HUSTLERS TRIUMPH IN EARLY DEFEAT OF THE SARACENS

An encouraging start to the season saw Hustlers demolish Saracens at the United Services Club.

The game could not have started better.  Rob’s spare, which marked Hustlers’ first three balls of the season, was followed by two others – one which would have attracted the attention of our absent meerkat – and his score of 54 beasted his opponent by 18 pins.  Good support from the Hylander with 43 and a further 12 pin advantage over his opponent gave Hustlers a commanding first leg lead of 31.

Second leg had a post-Lord Mayor’s Show feel about it.  Only Andy (unusually) beat his opponent and Hustlers lost 9 pins off their lead.

This deficit was restored by third leg, led by Chatz with two 9s in his score of 41, and the leg finished 10 pins to the good, leaving Saracens’ last leg with the task of making up a 32 pin shortfall.

Any thoughts that Hustlers might lose this game were dispelled by Neilson who started with a 15 spare and, although never subsequently reaching those heights, he finished with a fine 45.  Lewis, hastily called in from elsewhere, produced a good 40 and the two of them added 12 more to the total, enabling Hustlers to run out with a comprehensive win of 40 pins.