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Having a cow?

Hustlers  returned to the Suffolk, looking to win their 2nd innings against Cowley CC to complete the double over them.  Could they do it?

All looked good as AU started off with a spare, ably supported by Pete & TC, to open with a 12 pin lead.  But CCC gradually clawed pins back and, helped by a spare of their own, we ended the leg leading narrowly by 3 pins, despite AU’s 40.  2nd leg quickly extended that lead and with a hand to play, we were up by 10 on the match.  Despite a 40 from Swayner (& Wallsy just missing out on his), their last hand faltered and undid all the good work as they lost the leg to leave us leading by a single pin at the midway point.

3rd leg were led well by Lofty’s 40, with good support from Jim.  But Cap’n Clive found himself faltering and got his lowest score of the season.  With another spare coming in from CCC, the match was now turned around as Cowley took the lead by 4.  But it was still all to play for as the anchors stepped forward.  All 3 failed to make 40, but did manage to win the leg.  But it wasn’t enough, as CCC scraped a 2-pin lead to make it one 2-pin win apiece.  Honours even.

It’s foreign territory next Wednesday as we travel to the Churchdown Club to take on the Chosen Champs. 

31/1/11 v Saracens A @ Saracens

AU 11 5 6 6 9 7 44

Pete

8 5 5 7 4 4 33

TC

8 6 5 7 4 7 37

1st leg total 114 v 111

Mark

8 4 6 5 7 7 41

JimBob

5 4 2 6 5 2 24
Steve 7 5 6 7 8 6 39

2nd leg total 104 v 106

Mart

8 7 8 7 7 9 46

Jim

4 7 9 6 6 4 36
Clive 3 5 6 6 5 3 28

3rd leg total 110 v 115

Rob

7 7 6 4 5 9 38

JT

8 7 4 4 5 7 35
Neil 5 8 6 7 8 4 38

4th leg total 111 v 109

Grand total 439 v 441

WIN by -2

Hustlers on the hunt

Back at the scene of our top-scoring match, the Hustlers took on table-topping Saracens A.  Could we do the double over them, or would  the Sarries avenge their early season defeat?

1st leg got us off to a very promising start as Dobbin racked up a 2nd 50 of the season, with the help of a 16 spare (still our highest of the season) and a 9.  Assisted by another Pete 40, they handed over 11 pins up.  But then we suffered a bit of a glitch, Jim got his second 40 of the season, but Gary and Lewis (bottom scoring for the first time this season) couldn’t quite match him.  But better form from the Sarries  saw them take the leg to turn the game around at half-time to take a narrow 3-pin lead.

High 40s from Lofty & Clive (with a captain’s spare to boot) helped us chalk up a top leg score, but it was still not quite enough to narrow the gap and we actually dropped a further 2 pins.  But there was still plenty of hope for a Hustlers win as the anchors looked to set a winning total.  All 3 got 40, but set only our 3rd highest leg total of the night, so it wasn’t looking good.  And so it proved, as the sarries racked up the highest total of the night to take victory on the very lst hand.

It’s back at the Suffolk next week for a potential 6-pointer against Cowley CC.  A win keeps us well up in the mix.

25/1/11 v Saracens A @ Saracens

Rob 8 16 5 9 8 4 50

Pete

8 7 8 7 7 5 42

AS

6 7 5 9 3 7 37

1st leg total 129 v 118

Gary

6 7 2 6 8 7 36

Jim

7 8 5 7 7 6 40
Lewis 7 4 8 5 6 5 35

2nd leg total 111 v 125

Mart

8 8 6 8 8 9 47

TC

6 7 7 4 7 7 38
Clive 6 7 5 7 14 7 46

3rd leg total 131 v 133

JT

8 7 8 7 6 8 44

Steve

6 6 8 9 4 8 41
Neil 7 6 7 4 8 8 40

4th leg total 125 v 139

Grand total 496 v 515

WIN by -19

Kraftily done

At home for the first time in 2011, the Hustlers faced the Kraftsmen, who had narrowly beaten us at the start of the season at the Robins club.  Could we avenge that defeat and get back to winning ways?

