Martock & District Skittles League
Welcome to the Martock & District Skittles League Website
This site is provided for use by all skittlers in the league (and anyone else interested) to find out what is happening – results, tables, meetings, cup finals, presentation nights, AGMs etc. If you have any comments or suggestions on how to improve the site contact one of the administrators. (email addresses on the Contact Us page).
LATEST NEWS
SWAN SHANKS HAVE MOVED!
Sadly, the Black Swan in Langport recently closed its doors. This required the Swan Shanks to quickly find a new alley. They have been lucky enough to be able to move back to the Crown Inn at Fivehead, where they will play their remaining fixtures this season. The closure of the Black Swan also means that Ham Boys “clash” fixtures at Eli’s will now be played at the King’s Head at High Ham. The Captain of teams affected should be (or have already been) contacted by Darren Cousins and Colin Rock. Interesting times!!
SKITTLES FOOD 2025-26
Here is the list of who is and isn’t doing food this season. Any errors or changes let Steve Lonton or Pete Wescott know. NOTE TO CAPTAINS OF TEAMS THAT DO NOT PROVIDE FOOD: Please ensure that the opposing Team Captain is aware of whether your team would like food when playing on their alley.
Steve’s Roving Report
Hello Everyone.
Both Divisions are taking shape now and we are starting to know who is in line for league honours and who is in line for relegation/wooden spoon.
Division 1 leaders Duke of York overcame a big hurdle in Seahawks last time out and were at home this week against a somewhat struggling VIPS team, but Duke have to treat every game now as a big game if they want to win the league title.
Stoke WMC won last time out against S Club 8 but weren’t convincing as they only managed to win 8-4 so with the lead growing from Duke it needed a better performance and this week they hosted bottom team Rusty Axe who are in major need of points to get themselves out of the relegation mire. Bakers Big Arms are impressing week by week and are looking likely to be the team chasing the top 2 and they looked likely to continue their excellent league form as they travelled to Somerton to face S Club 8 who have been on decent form recently in their fight to beat the drop to Division 2. Monkey Spankers got their year off and running finally with a good win last time out against Rusty Axe and looked for back to back wins and also improve their horrendous home form as they hosted Nobbys Nuts who are literally a mixed bag this season as wins and losses seem to come in equal measure. Two quality teams matched up this week at Bakers Arms in a mid-table clash as hosts Bakers Rogues hosted an out of form Seahawks who are dropping down the table due to poor recent results. An important clash at the bottom end of the table was at Rusty Axe as hosts Pornstars desperately need wins to stop the slide towards the trap door of Division 2 and they faced Nelsons Nomads who are ok at the moment but needed a win here to be more comfortable in the table.
Division 2 is looking like its between 2 teams now as the gap grows to the rest with leaders Lamb & Larks getting a good win at Stoke Club against Stoke Buoys last time out and were home this week in not a simple match against 5th placed Mucky Ducks who can give the leaders a headache or two. Crown Shanks are keeping pace at the top, but a tricky game awaited them this week as they were on the road to face hosts Lord Nelson who are generally very decent at home so this had the air of surprise if Crown Shanks weren’t on their game. Split Pins form has waned in recent week and the gap to the top 2 is growing if they don’t get back on form soon, they travelled to Eli’s to face hosts Ham Boys who are majorly out of form from the first half to the point they are almost back in their accustomed position near the bottom of the table so a win was badly needed here for either team. Dolphins are staying solid in 4th despite the surprise loss last week to Hotspots and a home game this week for them as they hosted Rosies Rebels who can spring a surprise and certainly can play well but being where they are could do with a win here. There was a mid-table clash at Bell Ash as hosts Mandys Bell Boys faced Stoke Buoys and there was a bottom of the table clash at Rose & Crown at East Lambrook as hosts and bottom team Thorns & Roses faced Hotspots.
Could Round 16 spring any surprises or will it be damp and cold!! Lets find out.
