There’s a three-way tie at the top of the Chris Bullock Championship in Wellington Ex-Services Skittles League.
Meanwhile, reigning champions Holywell Lake have extended their lead in the Gerald Thorne Championship.
This week’s featured team are Foresters, who play on Thursdays at the White Horse, Bradford on Tone. Rear, from left, S. Wadham, S. Wall, G. Browne, J. Stanworth (captain), C. Parson, K. Hawkings. Seated, A. Pitman, M. Wyatt.
CHRIS BULLOCK CHAMPIONSHIP
Mowers 346, Foresters 287
Mowers picked up a comprehensive victory over Foresters as the two sides met at the Football Club, with a whopping 59 pins separating the teams. Vince Milton scored 50 for the defending champions with Colin Shepherd scored 43 for Foresters. Mowers are quickly turning the Football Club into a fortress as they look to defend their title. They are joint top with Scuppas and Ex-Servicemen, but have played a game less than their rivals.
King Pins 327, Scuppas 387
Scuppas hammered struggling King Pins by 60 pins on the upstairs alley of the Victoria Arms. Sh. Powell scored 49 for King Pins, who recorded a disappointing total. J. Barker scored 56 for title chasing Scuppas as they made light work of their target to move joint top of the division.
Odds and Ends 364, Ex-Servicemen 378
Ex-Servicemen got back to winning ways with a 14-pin victory away to Odds and Ends at the Victoria Arms. Robert Stanyard scored 52 for the home side who recorded a solid total. The X-Men saw L. Baker hit 55 to help chase down their target and collect the vital points on offer to join Scuppas and Mowers as the top as they bid to collect a long-awaited championship.
Here 4 the Beer 336, Home Guard IV 308
H4tB won by 28 as they hosted Home Guard IV at the Institute. J. Dyson scored 48 for Here 4 the Beer, who are enjoying a solid season. Home Guard IV saw stand-in captain S. Davey score 46 in reply, but it wasn’t enough on the night as they game got away from them on the tricky alley.
United Services 362, Outsiders 445
Outsiders went big to claim an 83-pin victory away to United Services at the White Horse. K. Austin had scored 52 for United Services who hit a below par score on the high scoring alley. Outsiders saw Rob Larcombe hit a stunning 73 as they made light work of the home team’s total. Outsiders recorded the highest away scores this week for team and player after their marvellous performance.
WRFC 382, All Stars 353
Rugby Club beat All Stars by 29 at the Conservative Club with Steve Rea the main man for the hosts with 53. J. Milton was the top score for All Stars with 54, but the travelling side could not keep pace with Rugby Club’s high scoring. Rugby Club sit level on points with Here 4 the Beer, seven points off the top of the table with still plenty of skittles left to play.
GERALD THORNE CHAMPIONSHIP
Holywell Lake 428, Reservists 370
The big game this week was the top of the table clash as defending champions Holywell Lake took on Reservists at the Victoria Arms. Gary Regan scored a marvellous 68 for the Lakers, with the hosts smashing past the 400 mark in the process. Glen Escott hit 51 for Reservists, but the away side struggled to find the same rhythm as the Lakers who ran away with a 58-pin victory which opens up a four-point gap at the top of the table, and they also have a game in hand on the chasing pack.
Home Guard II 346, Bell Green 326
Home Guard II picked up a 20-pin win over Bell Green at the Football Club to help keep their title dreams alive. Ian Hewson scored 51 for HGII as they recorded a decent score on the tricky alley. T. Dunbar hit 50 in the Greeners’ reply, but it was not to be on the night. Home Guard II are five points off the top spot and will be hoping this can be the start of a good run of wins.
Club Rockers 358, Fireguard A 312
Club Rockers won by 46 pins as they hosted Fireguard A at the Institute. B. Murray was the top scorer for the Rockers with 52. Ben S hit 47 in the Fireguard A reply, but the away side could not keep pace with the hosts and the game slipped away from them.
Cottage Pies 353, Rebels 389
Rebels claimed the bragging rights in the Cottage Inn derby, beating Cottage Pies by 36 pins and putting the final nail in the Pies’ title dreams in the process. P. Robinson was the top scorer for Cottage Pies with 48. B. Winter scored 58 for Rebels as they made light work of their stablemates’ total. The wins sees Rebels leapfrog the Pies and move up to fifth place in the table.
Hot Shots 350, Report Centre A 322
Hot Shots won by 28 pins as they hosted Report Centre A at the Conservative Club. B. Govier was the star player for Hot Shots with a score of 50. J. Cottrell and P. Bright both scored 43 for Report Centre A, but they away side found things tougher going on the downstairs alley.
OBA 358, Oaks 370
Oaks’ impressive run of wins went to five in a row with a 12-pin victory away to OBA at the Victoria Arms. P. Beer had scored 49 for the host side, who recorded a solid total. Oaks saw I. Crittenden hit 50 in reply as the away side chased down their target to pick up the three points. Oaks have flown under the radar this season, but with five wins in a row and just seven points shy of the top spot, who knows what could happen if they can maintain their impressive form?
Queens Legs 375, Relyon 359
It was a case of Upstairs v Downstairs as two of the Conservative Club’s teams faced off against each other. Queens Legs saw S. Sutton score 58 with Relyon having M. Hutchings and R. Higgs both hitting 51. It was a good game but, in the end, the honours and the points went to Queens Legs with a 16-pin victory.
TOP AWAY SCORES
Outsiders – 445 at the White Horse Inn.
Rob Larcombe – 73 for Outsiders at the White Horse Inn.
LEAGUE TABLES (followed by fixtures)
FIXTURES
CB Championship – Thursday
All Stars vs. Mowers at the Victoria Arms (downstairs).
Ex-Servicemen vs. King Pins at the RG Institute.
Home Guard IV vs. WRFC at the Conservative Club (upstairs).
Moonrakers vs. United Services at the Football Club.
Outsiders vs. Odds and Ends at the Conservative Club (downstairs).
Scuppas vs. Here 4 the Beer at the Cottage Inn.
GT Championship – Friday
Bell Green vs. Holywell Lake at the Victoria Arms (upstairs).
Fireguard A vs. OBA at the Football Club.
Oaks vs. Hot Shots at the Blue Ball.
Rebels vs. Queens Legs at the Cottage Inn.
Relyon vs. Home Guard II at the Conservative Club (downstairs).
Report Centre A vs. Cottage Pies at the White Horse Inn (Bradford).
Shooters vs. Club Rockers at the Victoria Arms (downstairs).
CB Championship – Thursday, February 1st
Foresters vs. All Stars at the White Horse Inn (Bradford).
Here 4 the Beer vs. Ex-Servicemen at the RG Institute.
King Pins vs. Outsiders at the Victoria Arms (upstairs).
Mowers vs. Home Guard IV at the Football Club.
Odds and Ends vs. Moonrakers at the Victoria Arms (downstairs).
WRFC vs. Scuppas at the Conservative Club (downstairs).
GT Championship – Friday, February 2nd
Bell Green vs. Reservists at the Victoria Arms (upstairs).
Fireguard A vs. Hot Shots at the Football Club.
Oaks vs. Cottage Pies at the Blue Ball.
Queens Legs vs. Report Centre A at the Conservative Club (upstairs).
Rebels vs. Home Guard II at the Cottage Inn.
Relyon vs. Holywell Lake at the Conservative Club (downstairs).
Shooters vs. OBA at the Victoria Arms (downstairs).
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