 

With last week’s defeat weighing heavily on our minds, we began this match with great promise.  Stavros opened with our joint highest score of the night, ably supported by a 40 from Dobbin and Pete narrowly missing out on a 40.  A 19 pin lead was surely going to get us back on the victory trail.  But 2nd leg hadn’t read the script and started leaking pins at an alarming rate.  JimBob managed to gain ownership of Barry the Brasilian Beaver for the first time this season as he set the night’s lowest score.  Faltering performances from Salty & Lewis didn’t help halt the rot and we turned around only 6 pins ahead.

Third leg weren’t happy with the way things were going and decided something had to change.  So Steve started with a 9, before working up to a spare on his way to matching the night’s top score, a total that AU also matched with the aid of his first spare of the season, as they pulled 8 pins back.  And so the anchors could relax a little.  But they almost took it too easy – JT struggled to to find form, Clive missed out on a 40 and Mel failed to capitalise on his spare opportunity.  But, aided by the Kraftsmen’s Barnes Wallis, they pulled out a 20-pin leg win to give us a glorious return victory! 

Next week we look to do the double over Saracens A  as we travel to the scene of our best scores of the season.

17/1/11 v Kraftsmen @ Suffolk

Rob 6 6 8 4 8 8 40

Pete

7 6 5 7 7 7 39

AS

7 6 7 6 8 9 43

1st leg total 122 v 103

Mark

3 8 8 6 5 4 34
JimBob 8 3 0 4 6 5 26
Lewis 6 4 8 7 7 6 38

2nd leg total 98 v 111

Steve

9 7 4 12 5 6 43

Rich

2 4 8 6 4 6 30
AU 5 6 7 8 11 6 43

3rd leg total 116 v 108

JT

7 5 6 7 7 4 36

Clive

5 6 8 8 6 6 39
Neil 6 6 8 7 9s 6 42

4th leg total 117 v 97

Grand total 453 v 419

WIN by 34

Cast Out

Kicking off the second half of the season, the Hustlers wandered out to the Fox & Hounds to face the Pittville Outcasts.  Could we avoid losing our second game against them?

We looked to be starting 2011 well when Pete knocked up a first hand spare on his way to our first 40 of the night.  JT just missed out on a 40 as 1st leg handed over with the scores still level.  2nd leg stuttered, with TC claiming the night’s lowest score & Lewis our 2nd 40 of the night as they dropped 15 pins.

Third leg soon had things looking different, Steve narrowly missing a 40, while Clive racked up our top score of the night, despite his 9 spare.  So it was down to the anchors now, facing a deficit of a mere 5 pins.  After 2 hands we were within a pin and it was all down to the last leg to decide the result.  Rob’s 40 wasn’t enough to bridge the gap and we eventually lost by 6 – an improvement on our previous encounter.

And so we look to the Suffolk next week to regain our winning form.  Will we be able to avenge our 2 pin defeat against the Kraftsmen?

11/1/11 v Pittville Outcasts @ Fox & Hounds

JT 7 7 6 6 7 5 38

Pete

13 2 3 7 7 8 40

Gary

5 4 8 4 1 9 31

1st leg total 109 v 109

TC

4 7 6 1 7 5 30
Jim 3 7 7 5 4 5 31
Lewis 7 5 8 6 6 8 40

2nd leg total 101 v 116

Steve

6 7 7 8 7 4 39

Mart

4 5 4 7 5 8 33
Clive 8 7 8 4 9s 8 44

3rd leg total 116v 106

Rob

5 8 7 6 6 8 40

AS

5 6 7 6 4 7 35
Neil 8 7 7 5 4 2 33

4th leg total 108 v 109

Grand total 434 v 440

WIN by -6

2010 TC Memorial Shield

In a break from Cheltenham League skittles, a number of Hustlers took part in the 2nd Tony Clay Memorial Shield to commemorate our former Chairman.  His successor provided the following account.

 Mark, Pete and Rob (and ex-Hustler Alec) were joined by June and Kate and 36 other hopefuls in the second Tony Clay Memorial Shield at the Civvy Club on 14 – 15 December 2010.  

The opening rounds of this front-pin contest comprised a heady and confusing mixture of round-robins, straight knockouts, dodgy trick-shots, and rule-bending controversy. In the end, only Mark ‘Try-again’ Swayne and June carried our colours into the last 16, where both were eliminated before the quarter finals.
 
Other ‘slur performances were valiant but generally unremarkable, though Pistol did somehow manage to get his worst result captured for posterity in the pre-final photo. This, together with details of some rather more impressive efforts, can be seen on the CACSSA Skittles web page.