Author: Andy Spence

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

Back at home this week, Hustlers looked to return to winning ways against Fishers.  Could they give bench warmer Clive an early Christmas present?

Early jitters saw the lead swinging back and forth and, with a pair of 40s, eventually saw first leg tied with a nelson apiece.  Second leg then struggled, despite Lewis notching our sole spare of the night, and dropped 3 pins as they failed the break the ton.

Third leg, buoyed by Neil & Lewis taking the raffle prizes, turned that around as Lofty got our top score of the night and the leg pulled 7 pins to give us the lead for the first time.  To boot, they were the only leg to see no pins dropped to their men. 

And so the anchors only had to keep the lead.   But they were soon making hard work of it as Dobbin struggled to hit a barn door.  Eventually, with Neil getting our final 40 of the night and Steve just missing out on one, they actually pulled a further pin to give us a much anticipated victory.

We’re away next Tuesday at Parklands

5/12/11 v Fishers @ Suffolk

TC              5     9     8     7     5     8     42     7
JimBob       4     7     4     4     5     5     29     -11
AS              6     4     7     5     9     9     40     4
1st leg total 111 v 111

Mark           5     4     6     7     6     3     31     -3
Rich            6     4     6     4     2     6     28     -4
Lewis         5     7     3     5     13    5     38     4
2nd leg total 97 v 100

Gary           6     6     2     4     9     4     31     0
Mart           7     9     5     8     8     7     44     6
JT               7     8     6     6     4     7     38     1
3rd leg total 113 v 106

Steve         6     6     7     6     8     6     39     5
Neil            8     8     6     5     7     9     43     3
Rob            3     2     7     4     4     6     26     -7
4th leg total 10 v 107

Grand total 429 v 424
WON by 5

After some initial scares, the Hustlers overran a very sociable Strollers team in a lively encounter at the Adam & Eve.

First leg provided the scares, not because of particularly bad scoring on our side but a Strollers leg of 130, including a 49, was a daunting score to follow on a strange alley.  At the end, Hustlers were second best to the tune of 21 pins.

Second leg soon rectified this and captain Clive’s innings of 53, which began with a 16 spare, ably supported by Gary’s 43, virtually wiped out the deficit and the two sides began the third leg only one pin apart.

Modesty prevents this writer from describing the intricacies of his 58, other than it began with a 15 flattener and finished with a 12 spare, but good support was provided by Lofty’s 42 and Pete’s 38 in ending the leg 18 pins ahead.

So to the last leg, where all three players gained on their opponents to the tune of 21 pins.  Lewis’ 50 included a 13 spare on his final hand; Rob’s 48 included a 10 spare; and JT managed 44 without needing the extra assistance of the sticker.

18/10/11 v Strollers @ Adam & Eve

Steve	6	6	3	8	6	8	37	-3
Rich	8	6	8	6	7	5	40	-1
Neil	8	3	5	2	8	6	32	-17

1st leg total 109 v 130

Gary	8	5	8	7	8	7	43	1
JimBob	7	7	9	4	6	5	38	-1
Clive	16	8	9	5	9	6	53	20

2nd leg total 134 v 114

Marty	7	5	8	8	8	6	42	-1
Pete	5	7	7	4	7	8	38	-2
Andy	15	8	8	8	7	12	58	22

3rd leg total 138 v 119

J.T.	7	9	9	7	4	8	44	1
Lewis	7	9	7	8	6	13	50	11
Rob	7	10	8	6	9	8	48	9

4th leg total 142 v 121

Grand total 523 v 484

WON by 39

 

Cannonballs away from home was the wrong match to begin the season, with the Hustlers not realising the game had started until the last leg.

The first three legs went the same way, with Hustlers gradually shipping pins until we were 33 down at the end of the third.  Only Olive and his rug-rat managed to beat their men, during which time our Captain put our new meerkat (what’s his name?) on standby until his third ball ended on target. 

On the last leg the Hustlers pulled back 6 pins, partly because they all broke 40 and partly because Cannonballs had stopped playing by then.  But the Balls had a scare on the fourth hand when Hustlers pulled back 9 pins and for the next five minutes it could have been game on.  At least Neil and JT beat their men; Pete meanwhile, who finished with 40, had to bowl off with Gary for the bench with the result that Pete wears the Warsaw trousers next week.

If this sounds like doom and gloom the positives were that the Hustlers broke 500 and only two of the team failed to make 40.  The negative is that Olive is top of the averages, a point he was not slow to recall (several times) on the long walk home.

14/9/11 v Cannonballs Elite @ Saracens Club

Gary	6	8	8	9	7	2	40	-6
Lofty	6	8	8	7	8	4	41	-5
Clive	4	8	8	8	8	12	48	4

1st leg total 129 v 136

Lewis	6	9	9	9	7	5	45	5
Jim	8	3	7	8	4	6	36	-11
Andy S	8	6	7	8	7	6	42	-5

2nd leg total 123 v 134

Steve	8	7	9	8	3	8	43	-5
Mark	6	4	5	5	7	6	33	-8
Rob	9	7	6	8	5	7	42	-2

3rd leg total 118 v 133

Neil	7	8	8	8	8	7	46	5
Pete	5	4	9	7	7	8	40	-2
JT	8	8	7	8	5	8	44	3

4th leg total 130 v 124

Grand total 500 v 527

WON by -27

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