CRUSADERS have clinched Division 2 of the Puriton & district Skittles League after a narrow three-pin win at bottom team Cross Your Hart.

They were 26 down going into the last hand but Cross Your Hart had their worst hand of the night, a 52, to leave Crusaders 79 to win.

Spares by Jake Arlow, who top scored with 79, Nick Haggett and George Scott meant that Shaun Haggett only needed six for the victory.

This win, coupled with Landlord’s Rejects’ defeat at Wheatsheaf Boys, leaves Crusaders four points clear with only one match left; the consolation for Landlords Rejects is they cannot be caught for second.

The fight for the third promotion place goes down to the last week as both Oddsquad and Wheatsheaf Boys won – Oddsquad by 27 over Three Cees, with Ollie Puddy and Mark Peters both getting 60, and Wheatsheaf Boys victory over Landlord’s Rejects.

Rofugees and Haymakers played the lowest scoring match of the season – only 688 pins were knocked over by the two teams combined at the difficult King William alley. Rofugees, however, are happy with the two points as they won by 20.

Ruggerites and Swannies had the closest match of the night, with Swannies needing 63 for victory on the last hand, but Alan Ellis’ four meant they had to get a spare, which they could not do and were left two short of victory and therefore suffered a 1 pin defeat. Huntspill Boys and Herdsmen also had a tight game, with Herds-men anchor Gary Wall needing seven for victory, which he duly obliged with an eight to give his team a two-pin win.

It’s still all to play for at the top of Division 1 as Pirates suffered a rare home defeat despite being ahead for the first six hands.

Stop Outs hit their highest hands of the night in the last two for an eight-pin victory.

Mike Garbutt was the hero for Stop-Outs with three spares in his 79, including a 16 on the last hand, when he needed nine for victory.

This defeat for Pirates allowed Farmer Boys to get within five points with a game in hand as they got back to winning ways with a fourpin victory at Crown.

Paul Mantelow top scored for the victors with 65, while Barry Vincent’s 69 for the home team was not supported enough by his team mates.

Wasters let slip a 22- pin lead after three hands to be defeated at home by Polden Bears, who pulled 39 over the last four hands for a 17- pin victory, Dave Kelland once again leading the way with 59.

At the bottom, Crown Jewels had only their second home win of the season as they defeated Barstewards by 49, with Paul Attiwell leading the way with 77, which included three spares.

Another very close encounter was played out at Bason Bridge Inn as Somerset Vaults held on for a one-pin victory over Polden Turkeys, despite Turkeys’ anchorman, Nick Dedman, hitting a 15 on the last hand, when he needed 16 for the tie.

There was never more than two between the teams all night; Mike Bray and John Hill led the way for Somerset Vaults with 64 each.

Top score for this round of matches was by Foxes & Ferrets captain Sean Woodward, who had four spares in his 83 at Lighthouse Inn as his team hit 535 to defeat Nomads by 33.

Sean was aided by Mike Gibbons who hit 70. Best for the home team was Phil Coggins on 72 and Russell Burt with 71.