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Would you Adam & Eve it?

An optimistic set of Hustlers gathered at the Adam & Eve as they faced the Gamps.  Would the winning streak continue?

First leg set a tremendous target as they opened with three 9s and two spares in the first 3 hands, Lofty & Rob both getting high 40s to give us a 14-pin lead.  Second leg were a little more circumspect in approach, with just the invalid Lewis reaching 40 as they dropped 9 pins.
 
Third leg was our only all-40 leg with 9s from Gary & Clive, and Mark getting his maiden 40 of the season.  But they did drop a further pin to put a little more pressure on the anchors.  And what a great start as the anchors stretched the lead out over the first 3 hands.  But then the Gamps started applying their own pressure as they amassed pins over the last 3 hands, to leave it all to their anchor man to decide the result.  Unfortunately, he held his nerve and, with their lead’s 50 (the only one of the night), helped them edge the game.

We’re back @ Suffolk next week, so we hope familiar territory will restore our form.

30/1/12 v Gamps @ Adam & Eve

Marty 9 11 9 7 7 6 49 13

Stu

7 7 5 6 6 7 38  -4

Rob

11 7 9 6 8 5 46 5

1st leg total 133 v 119

Lewis

7 8 8 7 6 4 40 -1

JimBob

8 8 3 7 4 6 36 -8
Steve 5 5 7 7 6 9 39 0

2nd leg total 115 v 124

Gary

6 9 6 6 7 7 41 -1

Mark

7
6 7 8
6 7 41 -1
Clive 6 9 7 9 7 6 44 1

3rd leg total 126 v 127

Andy

7 8 7 8 6 8 44 -9

TC

6 7 8 6 7 8 42  0
JT 7

7

8 6 4 6 38 -2

4th leg total 124 v 135

Grand total 498 v 505

WON by -7

Temperence at the double!

At home again, would abstinence win the night or could the Hustlers do the double against Temperance 12?

1st leg got off to a steady start, with JT setting the first of our 40s as they established a 9-pin lead.  2nd leg matched them score for score, with Steve equalling the top score of the night as they held the 12.
 
3rd leg broke the mould, with Lofty & Olive matching our top score.  But they met their match as the 12 pulled back 4 pins to leave the anchors to slug it out.  And a tight battle it proved to be.  TC notched up the only spare of the night but AS’s BYM proved to be the decisive difference between the teams as a final 5 pins were gained to edge the game by 10.
 
Next week it’s off to the Adam & Eve, where we will be looking for high scores & another win.

23/1/12 v Temperance 12 @ Suffolk Arms

Neil 8 1 8 7 5 5 34 0

Dan

6 8 7 6 2 5 34  2

JT

6 8 6 7 4 9 40 7

1st leg total 108 v 99

Pete

8 5 5 4 5 7 34 -3

Rich

8 7 5 3 4 7 34 -8
Steve 6 5 9 7 5 8 40 11

2nd leg total 108 v 108

Lofty

7 9 6 3 7 8 40 0

Stu

4
8 7 6
6 5 36 -6
Clive 6 8 6 8 6 6 40 2

3rd leg total 116 v 120

Andy

7 5 6 5 7 7 37 10

TC

3 12 7 3 6 4 35  -2
Rob 8

4

4 4 8 8 36 -3

4th leg total 108 v 103

Grand total 440 v 430

WON by 10

John Heasman

It is with great regret that we report the passing of John Heasman after a short illness.

John was around when the Hustlers were formed back in 1962/63 and returned for a second spell some years later, eventually retiring from the game around 1997/98.  Consistently high in the averages, he was one of the few players who actually wanted to play on first leg, which always endeared him to the various captains he played under.

John will be remembered for his thoughtfulness towards other people, and for his dry sense of humour.  He was always fun to be with.  However, he never wanted a fuss made of him and, on reflection, would be appalled at this eulogy.

 

Cricket Club stone-wallsed by Hustlers star

Hustlers lost the toss and fielded on a potentially sticky wicket at the Cricket Club, but strode to victory through a decent performance by the team’s resident Manc.

First leg was a minor event with Hustlers having to settle for a deficit of 9 pins but, against what was alleged to be the Cricket Club’s last leg in disguise, that was nothing to be ashamed of. 

Second leg was dominated by Stevie Walls, whose 52 included two 12 spares and a 9, and which was instrumental in managing to recover 6 of the deficit.

Third leg, largely unsung at the time despite a decent 39 by Lofty which included a small spare, actually managed to claw back a further 8 pins which set up the last leg for a grandstand finish.

So 5 up, what could the last leg do?  Well, just enough for a win as it turned out.  The Cricket Club’s last leg made life difficult but the last hand needed 19 to win and, bolstered at the start by Andy’s 9, managed to shade the game by the closest of margins. 

16/1/12 v Cheltenham Cricket Club @ Cheltenham Cricket Club

Neil 4 6 7 8 5 6 36  -5

Gary

6 5 4 6 4 5 30  1

J.T.

4 7 5 7 8 7 38  -5

1st leg total 104 v 113

Steve

8 7 12 12 9 4 52  11

JimBob

4 6 6 3 2 7 28  -8
Pete 5 7 7 8 5 3 35  3

2nd leg total 115 v 109

Lofty

6 4 8 11 3 7 39  12

Rich

5
7 5 4
6 6 33  -2
Clive 8 5 9 3 8 3 36  -2

3rd leg total 108 v 100

Andy

7 3 5 7 5 9 36  1

Mark

7 6 6 6 4 6 35  -10
Rob 4

6

8 7 7 5 37  6

4th leg total 108 v 111

Grand total 435 v 433

WON by 2

‘Slurs in another Elite performance

A decimated Hustlers began 2012 at home against table-topping Cannonballs Elite.  Would they be able to go 1 better than the "Rubies" did last Saturday against Spurs?

1st leg got off to a great start as Gary hit a glorious flattener (our 2nd of the season) on his way to our top score of the night, and Neil narrowly missing out on a 40.  2nd leg stuttered along, just doing enough to keep our lead at the halfway point.
 
3rd leg fared a little better, losing by 1 pin to hand over the narrowest of leads to the anchors.  And what a last leg it proved to be, especially the ‘Balls’ last hand flattener as they took the leg by a massive 35 pins to scrape the game!
 
Next week it’s off to Cheltenham CC, with Mr spence acting as Statto for the week.  How will it all go?

9/1/12 v Cannonballs Elite @ Suffolk

Gary 4 13 4 9 4 6 40 12

Neil

8 6 3 7 7 8 39 -10

Lewis

6 5 6 5 6 8 36 4

1st leg total 115 v 109

Steve

3 6 8 6 3 9 35 2

Dan

6 5 5 3 6 5 30 -5
Pete 6 5 8 8 6 2 35 -1

2nd leg total 100 v 104

TC

6 5 7 4 6 7 35 -2

Mark

6
8 5 5
6 8 38 2
AS 6 6 3 5 7 8 35 -1

3rd leg total 108 v 109

Clive

6 7 7 5 6 7 38 0

Rich

6 6 3 5 3 5 28 -15
JT 4

6

6 6 7 5 34 -20

4th leg total 100 v 135

Grand total 423 v 457

WON by -34