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With two consecutive wins, Hustlers returned to the Suffolk looking to extend that run and notch up a second consecutive double as they faced close rivals Golden Miller.

Rob opened with our first 40 of the night as he seriously beat his man, with Stu narrowly missing his flair and support from AS as they established an early 13-pin lead while achieving top scoring leg. Second leg started well and soon saw TC and Clive get our first 9s with none of the leg losing to their men, our skipper leading the way with our highest score of the night.  Extending the lead to 28 pins at the midpoint with TC taking top prize in the raffle, all was starting to look rosy.

Third leg were just as steady, despite being the lowest scoring, with Rich getting another 40 in beating his man.  But we dropped 6 pins, just enough to set a few nerves on edge, but surely a big enough win for the anchors to defend?  A bit of a rollercoaster on last leg as they started leaking pins, despite 9s from Wallsy and Neil.  A few worried looks began to appear, but for no reason, as they fearlessly held on, dropping only 7 pins to ensure another victory.

It’s a long away trip to Cleeve next week as we take on old friends Mitre, looking to keep the winning streak going and move further up the table.
 

3/2/14 v Golden Miller @ Suffolk

2nd leg total 113 v 98

3rd leg total 110 v 116

4th leg total 111 v 118

Grand total 449 v 434

WON by 15

On the back of last week’s morale boosting home win, Hustlers travelled to United Services, looking to complete our first double of the season over high flying Stragglers.

Rob salvaged some pride with a pair of 9s to open first leg, while Stu cruised to our first 40, with AS stuttering slightly behind.  A good opening, to set us on our way with an 11-pin lead.  JT & TC both suffered a little upturn in form, but were put in the shade after Clive’s opening 9 set him up for our second 40 of the night.  Another 10 pins opened up a most pleasing gap at the midpoint.

A bit of a faltering leg saw Lofty get a very strange 40, with an early beaver giving way to a 9, followed by our top spare, but still fail to beat his man.  Mike then managed to steal Barry the Brasilian Beaver away from him almost at the death, while Chris steadied the ship a little with another 9, as he helped himself to another 40.  With a pin dropped, it was looking good as the anchors stepped up, but anything could happen with the ‘Slurs.  And so it proved, as Steve opened with a 3, before Neil compensated with our second spare, immediately followed by our 3 from top scorer Gary.  With all three making 40s (including a share of another three 9s between Gary and Steve), though, they eased their way to a 6-pin gap to round off one of our best scores of the season and deliver another rare victory.

We’re back at home next week to face Golden Miller.  Another win will help us climb further away from the relegation slots.  How will we do?

28/1/14 v Stragglers @ United Services

2nd leg total 114 v 104

3rd leg total 116 v 117

4th leg total 131 v 125

Grand total 474 v 448

WON by 26

With our fortunes seemingly on the turn, Hustlers were again at home, looking to turn the Suffolk back into a fortress.

In spite of the nervous start, 1st leg soon found their groove and eased their way out to a 9-pin lead.  Encouraged by this start, 2nd leg settled into another groove and were soon stretching that lead still more.  JT led the way with our first 9 and 40, closely followed by Lofty’s top spare and top score, leaving us 25 pins up.

Dobbin again took the raffle, with Gary completing the sweep.  The omens really were looking good.  Third leg stuttered as Rich’s rare bottom score was sandwiched by a pair of 9s and 40s from Mike and Chris.  A single pin dropped – could it be the start of another collapse?  Not if the anchors could hold on.  Neil matched Steve’s 9 and 40, only to round it off with our second spare and, with all three beating their men, the lead was extended yet further and victory ensured.

Time to take this form with us, as we travel next week to United Services to take on Stragglers.

20/1/14 v Saracens A @ Suffolk

2nd leg total 118 v 102

3rd leg total 108 v 109

4th leg total 116 v 102

Grand total 452 v 414

WON by 38

Unbeaten so far this year, Hustlers made their first appearance of 2014 at the Suffolk, planning to avoid a first possible double loss of the season against the cricketers of Hatherley & Reddings.

