This week the Hustlers played Saracens A, a team with a fine pedigree but newly demoted from Division 1. Would this be a chance for our first points of the season?
Well yes, in a word, because an excellent first innings by Rob, Stu and Gary, which included spares at either end of the leg, saw us bettering – and battering – Saras by 5 pins a hand and virtually ending the game as a spectacle (if skittles games can ever be spectacles).
Second leg did what they could to inject some interest in the game by seeing how low they could score. However, even their best efforts were thwarted by an opposition determined to find as many gaps as possible and Hustlers ended up only 2 pins down on the leg. Third leg would have been reported to the betting authorities but for an accidental spare from Swainer that disguised his 39 as an attempt to throw the game, helping Hustlers to a third leg gain of 4 pins.
So to last leg where a noxious emission from Swainer the Strainer, which totally enveloped the bar area, proved insufficient to dent a fine captain’s 41 in leading last leg to a final 11 pin advantage and an eventual win by 43 pins.
No game next week – trip meeting at the Suffolk and don’t forget!
Rob 6 8 5 7 7 13 46
Stu 12 7 5 6 7 7 44
Gary 7 6 7 9 4 6 39 129 v 99 +30
JT 6 7 7 7 3 5 35
Rich 6 5 7 5 7 2 32
Steve 7 6 7 5 4 8 37 104 v 106 +28
Lofty 6 4 4 3 7 6 30
Mark 5 8 6 12 3 5 39
Lewis 4 5 7 9 8 3 36 105 v 101 +32
Andy S 4 7 7 6 6 6 36
Clive 5 5 7 7 8 9 41
Mel 5 8 4 5 9 5 36 113 v 102 +43
Total 451 v 408
Won by 43