MARKET C hosted the Bird in Hand A team in Division A of the Bridgwater Town Skittles League, and opened with a belowaverage 58, but pulled two pins.

Market’s second hand, a more respectful 69 was trounced by Bird’s second, who pulled 18 to lead by 16.

Market pulled five in the third before Bird edged to 13 in front after a close fourth hand. The fifth hand was anything but close with Bird hitting 105, with 18 floppers from Darren Howells and Nick Pimm followed by spares from Dean Adams, Nick Fisher, and Martin Coombes ensured that, despite losing the final two hands by 30 pins, the victory was secure.

In Division B, British Flag was the scene for a local derby match with the B team hosting the A.

The B team settled in immediately, pulling seven on the first hand, and another four on the second. Flag A won the next two hands to narrow B’s lead to two.

In the fifth hand, a 71 for the B team was matched against the A team’s lowest score of the game. The final two hands were won by the A team, but the B team won by two.

Blake Hall played the Market A team in Division C and set a promising first hand target of 77, after first man on Paul Walford hit a 16 only to be followed two hands later by Craig Savage’s 17.

Market lost 10, with a further seven going in the second. A good hand from the visitors in the third regained the Market’s composure as the lead was reduced to two.

Market added a further five to their tally in the fifth hand which, despite losing the final two hands, proved enough of a gap to win the game by two.

In Division D, Cobblestones B played at the Cross Rifles, in a game of alternating hand winners where, until the penultimate hand, the lead was never into double figures for either side.

Cobblestones hit a 71 in the sixth to lead by 20 after a Keith Luxon spare. Despite Kevin Dibble’s 16 spare, Cross Rifles could only set a target of 47 to win, which the visiting Cobblestones soon passed, finally winning by 16.