-up.
Geoff Turrell made 38, Dan Hill 37 (12-stack) and Len Quartly 36 for Jumbos. Engineers’ Brandon Kelso replied with 39, Ian Greenway made 37 and John Bool 36 (13-stack).
C&G Show’s slump in form continued with this loss to Team BG, who were always ahead. C&G Show’s fourth leg suggested they might get back in the game, but they could not maintain good scoring in the last leg as Team BG pulled off another unlikely win, with Maggie Reynolds making 40 (16-stack), Gail Stringer 37 and Ray Cartwright 36.
For C&G Show, John Hall scored 35 and Craig Sears and Richard Fisher 33 each.
Results: Swan 7.5 points (342 pins) Maudslay 3.5 (341); Well Developed 9.5 (305) Lodge Farmers 1.5 (297); Mixtures 3 (217 – seven players) Alley Cats 8 (240 – seven players and 307 – ten players); Jumbo Jet Set 8 (323) Engineers 3 (312); Team BG 8.5 (319) C&G Show 2.5 (307).
