Blog

Away at the Hop Pole, Hustlers were angling to do a rare double over the Fishers – tempting bait indeed.

1st leg set a good standard, with Rob top scoring to set up a 3-pin lead against our close rivals.  But 2nd leg weren’t impressed and, with Stu finally beating his man this season (and getting his maiden 40) and Gary getting another 40 with a fine pair of 9s, the lead was stretched out to 16 pins at the halfway point and hopes of success were rising.

3rd leg was steady, highlighted by Steve getting our only spare of the night as he equalled top score.  But that wasn’t enough to stop us dropping 4 pins.  Yet we were still ahead and the anchors only had to hang on to the lead.  And it was looking good as both anchor legs battled it out.  Until the last hand.  Needing a mere 12 to make the game safe, Neil looked to regain Barry the Brasilian Beaver as he left it up to AS & Cap’n Clive to make certain of victory, which they fortunately did!

Jannerland calls this weekend as we head off to Plymouth for our annual trip, returning just in time to take on the Flyers at home on Monday.  A win may see us safe in a promotion spot.  Will we go up?

28/3/12 v Fishers @ Hop Pole

1st leg total 117 v 114

2nd leg total 119 v 103

3d leg total 117 v 121

4th leg total 110 v 119

Grand total 463 v 460

WON by 3

Back home this week & Hustlers were looking to make it 3 on the trot against Chosen Champs.

 A good start from 1st leg saw Pete top score and get our 1st spare of the night as they racked up a 16-pin lead and a perfect BYM.  A rejigged 2nd leg weren’t quite firing on all cylinders and failed to break 100, losing 10 pins in the process.  But it was enough to keep us ahead at the midpoint.

A faltering start for 3rd leg was soon improved on as Lewis got our 2nd spare of the night to help him equal top score.  Winning the leg by 8 pins eaased the gap a little more, leaving the anchors with less pressure on them.  Clive didn’t need a spare to get our third 40, but Rob blew his chance to get one as he opted to gain control of barry the Brasilian Beaver on our final hand.  Somehow they managed to lose just the 3 pins, leaving us with an 11-pin win.

It’s off to the Whitesmith’s next week to try & complete the double over the Fishers and extend our winning streak.

 19/3/12 v Chosen Champs @ Suffolk

1st leg total 116 v 100

2nd leg total 95 v 105

3rd leg total 112 v 104

4th leg total 109 v 112

Grand total 432 v 421

WON by 11

A second away game on the trot as Hustlers travelled to Hatherley & Reddings CC to take on Telehoist A, looking to do the double over them.

First leg got us off to a stunning start as Neil’s run of form was extended.  He chalked up our first spare of the night (and his first of the season) as he top scored for the 2nd consecutive week to give us a 14-pin lead.  Rich set the second leg well on the way with our top spare in helping himself to a 40 along with Lewis.  And so we turned around leading by 20 and looking to cruise along.

Dan & Steve’s 40s helped match second leg’s total, but lost 10 pins as Steve won Mo the Meerkat (becoming the first Hustler to hold both our mascots!), leaving the anchors with a narrowed lead to hold onto.  With some odd scores, they did hold on – in fact, they actually rallied to win the leg by 11 pins and give us the victory by a grand 21 pins.

We take a rest next week – it’s Gold Cup Week, if you hadn’t noticed – before returning to the Suffolk to start the final leg of the season against Chosen Champs.  Let’s keep the winning going.

7/3/12 v Telehoist A @ Hatherley & Reddings CC

1st leg total 112 v 98

2nd leg total 117 v 111

3rd leg total 117 v 127

4th leg total 113 v 102

Grand total 459 v 438

WON by 21

Hustlers were at the Fox & Hounds, looking to avoid the double against Eagle Star A this week.

Despite Neil setting top score with our first 9 and 40 of the night, we opened with a stuttering leg and trailed by 3 pins as 2nd leg took over.  And it was looking good as Lewis opened with our first (and only) spare of the night.  In spite of blowing his chance of a 40, Tocknell Jr led the fightback to level the game at the midpoint.

Then the steadying hands of 3rd leg stepped up, with Gary equalling top score to lead us to a stonking 21 pin lead, despite Dan’s valiant attempt to gain control of Barry.  And so we handed over to the anchors, who would surely guide us to a well-deserved away win.  Indeed, they quickly started to pull further ahead, despite AS’ best efforts in achieving our lowest score of the night.  But then came the drama of the last hand, where we totalled a huge 10!  Fortunately, maths proved to be a dodgy subject for the Stars and we did just enough to hang on to a  rare victory.