Division 1
We start at the lair that is Duke of York and the lead is growing for the leaders as they continue to keep winning and one win at a time reduces the amount of games left for the chasing teams to catch them so its all about what they do and this week they were fancied again to chalk off another win as they hosted VIPS who have had a completely different season this time around and luck has been fully against them and they would need a bit of help from Duke and a great performance to get a shock win here. The opening was damp and cold from the leaders as they just didn’t really fire up like they normally do and early 4’s and 5’s were very unlike them and despite a decent start from anchorman Martin Lee (9,7) 45 and 54 was not a good start. VIPS needed that poor start from Duke and they dually took advantage as Ken with a 15 spare and a good consistency of scoring which we haven’t seen much of from VIPS which led to 63,55 and a very healthy 19 pin lead and 2 hands to the good. The shock was on now and that deficit for the leaders needed a champion like response and didn’t it just! Maurice Lee with an 11 spare gave impetus and a wobble in the middle didn’t help but the bottom 3 were superb and Martin was on a different planet as a brilliant 16 spare with a 9 to follow got Duke of York into gear and two 60+ hands was much more like it and shifted the pressure back onto VIPS. The pressure indeed flipped and the good scoring weakened as VIPS had a couple of 3s which didnt help and nothing high scoring came their way as a late 40 hand and a early 50+ hand meant the lead was Dukes of 5 and a big last two hands was upon them. The last hands Duke kept ultra consistent despite a smattering of a 4 and a couple of 5s and Martin finish off well to hit a brilliant score of 56 and 54,55 meant that VIPS needed 57,58 to win which was unlikely but there was a chance. Callum’s duck was very unfortunate and the top half struggled in the chase and despite a good finish from the bottom half it wasn’t enough as the leaders Duke of York completed a comeback win 10-2 by 16 pins to stay 10 points clear with 6 games to play. This loss was evident of VIPS season showing lots of promise but not quite clinical enough as they are 8th.
Off to Stoke Club next and to Stoke WMC who are grimly clinging onto Duke of York’s tail in their quest for back to back league titles and every win is key to them to close the gap and put pressure on the leaders. They were big favourites this week as they hosted bottom team Rusty Axe who have to scrap for every point in the relegation battle, but this was heavily favoured towards the home team. Stoke generally like to get ahead early and control the game but the early hands were very average from them and apart from skipper Graham Brimble weighing in with a 14 spare and a 9 they were not great and two mid 50 hands was not the start they wanted and gave Rusty Axe hope. Indeed the visitors had a chance here to keep close to their stronger opponents and possibly get a lead but their early hands took a similar fashion to Stoke’s as there was a big struggle all the way down until anchorman Steve popped in a 14 spare which kept things close as Stoke WMC were 4 up. The middle hands is generally where Stoke start to pull away but they actually got worse with a mixture of low hands sprinkled in with decent scores but 50,55 was poor from them and only gave Rusty Axe more encouragement. Rusty really had a great chance to put in 2 telling middle hands to put big pressure but they just couldn’t get them with low scores again crippling them and it took the bottom 3 to salvage something but two 53’s really was a chance missed as Stoke were now 3 up and it was 2 hands each. You just don’t give the reigning champs a chance never mind 2 as they were back to their very best in the last two hands with Ricky pitching in with a 16 spare and 7s,8s and 9’s followed from the rest of the team to give them a big 60+ hand and a high 50+ hand left Rusty Axe with a highly improbable 129 pins to win but you never know what could happen. This indeed was too many for Rusty Axe to chase and to their credit they stayed consistent all the way to the end but the big hand from Stoke damaged them and Rusty with 57,51 meant that Stoke WMC ran out 10-2 winners by 20 pins to stay 2nd and still 10 points behind Duke of York. Rusty Axe showed grit here but were outplayed at the crucial time and stay bottom in 12th.
Next we go to Somerton Sports Club and to hosts S Club 8 who are slowly but surely coming into a bit of form recently , but they need to keep picking up points in their battle to beat the drop as they look like they will be battling right to the end of the season and they certainly were up against it here despite being home as the visitors were in-form Bakers Big Arms who are getting stronger week by week and don’t discount them yet in the league title race as there are points to play for still but they have to continue their great form to have a chance. The opening from S Club 8 was ok at best as Tony with two 9s was great for him but a 4 and a 5 thrown into the hands stifled them as 56,52 could’ve been so much more. Big Arms were solid in the opening hands with very limited low scores and Rooster with a 12 spare gave them hands of 62,58 to lead by 12 pins and both hands to the good. The match seemed low scoring compared to some other nights up there and S Club 8 continued to struggle a bit and the lack of a spare was halting their progress and they had similar hands of 53,56 which for Big Arms was a good chance to put this match to bed. The middle hands from Big Ams didn’t quite do that as there was lots of struggling with scoring but Farage with a 16 spare calmed any weakness they may have had as the lead for them was extended to 17 pins. S Club 8 toiled all night and just couldn’t get anything big on the scoreboard but Tony was brilliant hitting 52 without a spare but no spares really hurt them as two mid 50 hands meant Big Arms needed 93 more to win which seemed trivial to get. They made hard work of it throughout but it was comfortable in the end as Bakers Big Arms won 10-2 by 19 pins to stay 3rd. S Club 8 can’t afford too many more losses if they are to stay up in the top division as they stay 11th.