1st leg stuttered but got us off to a 4-pin lead via a JT sandwich, with Pete narrowly avoiding a 40.  Gary mde 2nd leg good with our 1st spare, while TC’s season low was fortunately matched by his oppo.  So the damage wasn’t too disastrous and we were only trailing by 3 pins at the midpoint.
 

Things started to look better as Dobbin & landlord Alan swept the raffle.  And form started to pick up a little as well, with Rich top sparing on his way to our first 40 of the night as 3rd leg dropped a mere pin, leaving the anchors to chase a very gettable total.  Steve’s spareless top score looked to be sealing the deal, ably supported by Neil.  Unfortunately, Rob’s season low hadn’t been factored in, leading to another home defeat.
 

Still plenty of time left to improve, so we get another chance next week for our return match against Saracens A.

13/1/14 v Hatherley & Reddings @ Suffolk

2nd leg total 94 v 101

3rd leg total 109 v 110

4th leg total 111 v 120

Grand total 417 v 430

WON by -13

Escaping the threatened deluge, Hustlers began 2014 with a 2nd visit to Albion House to take on the Baro Boys and looking to avoid a double.  Could a new  year bring a fresh start with it?

1st leg got us off to a rather mixed start, as Mike & Pete struggled to beat the 30 mark, while Chris joined the 50 brigade with a brace of spares to start & end his match.  The Boys were a little more consistent, but the leg ended with the match still level.  Despite a couple of wobbles from AS, 2nd leg knocked up the highest total of the night, with 40s from Lofty & Cap’n Clive leading us to a 5-pin halftime lead.

With Gary throwing off a hard start to add another 40 to our collection, 3rd leg managed to stretch the lead out by a further 3 pins to give the anchors a narrow lead to defend.  With Steve’s 40 leading the wa, they went into the very last hand leaving the Baros to score 25 for the win.  Fortunately, they weren’t able to make that total.  Unfortunately, they did just enough to force a rare draw.  But we’ll take an away point over a defeat any day, so a goodish start to this 2nd half of the season.

We return to the Suffolk next week, looking to turn around our home record as we take on the cricketers of Hatherley & Reddings

7/1/14 v Baro Boys @ Albion House

2nd leg total 124 v 119

3rd leg total 114 v 111

4th leg total 115 v 123

Grand total 469 v 469

WON by 0

A deluge greeted the Hustlers as they journeyed to the Saracens Club for the third time this season, to end the first half of the season against old friends Cannonballs Elite, hoping to bring some Christmas cheer to the team.

A sparkling start saw Clive get our first 40 of the night, JT our first 9 and Stavros our first spare, as they raced into an early 5-pin lead.  Mike’s spare and Chris’s 9 helped them form a 40 sandwich (with TC providing the filling of our highest bottom score of the season) that proved to be 13 pins short of the Elite, to leave us 8 pins behind at the midpoint.

Third leg put in their best performance of the season (despite Lofty’s missed spare making him the new owner of Mo the Meerkat), with all making 40s, including another spare from Stu and more 9s from Lofty and Mike.  A classy 20-pin gain turned the game once more towards the ‘slurs as we climbed to an 11-pin lead, with just the anchors to come.  Again the leg score improved as Rob and Neil (with his 9 helping him to the top of the averages once more) flanked Steve’s 50 (our third of the season), featuring a season’s highest spare, as they narrowly edged the leg to take us to a rare 500 total and an important win.

We reconvene in World Cup year, as we face the Baro Boys at the Albion Club.  Will Santa bring us a change in fortune and see Hustlers increase their win ratio?  Will bottom of the averages TC beat Neil and Rob to 1000 pins, or will Hell freeze over first?

Have yourselves a Merry Little Christmas and let’s hope 2014 is a Prosperous New Year for Hustlers.

