SQUIB B hosted Bird in Hand A in Division A of the Bridgwater Town Skittles League and opened with a solid 71 after first man on Adam Wall started with a 14 spare.

Bird took a few hands to settle in, resulting in a deficit of 22 pins by the start of the third hand. They started the third well with 8s and 9s until fourth man Darren Howells hit a 15 spare, and last man Nick Pimm added a further 14 – Squibs’ lead was reduced to four.

A response wasn’t long in coming from the Squib, hitting their second 80-odd hand of the match to increase the lead back to 14, following an 18 flopper from Simon Caddy.

Another hand win for the Squib saw the lead increased to 25, before the Bird won the final two hands in style.

The final Bird hand saw half the team hitting spares but, sadly for them, Squib managed to cling to a small two-pin lead.

In Division B, another very closelyfought battle was being fought, where Great Western Club B were hosting Cross Rifles A.

The home side remained the most consistent with only 10 difference between highest and lowest hands, as opposed to 18 for the visitors.

The Shack steadily built a lead of 16 in the opening three hands, before The Rifles found the groove and pulled six. A tied sixth hand left little time for the visitors to overhaul their deficit.

The final hand saw a target of 71 being posted by the Shack which, despite a 14 spare from Nick Searle, remained just a little too many. Great Western won by three as the final pin settled to a stop.

The second Great Western team were in action at the Commercial Inn, playing the A team in Division C.

The home team started by pulling two and this was to be the only time in the game they were to lead.

Shack A took the lead by two in the second after a spare from Steve Cox. When Steve hit a 14 flopper in the third another 2 pins were added to the lead, despite Ken Walker’s home side 16 flopper.

The final hands were single pin wins for each side before a tied final hand – Great Western winning by four.

In Division D, Cross Rifles B hosted Castle Club B and opened the game with a 63 after Ken Dibble hit a 12 spare, giving a lead of three, with another two added in the second hand.

Castle Club responded in the third, pulling two before a massive fourth hand of 72, which saw spares from Darren and Tony Woodland.

Rifles, playing more consistently, pulled back nine in the fifth before yet another tied hand made the game a single-hand challenge.

Rifles set a target of 55 to win, well within Castle Club’s range, however a few unlucky scores meant last man on needed a nine to win.

Sadly, only a seven was forthcoming and Rifles won by two