Off to South Petherton Club now and to the mystery of the season so far and that’s Monkey Spankers non existent home form in which they are usually famed for being so strong there but this season the home form has just not been there and getting beaten constantly there which is very unlike them and the strong away form is the reason they are in the top 4. What they would do for more wins at home and it had to start here as their opponents were mix and match Nobbys Nuts who are very inconsistent and you never know from week to week if they win or not so this match had an air of uncertainty for both teams. The start was the same troubles for Spankers as there was a mix of low and high scores which made the hands average for them with 59,53 and on Ok start at best. Nobbys Nuts were not great in the opening hands either but Shane with a 15 spare was high and mighty above all the rest as there were numerous 4s which crippled the scoring and 55,54 meant a decent lead of 13 for Monkey Spankers. The middle hands were not much better team-wise for Spankers but Lewis Watts was monstrous as he hit an 18 spare to save Spankers blushes from more mediocre hands as they ground out 59,57, and with a 13 pin lead in the bank that was a lot for Nobbys to get back. The visitors did get better but with no spares this time it was only two 55s and the lead grew to 19 for Spankers and all 4 hands in their possession. Lewis Watts had a golden night as he hit his 2nd spare with a 16 and top score of 63 which was a brilliant score. He again helped the cause as the team struggled at times but 62,59 meant a massive 141 pins to win for Nuts which was nigh on impossible for them. They gave the chase a really good crack though and Adam with a 13 and also Liam with a 13 gave them a 67 hand but a 53 to follow wasn’t enough as Monkey Spankers got a relieving home win 11-1 by 20 pins to stay 4th. Nobbys Nuts inconsistencies trouble them as they are 7th.
To Bakers Arms and to a very intriguing clash in the middle of the table as hosts Bakers Rogues are picking up some decent form recently and currently in 6th they had the chance to move up another place as their opponents were 5th placed Seahawks who on the other hand are in some poor current form dropping down the table from as high as 3rd so Rogues were slight favourites to win this match but it could be close. The opening hands were a bit mixed as Mike Goad with a duck didn’t help the cause but Keano with a 13 spare was superb so hands of 43 and 66 was very chalk and cheese from Rogues. Seahawks in reply were very consistent but lack of a spare would’ve helped their cause and 51,56 meant a 2 pin lead for Bakers Rogues. Rogues were good despite no spares this time in the middle hands and kept pinning well and Mike was recovering well from his early mess up and 55,57 was two decent middling hands from Rogues. Seahawks were very good in their reply and this match was proving close as a 63 hand without a spare was superb but a 51 could’ve been a bit better but the match now was level and last hands shootout was a bout to commence. Rogues warmed to the task and scored decently but they needed a boost to set Seahawks a difficult target and Kev Phillips provided the moment with a 15 spare to top score with 51 and hands of 55,61 meant 117 pins to win for Seahawks. That target proved too much for Seahawks as the pressure was too much and low scores became too frequent and that was that as Bakers Rogues won 10-2 by 17 pins to swap places with Seahawks and are 5th. Seahawks for continues to drop as they are now 6th.
We next go to Rusty Axe for a lower table clash that was important for either team to win to stave off any thought of relegation. Hosts Pornstars just cannot seem to get any decent form going and worringly have dropped to just off the relegation zone and need a run of good form quickly otherwise they could get sucked into the relegation battle come end of season. Their visitors were Nelsons Nomads who are top when it comes to being a fun team as they are the biggest laugh come win or lose but they are a very decent team so Pornstars had to be on their guard and play well if they are to win this. They didn’t start great but warmed up as they went through the early hands and Adam Gray with a 13 spare gave a great finish as 62,53 was a decent start. The hands from Nomads were very mixed with lots of 5s but Ian with a 14 spare was good but the backup didn’t happen and two 55s meant a 5 pin lead for Pornstars. It was a reversal of fortune for the Stars as the top half skittled well but the bottom half was mediocre this time and 55,51 was handing the initiative to Nomads to control the match. Despite blips early on in the middle hands for Nomads the bottom half skittled well and the lead was still Pornstars but only 2 and a crucial last 2 hands for both teams. When Pornstars needed a hero they had a team of them as they all consistently skittled well in the last two hands and 61,56 meant two 60’s to win for Nomads. They were too weak in the chase and the top half cracked and despite recovery it was Pornstars who gave their skipper Anthony Phillips the bumps afterwards as they got a vital win 9-3 by 17 pins to stay 10th but a gap has developed between them and the bottom 2. Nomads cant be counted out of the relegation fight as they are 9th.
