PURITON & DISTRICT SKITTLE LEAGUE REPORT OF MATCHES PLAYED ON 21st SEPTEMBER 2017
PURITON & DISTRICT SKITTLE LEAGUE
REPORT OF MATCHES PLAYED ON 21st SEPTEMBER 2017
DIVISION 1
Somerset Vaults are this week’s headliners as they amassed a stunning 535 in a 62 pin away win against Nomads, with Richard Bamsey hitting 5 spares in a total 90, easily the highest away score of the season. Jim Vearncombe was next highest for Vaults with 70 and 5 of the remaining players all hit in the 60’s. Nomad’s captain, Chris Coggins, led the reply for the home team with 74.
However normality returned to the league as Pirates moved clear at the top of the table after thrashing 7 man Stop Outs by 73 pins at New Inn, Wedmore. James Higgins for the visitors was unstoppable, hitting spares in his first three hands and then adding a flopper 17 as he amassed 81. Adrian Tew was next best for the victors with 63. Rob Stephenson was the only player of the home team to hit a spare and even that was not good enough for top spot as Mike Garbutt stayed consistent with all 8s & 9s in his 59.
Crown are the only other unbeaten team in the division as they came from behind to beat Oddsquad by 19 pins at Bristol Bridge Inn, pulling 27 pins on the last 2 hands as the visitors hit their lowest totals of the night. Captain Des March led the way for the victors with 62, whilst James Vowles topped scored for Oddsquad with 61.
Three teams remain rooted at the bottom of the tables without a win this season, Crown Jewels, Foxes & Ferrets and Wheatsheaf Boys. Crown Jewels staged a late comeback in a low scoring, spareless, match at Knowle Inn, Bawdrip, but despite getting back to being only 2 down going into the last hand they were unable to hit the 58 needed for victory as poor anchorman Julian Porter could only amass 3 on his last throws, when he needed 9.
Foxes & Ferrets were another team that lost after leading with 2 hands to go; they allowed Farmer Boys to pull 41 pins on the last 2 hands after being 6 ahead. Spares from Mike House, Paul Mantelow, Jon Bray and Sam Clement on the penultimate hand propelled them to a total of 90 that completely blew the visitors away.
Wheatsheaf Boys pulled pins on the first hand when they visited Crusaders, but then lost 5 of the remaining 6 hands as they succumbed to a 35 pin defeat. Nick Hagget top scored for the home team with 61, with Julian Froud also hitting 61 for the visitors.
Knowle Cavaliers got their season rolling when they took the short journey to Puriton Inn and comprehensively defeated home team Spitfires, only dropping 1 pin on the second hand. Glyn Hawkes was the star man for the victors with 3 spares in his 71, whilst Rob Matthews added 68 and Kieron Atwell 66. Spitfires captain Paul Tregale had 2 spares in his top score of 59.
DIVISION 2
Rofugees and Wanderers are the only undefeated teams in the division after both won away for the second time this season, Rofugees at Herdsmen by 14 pins thanks to 64 from Andy Thompson and 63 from Joe Garrett as they pulled pins on 6 of the 7 hands. Dave Deller of the home team was top scorer in the match with 66.
Wanderers travelled to Red Tile, Cossington and took on Polden Turkeys and despite dropping pins on the last 2 hands came away with the 3 points after winning by 13. Henry Tincknell top scored for Wanderers with 67 and Fran Bobbett added 62. Paul Jasinski was best man for the home team with 67.
Closest game of the night was at Lamb, Weare as Cross Your Hart made the short journey to take on hosts Three Cees and found themselves 23 pins down after the first hand. They pulled these and more back in the next 3 hands to lad by 7, but then lost 13 pins in the next 2 hands and were 6 down going into the last hand. The hosts went down with 71 to leave the visitors needing 78 for victory, 9 higher than their previous best. After a good start Cross Your Hart captain and anchorman, Jim Houston was required to hit 14 for the win, which he did as he managed a 15 spare and a 2 pin victory for his team.
Swannies had a nervous closing 2 hands, dropping 11 pins in their home game against Polden Bears, but they had a 25 pin advantage before those hands so ran out comfortable winners by 14. Dave Tucker top scored with 64 for the home team, with Alan Ellis adding 63. Dave Kelland of Polden Bears matched Tuckers 64.
The Bears are now the only team without a point in the division as Wasters recorded their first win, when they defeated hosts Haymakers by 38 pins at Brent Knoll Inn. Poor Viv Bennett had a night to forget as he could only hit 33 for the home team, while team mate Morley Tibbs finished with 3 consecutive spares in his top score of 66. Nick Spencer was top scorer for the victors with 67 as they only dropped pins on 2 hands.
Ruggerites started with a bang when they met Barstewards at The Duck, hitting 98 in their first hand thanks to spares from Darren Abbott, Ian Chedzey, Matt Parsons, Stuart Dyer and top scorer Martin Leeming, which pulled 31 pins and when they added a further 9 on the next hand the match was virtually over. The home team did rally and pull pins on 4 of the remaining hands, but still succumbed to a 19 pin defeat.
Mike Garbutt
24/9/17
