COMMERCIAL B hosted the Sportsman A in Division A in the Bridgwater Town Skittles League and their last three players, Neil Tottle, Lee Wood and Steve Moran, finished their first hand with spares to pull 18 pins.

The second hand went to the home side after a flopper from Nick Fear and a spare from Alan Fear, pulling eight back, a tied third hand left the Sportsman up by 10.

Sportsman maintained momentum in the fourth and fifth hands gaining a lead of 32, however Commercial won the final two hands with a haul of 22 in the final hand alone.

Derek Fear upheld family honour getting a final hand spare, with Spike Elliot joining him to hit the Commercial’s highest hand of the night but Sportsman had done enough, though, and won by five.

In Division B, White Hart B visited the British Flag, where the advantage of including your landlord in the team was adequately displayed as Steve Cresswell hit four spares and three nines to give a hand of 80, on an alley where mid-50s or 60s are the norm.

The Hart took a couple of hands to settle in before taking the lead by six in the fifth hand but Flag fought back, pulling 11 in the sixth, regaining the lead by five after spares from Joe and Steve Cresswell and a tied final hand left the visitors six pins shy of a win.

Mansion House B hosted Lions Club A in Division C and took an early lead after an incredibly consistent hand of seven 8s. Lions found a groove in the second hand with Jake Collard hitting the only flopper of the game to be followed up with a spare from Jasun Meare pushing the Lions into the lead by eight.

Mansion House won the next two hands to level the game, entering the final two hands of the game.

Two spares in the penultimate hand left Lions reeling, down by 17 with only the final hand to play. 81 was posted by the Mansion to win, and the Lions set off well with eights and nines coming thick and fast.

Chris Nunn gave the Lions a chance, hitting a 15 spare, but the final man on couldn’t get the same luck resulting in a home win by five for the Mansion House.

In Division D, the newly re-vamped Duke hosted Market B and won the early hands to lead by seven entering the fourth.

The Market’s Sam Facey stopped the rot in the fourth starting with a spare, backed up by nines from the final men on, pulling 16 to lead by nine. A tied penultimate hand left the visitors leading by five going against a 57 and, after James Cairns hit his spare, the victory was all but sealed, with Market winning by 12.

Results: Division A – Great Western Club B 449 (Mike Davidge 62), Bird in Hand A 424 (Keith Dyer 62); Malt Shovel B 417 (Lance Turner 71), Cobblestones A 469 (Graham Davey 72); Rugby Club B 489 (Graham Smith 68), Duke A 543 (Scott Clapp 75); Squib B 512 (Matt Caddy 82), Malt Shovel A 495 (Martyn Hurley 83); The Market C 478 (Keith Holman 75), Lime Kiln B 519 (Steve Redman 74); Blake Arms B 478 (M Allen, P Giles 71), Squib A 492 (Steve Britton 71); Commercial Inn B 466 (Spike Elliott 71), Sportsman A 471 (Neil Tottle 76).

Division B – Bunch of Grapes A 423 (Andy Richards 65), Blake Hall A 436 (Phil Coombes 71); Lime Kiln A 509 (Malc Royce 82), Crown Inn A 480 (Darcy Parsons 82); New Foresters B 505 (James Puddy 74), Mansion House A 459 (Gary Howes 63); British Flag B 479 (Steve Cresswell 80),White Hart B 474 (Dave Perry 69); The Market D 493 (Paul Coleman 76), New Foresters A 502 (Steve Bull 74); Cross Rifles A 465 (Mike Hill 73), British Flag A 452 (Mark Fear 68); Commercial Inn A (bye).

Division C – Crown Inn B 514 (Tom Modley 73), Blake Arms A 470 (Steve Fursland 79); Mansion House B 457 (Mike Driscoll 65), Lions Club A 449 (Chris Nunn 64); Sydenham Centre B 468 (Stu Bagg 71), River Parrett A 521 (Alec Pearce 82); West India House B 418 (Ryan Brewer 64), Rugby Club A 441 (J Presdee, S Flack 63); Blake Hall B 443 (Justin Griffiths 73), Sydenham Centre A 418 (Macarelly McNairn 61); Lions Club B 449 (Mike Hucker 65),West India House A 402 (Malcolm Lewis 59); Great Western Club A (bye).

Division D – Duke B 414 (Alan Cheese 59), The Market B 426 (Sam Facey 67); Castle Club B 510 (Steve Hale 79), Cross Rifles B 465 (Derek Foley 69); White Hart A 422 (Mark Tottle 63), Bunch of Grapes B 404 (Patsy Palmer 61); New Market Hotel B 367 (Emre Erdem 57), Castle Club A 432 (Carl Snell 62); Bird in Hand B 400 (Matt Frietas 59), New Market Hotel A 462 (Rob Gowan 79); Cobblestones B, The Market A (late card); Sportsman B (bye).