Division 2
Its tit for tat at the top of Division 2 as both Lamb & Larks and Crown Shanks are hitting the same wins recently so we wondered this week if there would be any change this time.
Leaders Lamb & Larks were home this week as they looked to try to extend their 3 point lead and they hosted visitors Mucky Ducks who are a solid side and difficult to beat home or away so this was a test for Mucky Ducks but also for Lamb & Larks title credentials. The early stages of this match was a bit of a struggle for Larks as scoring was very mixed in the opening hands and only Rearon and Claus had any scores of note but opening hands of 53,51 was not the greatest start. Mucky Ducks had similar troubles in their opening hands but the lower scores were less frequent than Larks and 56,52 meant a 4 pin lead for Mucky Ducks. Larks needed to fire back quickly and show why they are at the top of the table but it got worse for them albeit Rearon continuing his good scoring and Sniffer also, but the rest were very abject and 46,53 put them in a deep hole here. Indeed it gave Ducks real hope they could cause a surprise here and a 12 spare near the end increased the Ducks lead to 12 pins and looked good. It was now or never for Larks and they needed a hero from somewhere. Rearon was superb with 49 without a spare but Claus pulled out a champion score with a 16 spare for his total of 51 and their two best hands when it was needed of 54,62 but 105 pins was needed for Duck which considering their total was very achievable. Ducks were going ok in the chase but there wasn’t anyone to get a decent finish, two 8s was needed to win for the anchorman and he fell agonisingly short as Larks were relieved to win this 9-3 by 3 pins and huge relief for the leaders. Mucky Ducks were so unfortunate here but the loss means they stay 5th.
Next to Lord Nelson and to Chris Westwood’s men who are one of the inconsistent teams in Division 2 and generally are ok at home and would need to be as Crown Shanks were the visitors who are on the charge for Division 2 glory and needed a good win here to hope they would go top but at least keep pressure on Larks at the top. Lord Nelson took it to their stronger opponents early as Niall with a 12 spare giving good early momentum and 53,56 wasn’t too bad a start. It was a mixed opening reply from Shanks as a first hand 42 with a duck from Chels was not great at all, but a flurry of 8s and two 7’s gave a 62 hand which gave some solace to the hands as Nelson led early by 5 pins. Nelson’s inconsistent form came from here on in as a mix of middling scores was not great as 49,53 didn’t turn up the heat on Shanks who now could fire up. And indeed they did as a 16 spare from Rob C helped greatly as a few weak scores were littered in between but 63,50 meant a 6 pin lead for Shanks. Nelson felt the pressure and the low scores were far too frequent and 43,49 meant Shanks needed a poultry 87 pins to win. Chels redeemed herself well with a last hand 12 spare and the shackles were off for Shanks and Rob L with a 10 spare helped them more as they cruised to a 10-2 win by 31 pins to reduce the gap at the top to 2 points and its ‘Showdown’ week next round as Shanks host Larks in a pivotal game for the Division 2 title. Lord Nelson were battered at the end after a decent start as they are now 8th.
Next we go to Eli’s and to host team Ham Boys whose positive bubble now has well and truly burst as their bad run of losing form is dropping them down into the lower reaches of the division 2 table which is a shame as they did so well first half. They always have a chance at Eli’s due to the nature of the high scoring there but their visitors have been doing that for most of the season in Split Pins who despite dropping away from the top 2 currently do still have a chance of promotion especially with the Top 2 playing each other next week so it was important to get a good win here. This was a great match from start to finish as both team fired shots at each other all match. Ham Boys despite no spares opened with 59,60 and Split Pins likewise no spares but quality scoring and 64,61 put them 6 up. Ham Boys middle hands were sensational as skipper Dan Vigar had a 15 spare, Colin S had a 15 spare and Bex a 14 spare as Ham Boys hit 75,68 to put all sorts of pressure on Split Pins. The visitors though are a team full of confidence and Josh fired in a 17 spare and Flunky a 14 spare as two 69’s meant the game was in the balance as Split Pins were now only 1 up. Dan Vigar hit a total of 56 and Colin S hit his 2nd spare (16) to finish with 63 but a mid 50 hand killed their momentum and Split Pins needed two 59’s to win. The chase was a struggle at times but Flunky finished the match off in style as two 16 spares for a brilliant 68 score meant that 68,67 was too good for Ham Boys as Split Pins won 11-1 by 18 pins to stay 3rd. Ham Boys losing form continues as they are now 9th.