18/12/13 v Cannonballs Elite @ Saracens

2nd leg total 120 v 133

3rd leg total 131 v 111

4th leg total 136 v 131

Grand total 506 v 489

WON by 17

Our last home game of the year saw Hustlers take on the Madhatters, eager to get back on the winning track.

1st leg got off to a good start, despite the ‘Hatters’ opener getting a big 17 spare settubg up his 50 (a most rare event at the Suffolk).  Lofty made smaends for his 1 with our first 9 of the night, closely followed by Stavros, on his way to our first 40, where he was soon joined by Cap’n Clive.  And, unexpectedly, we found ourselves just 3 pins down.  Hope was showing its light.  Despite another 9 from Mike, 2n leg failed to make the 100 mark, so we went into the second half trailing by 15 pins, still with a glimmer of hope. 

3rd leg scored a little higher, but the ‘Hatters’ spare proved a telling blow, as it gave them a further 12-pin lead and saw hope of a victory start to flicker away.  And so the anchors faced a familiar arduous task to turn the game around.  A valiant chase ensued, with Neilson setting the pace with a joyous spare to tke him to top score once more.  And they could rightly claim the honour of our top leg of the night.  But, once more, it proved to be not quite right,  and we ultimately trailed in by an impressive 29 pins.

We end the year next week with a trip to Saracens, as we take on Cannonballs Elite to start the 2nd half of the season.

9/12/13 v Madhatters @  Suffolk

$2nd leg total 98 v 110

3rd leg total 105 v 117

4th leg total 120 v 123

Grand total 441 v 470

WON by -29

 rare outing to the ‘Slurs’ spiritual home, set them against the Flyers and offered a chance for the legendary Stu performance to appear.

A steady start from 1st leg as Mike slaughtered his man & Clive narrowly missed a 40.  Trailing by 4, JT set about reversing that as he opened with a high spare.  With a 9 from Stavros helping him to beat his man,m the rest of the leg was somewhat mixed as they dropped a further 4 pins.  Still, a manageable gap at the halfway mark and Stu still to come, so nothing to worry about.

Playing without gloves on his feet this week, Chris caused a stir with an opening 1, while Stu’s opening 3 got the ‘Slurs worried.  A low-key performance saw them mark our lowest 3rd leg score so far this season, as we dropped 29 pins, to leave the anchors chasing a significant total.  but they were up for it and, after a shaky start, .  9s from top scorer Rob and Gary helped claw some pins back.  Despite claiming op leg score, the task proved too much and they could only win by a single pin, as we suffered another loss.

Our last home game of the year next week as we take on Madhatters.

4/12/13 v Brown Jug Flyers @ Brown Jug

2nd leg total 111 v 115

3rd leg total 92 v 121

4th leg total 118 v 117

Grand total 432 v 468

WON by -36

Back at home this week, Hustlers were hoping that Steamers would continue their record of no away wins this season.

A great opening hand ssaw Mike & Rob get our first 9s of the night.  But that momentum couldn’t be maintained & we ended the leg 12 pins behid, despite Rob getting our first 40.  2nd leg was more evenly matched, thanks to another Chris 40, despite his Hustler spare (thus wrenching Mo the Meerkat from JT’s tight grasp) and we dropped a mere 3 pins, to keep the gap to 15.

2nd leg total 110 v 113

3rd leg total 108 v 121

4th leg total 124 v 118

Grand total 453 v 475

WON by -22

This week saw the Hustlers venture to the splendour of the Albion Club to take on high-flying Starbrights.

An interesting start as Mike opened with a 1 and Pete with our first 9 of the night.  That was pretty much the story of the leg as they struggled to a 9-pin deficit.  2nd leg were more sedate as they failed to break the 100 mark and dropped a further 11 pins, leaving us trailing by 20 at the midpoint.

2nd leg total 98 v 109

3rd leg total 123 v 116

4th leg total 105 v 116

Grand total 431 v 455

WON by -24