Category: Match Reports

With the injuries racking up, a crook Hustlers ventured out to take on Saracens A, looking to finally get in the points.

A steady start saw JT get our first 40 (& 9, to boot) of the night, ably assisted by further 40s from debutant Chris & veteran Pete, putting us into an early 4 pin lead.  2nd leg saw Mike partner the deadly duo of TC (who did well to evade the clutches of our Brasilian mascot, Barry)& Stavros.  The lowest scoring leg did well to keep within 10 pins of the Saras & we turned around at the halfway point trailing by a narrow 6 pins, eminently gettable.

3rd leg set about closing the gap, with only Rich beating his man, despite our vice-skip’s 9 and Stu getting our 1st spare of the season, but somehow lost a further 2 pins, leaving the anchors to turn things our way.  Neil’s opening 9 helped close the gap, before a glorious pair of spares from him & Gary finally saw us regain the lead, albeit briefly.  An exchange of leads left it uo to the final hand to decide the match as we went into it all square.  With a 40 from Gary & Neil’s season high 53, the task ultimately proved just too tough & we fell by a mere 3 pins.

Hospitals Cup is upon us next week, and we travel to the Merryfellow to face the Rebels in our 3rd consecutive away match.

2nd leg total 104 v 114

3rd leg total 127 v 129

4th leg total 135 v 130

Grand total 491 v 494

WON by -3

Still very depleted, Hustlers ventured up to Shurdington, looking to get the season opening win as they took on Hatherley & Reddings CC.

A lively start soon saw the ‘Slurs edge into a narrow lead, only to see that whitttled away as the leg progressed, finally trailling by 21 pins.  2nd leg, with a still injured JT at the fore, got off to a flying start, pulling pins from the off.  But a glitch in form saw them leak a few pins, to leave us trailling by 48 at the midpoint.

Knowing all was not yet lost, 3rd leg set about closing the gap.  A hatful of 9s finally helped them field a healthy score, despite Clive knackering his back reaching for his pint, with Wallsy narrowly beating our skip to top score.  Only the 7 pins dropped was looking like a good sign as the anchors stepped up to pull the game back from the brink.  Mopre 9s ensued as Gary & Neil both clocked up a 40.  But it proved insufficient  in the end.  Although Hustlers improved on last week’s score, victory ultimately narrowly evaded their grasp.

It’s on the road again next week as we head to the Saracens Club, where we have tasted success in the past – we can do so again.

2nd leg total 99 v 126

3rd leg total 125 v 132

4th leg total 120 v 131

Grand total 443 v 509

WON by -66

After a lovely Summer break, the new season has finally arrived and a much depleted Hustlers begin life in Prem B with a home game against the Baro Boys.

A bit of a mixed bag soon saw Pistols setting our first 40 of the season, thanks to our maiden spare.  TC’s negative BYM helped the Boys to set an initial lead of just 3 pins.  A rare appearance from Alan helped a steady 2nd leg pull back those pins and turn the game around at the halfway point to give us a narrow 6-pin lead.

With Stu winning the raffle, surely the omens were looking good.  2 spareless 40s from Stu and Cap’n Clive helped wipe out Steve’s bottom score deficit as 3rd leg ended in a tie and leaving the lead intact for the anchors to defend.  While JT literally threw himself into the game on his way to equalling bottom score with the help of our first beaver of the season, Neil looked to be pleasing the Indian match-fixing as he faltered mid-leg, while Rob decided to practice his best Guy Gibson impression.  And so tension built throughout the leg as the lead petered away,  leaving it all up to the last hand to decide.  Unfortunately, we were not good enough to hold on and the Baros won the leg by 12 to take the game at the last.

Not the best of starts, but not too desperate either, so we hope that can improve as we move on next week to Hatherley & Reddings CC next week with a still depleted team.

9/9/13 v Baro Boys@ Suffolk

2nd leg total 112 v 103

3rd leg total 113 v 113

4th leg total 104 v 116

Grand total 441 v 447

WON by -6

As the new season approaches, Hustlers wamed up with a "friendly" match against the auld enemy, the Anchor Old Ladies. This looked particularky challenging this year, as the ‘Slurs were much depleted.

1st leg struggled to find form against equally shaky Anchors, losing by a mere 3 pins.  2nd leg proved more successful, with 40s from Pete & Stavros helping to turn the game around anfd give us a 1-pin lead at the halfway point.

The halftime feed and subsequent guest players then played their part as 3rd leg conceded 39 pins, leaving the anchors with a tough task.  But, with Rob’s top score. they managed to win the leg – just not by enough to turn the game.

A rare victory meant the Anchors became the inaugural winners of the Jim Swan Memmorial Trophu

16/8/13 v Anchor Old Ladies @ Suffolk

1st leg total 92 v 101

2nd leg total 117 v 113

3rd leg total 92 v 131

4th leg total 137 v 134

Grand total 444 v 479

Won by -35

Finally we get to draw the season to a close, as Hustlers face the Sinners in this long-awaited rescheduled return match.

A tough start for the 1st leg as we dropped 17 pins thanks to two Sinners 40s.  Another pair of 40s were conceded by 2nd leg, who added a further 15 pins to the deficit.  This wasn’t in the script.