Off to Stoke Club and to 4th placed Dolphins who needed to get back to winning ways after their surprise loss to Hotspots the week before and with a stranglehold on 4th they can afford the odd loss but as long as they get back to winning ways quickly. They had a good chance to that as they faced lower table Rosies Rebels who always have great fun win or lose and whilst they don’t win as much as they would like they are always a danger to any team in Division 2 so this wasn’t a formality for Dolphins. Indeed the start wasn’t the best as despite Paul B getting a 9 spare there was a lot of low scores and 39,54 was not good at all. Rebels have struggled with scoring big hands and that proved the same in reply early on as they struggled with low scores and two mid 40+ hands meant somehow Dolphins had a lead of 1 pin. Dolphins were much better in the middle hands with mor 7’s and 8’s and 56,50 was a lot better and put a bit of pressure on Rebels. From this stage forward it was about one very impressive lady in Haley who hit a 14 spare to aid Rebels cause in the middle hands and 50,55 meant Dolphins only led by 2 pins now and a crescendo last two hands. Dolphins woke up and in some style as their scoring went into full throttle with lots of 8’s and 7’s and a 13 spare from Joe as 57,67 meant a tough chase of 127 pins to win the match. Rebels never gave up and their chase was very impressive and Haley again was superb as she finished with a 9 and 16 spare for a fantastic score of 61 on the bottom alley at Stoke is very rare and a score to be cherished. 55 and 64 was a great chase but oh so close as Dolphins squeezed a 10-2 win by 7 pins to stay 4th. Rebels massive efforts were in vain as they are 10th.
Off to Bell Ash next for a mid-table clash between two very experienced teams, so this had the makings of a tight match as hosts Mandys Bell Boys have been in good recent form and looked to continue that as they hosted Stoke Buoys who are also in good recent form and picking up decent points in their games whether they won or lose so this had a good chance to be a brilliant match and a close one too. The early part of the match was all Mandys Bell Boys as a 13 spare from Nick helped Mandys Bell Boys to 58,64 which was a decent start. In reply opener John had a 14 spare but inconsistent scores littered the opening hands for Stoke Buoys and 56,54 meant a lead of 12 for Mandys Bell Boys. The home team continued to dominate as a 13 spare from Pete and a 12 from skipper Cliff gave 64,60 and massive pressure for Stoke Buoys. The visitors were very consistent in the middle hands but lacked a spare and 57,56 meant a 23 pin lead and all 4 hands for Bell Boys and the win pretty much assured. The hosts though must’ve had a few sherberts as the scoring dried up and low scores mixed in meant 50,52, but still Stoke Buoys needed two 63’s to win, which was unlikely. Write off Stoke Buoys at your peril! Spares from John (13) who hit 56 and Rob (12) who hit 50 and brilliant backup meant a brilliant comeback of 66,63 to win the match 8-4 by 4 pins to stay 6th. Mandys last hands lost the match here and they are 7th.
Last off we go to the bottom of the table clash at East Lambrook as hosts & bottom team Thorns & Roses look very likely to win the wooden spoon unless form dramatically changes. They did though have a good chance to win this fixture as they hosted visitors Hotspots who are one place above them and not in great form themselves despite a great win last week over Dolphins. Thorns played decently in the opening hands but 43,54 was all they could muster. Hotspots fared better as they were little bit more consistent with their scoring and 59,46 meant an 8 pin lead for Hotspots. Stacey with a 12 spare was the highlight for Thorns & Roses in the middle hands but 47,46 didn’t get the pulses racing. It wasn’t great for Hotspots either as early struggles in the top half meant they could only hit 46,50, but that was enough to extend the lead for Hotspots to 11 pins. It was about who could fall over the line to win now and Thorns only mustered 45,41 in their last hands which meant two 38s to win for Hotspots. Unbelievably Hotspots struggled badly and one total hand was 32! The other was 43 and that meant a 6-6 tie for both teams. They both stay where they are, Thorns & Roses in 12th and Hotspots in 11th.
Round 17 is next and that means 6 league weeks to go to the end of the season and that means it gets exciting with the business end of the league. Who can stop Duke of York in their quest for Division 1 glory. Can Stoke WMC stop them! Its ‘Showdown’ week in Division 2 as 2nd plays 1st with Crown Shanks facing Lamb & Larks in a massive clash and may go someway to deciding the title and don’t forget they also play each other in the Nomination Cup final in a few weeks time. Things could get very tasty in the coming weeks!
Cheers all
Steve