We’re on the road again  next week, as we head out to Hatherley to take on the Telehoist boys.  Changes are afoot as we aim to make it 2 on the trot.

20/2/12 v Eagle Star A @ Fox & Hounds 

1st leg total 107 v 110

2nd leg total 107 v 104

3rd leg total 114 v 93

4th leg total 96 v 109

Grand total 426 v 435

WON by 9

Hustlers returned to the Suffolk this week, looking to do the double over fellow Suffolk residents, Ullenwood CC.

1st leg got us going with a resounding thud as Lofty started a little trend with the night’s first beaver, helping to keep the score below 100 for the 1st time in 2012 and dropping 15 pins in the process.  We then witnessed a remarkable 2nd leg.  With Swayner unbelievably top scoring (with our only 40 of the night), we witnessed Barry the Brasilian Beaver change hands twice in a single handas Pete & Steve competed to gain control of our oldest mascot.  Despite that, they managed to be our only winning leg and see Pete somehow beat his man by 11 pins!

But the drama was still not over.  In a close battle, 3rd leg dropped 2 more pins, but witnessed compensate for losing Barry by gaining control of Mo the Meerkat with a classic "Hustlers’ spare".  And so it came down to the anchors once more.  But, despite being our highest scoring leg of the night, they dropped a further 4 pins to see us lose by 14, equalling our lowest home score of the season in the process.

Expect major changes next week as we head to the Fox & Hounds, looking to avoid the double against Eagle Star A.

20/2/12 v Ullenwood CC @ Suffolk

1st leg total 95 v 110

2nd leg total 107 v 100

3rd leg total 105 v 107

4th leg total 109 v 112

Grand total 416 v 430

WON by -14

Away @ Parklands on Valentines Day, Hustlers were looking to avoid a massacre and do what the Robins couldn’t against the Gulls – win!

With Jim making a very welcome appearance,1st leg got off to a great start, with JimBob getting our only 9 of the night, Rob setting top score and the only leg not to lose to their men.  Pretty good going, I’d say, as they handed over a super 17-pin lead.  2nd leg soon set about frittering that away, being the only leg to be whitewashed as they dropped 9 pins, but still left us ahead at the midpoint.

3rd leg tried to make amends, with TC equalling top score, while Stu set our lowest score of the night.  With 2 pins dropped, it was down to the anchors to ensure a win was possible.  With fingers crossed, they struggled initially, but Clive’s equal top score and Andy’s 40 helped clock up the top leg score of the night and add an extra 7 pins to our margin of victory.

On that high, we look forward to doing the double over Ullenwood CC at home on Monday.

 14/2/12 v Strollers @ Parklands

Back at home this week, Hustlers took on bottom of the league Strollers, looking to complete a rare double.

1st leg set the standard with Lofty’s top spare helping him reach our top score for the 2nd week in a row, closely followed by Rob’s spareless 40.  Sandwiched between was Rich, registering our 1st beaver of the season, depriving JimBob of Barry the Brasilian Beaver’s company.  It was enough to squeeze out a 4-pin lead.  2nd leg saw Pete hit every score between 1 & 6 as he got our lowest score of the year.  Meanwhile, Dan got his maiden double of spare & 40, but it wasn’t quite enough as Strollers took the leg to level the game at the halfway point.

 3rd leg racked up our top total of the night, with just Mark missing out on a 40 – but he did make the most of it by wresting Mo the Meerkat from Gary’s grasp as he registered only our 3rd "Hustler spare" of the season.  With all 3 beating their men, they handed a 7-pin leg over to the anchors.  With a new line in celebratory dances, Andy got our 4th spare (an alley record for the ‘Slurs) & 6th 40 of the night.  But TC especially & Steve couldn’t keep up with him and we suffered a massive 17-pin loss on the leg to hand the game to Strollers.

It’s off to the Fox & Hounds @ Parklands next week as we try to avenge their victory at the Suffolk earlier in the season.

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

1st leg total 133 v 119

2nd leg total 115 v 124

3rd leg total 126 v 127

4th leg total 124 v 135

Grand total 498 v 505

WON by -7

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

1st leg total 108 v 99

2nd leg total 108 v 108

3rd leg total 116 v 120

4th leg total 108 v 103

Grand total 440 v 430

WON by 10