Cap’n Clive’s top score (& our first 40 of the night) helped stem the tide, as 3rd leg won their battle and left the anchors just a 17-pin gap.  Rob & Neil chipped in with 40s to try and counter Pete’s bottom score  Despite winning the leg, it wasn’t quite enough totake the game.

But the Hustlers go marching on.  2nd place just eluded us, but we still go up another division – the Premiership beckons.

22/4/13 v Sinners @ Suffolk

2nd leg total 106 v 121

3rd leg total 115 v 106

4th leg total 113 v 111

Grand total 441 v 456

WON by -15

A big game in prospect tonight as the Hustlers looked to complete a double over the Chosen Champs and secure automatic promotion in the process.

Gary & TC did well to coubter Swayner’s efforts to lose the leg and ended with a narrow 3-pin lead.  A fleeting visit from Lofty saw him get our only spare of the night on his way to top score, with Lewis & AS helping to stretch the lead by a single pin – just 4 up at the midpoint.

Steve narrowly escaped bottom score, but a 40 from a resurgent Rich, with support from Cap’n Clive, ensured the lead crept out by another 2 pins, leaving the anchors to secure the game.  A few squeaky moments until Pete’s final hand 9 secured promotion, set up by steady Rob (just needs 95 next week to break the 1000 mark), & Neil throwing away the chance of a 40.

It’s the last game of the season, with the long-awaited rearranged return of the Sinners at the Suffolk.  A win could well see us finish as runners-up!

17/4/13 v Chosen Champs @ Churchdown Club

2nd leg total 110 v 109

3rd leg total 110 v 108

4th leg total 113 v 113

Grand total 437 v 431

WON by 6

 Looking to avenge their narrow 1st encounter defeat, Hustlers welcomed Cowley CC to the Suffolk for the rematch in our final official home match of the season.

We began well, with Pete & bottom  of the averages TC narrowly missing out on our opening 40.  With Mike doubling his man’s score (surely a record low at the Suffolk), we had a healthy 26-pin lead.  2nd leg weren’t quite as lucky, but were steady enough to stretch the lead by a further 10 pins, leaving it looking good for the 2nd half of the game.

Despite Rob losing to his man, 3rd leg made the lead look even more convinvcing, as Rich just missed out on another 40.  Oddly, the anchors started to ship pins and some doubts began to appear in the camp.  But they were just teasing us and JT finally got our 1st (and only) 40 of the night as they squeezed out a further 7 pins to give us a most resounding victory.

Our final away match of the season sees us take on the Chosen Champs at the Churchdown Club next week.

8/4/13 v Cowley CC @ Suffolk

2nd leg total 105 v 95

3rd leg total 107 v 90

4th leg total 119 v 112

Grand total 445 v 385

WON by 60

Catching up with a report from 2 weeks ago – IT issues.

Despite a 40 from Rob, 1st leg struggled to find form, but managed to only drop 3 pins to the Sarries.  2nd leg form was somewhat poorer, especially TC’s bottom score, but they somehow managed to end the leg with Hustlers leading by 5.

3rd leg’s form was a little better, with Lofty getting our second 40 of the night, but they did lose 4 pins, leaving the anchors with the narrowest of leads to defend.  A much better perfomance followed, although only jTmade 40 (a sadly low top score), but not enough as Sarries took the leg by 4 pins to take a very tight game at the end.

18/3/13 v Saracens A @ Suffolk

2nd leg total 100 v 92

1st leg total 108 112

4th leg total 115 v 119

Grand total 428 v 431

WON by -3

Hustlers headed off to the Adam Eve looking for a rare double against Tivoli Boys.

1st leg set a steady pace as Pete & TC got our first 40’s of the night, with just Lewis failing to beat his man or get a 40, as we eked out a 4-pin lead.  Cap’n Clive bottom scored, offsetting 40s from Lofty & AS (who set his season’s best), but enough to see the lead fritter away to a 2-pin deficit.  Boosteded by his new high score, Stavros then went on to take the raffle.

Season’s bests fom Rich & Rob (who also joined the 50 club), with another 40 from Steve, saw that deficit turn around once more, this time giving the anchors a lead of 19 to defend.  Three 40s (with a season’s best for JT) easily beat three 30s and helped us cruise to a 45-pin victory.

Another break next week, with Easter on the cards, but it’s back to the Suffolk after that to face Cowley CC.

25/3/13 v Tivoli Boys @ Adam & Eve

 2nd leg total 126 v 132

1st leg total 145 v 122

 4th leg total 136 v 124

Grand total 529 v 484

WON by 45

On very unfamiliar territory, Hustlers headed out to Whaddon, looking to complete a double over the Diards

1st leg got off to a poor start, with only Lewis (with two 9s) beating his man to stop the 15-pin gap looking even worse.  2nd leg fared much better, with just Stavros failing to beat his man, yet still losing the leg & failing to make the 100 mark.  But we were still only 18 pins down, so all was not yet lost

1st leg total 89 v 104

2nd leg total 93 v 96

3rd leg total 100 v 121

4th leg total 106 v 101

Grand total 388 v 422

WON by -34