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
The final week is upon us, and we had massive fixtures to decide honours and relegation.
Division 1 is all about the match at Stoke Club as 7 points separated the top 2 and they faced each other in the ‘title match’ as hosts and leaders Stoke WMC knew any win would confirm back to back league titles but they had jeopardy in the for of their opponents Duke of York who have led the league for the majority of the season and due to a couple of exceptional performances from the Bakers teams they fell behind in 2nd, but wins of 10-2 and above would win them the league title and it would be deserved but this was do or die for them.
It was 3rd v 4th as hosts Bakers Big Arms looked to finish off their great season with a good win with a good win at home as they faced 4th placed Seahawks who have had a strong end to the season and a win here would make sure of 4th spot which would be a great achievement and an excellent season.
The theme of the table continued as 5th hosted 6th as two teams with big reputations faced each other as hosts Monkey Spankers will be glad to finish the season as they have had a rotten 2nd half and will look to finish strong as they played Bakers Rogues who have been in the mid-table all season long but it had the feel of a high quality match. 8th hosted 7th as both teams are safe for another year as Nobbys Nuts hosted VIPS. Nelsons Nomads confirmed their safety on the penultimate week which meant they could enjoy the last game win or lose and they were away at already relegated Rusty Axe who could have a relegation party! There was also a ‘Final Showdown’ match at Somerton Club as the hosts S Club 8 had a chance but it was very unlikely as the only result they need to save themselves from the drop is 12-0 and their opponents Pornstars needed just 1 point to save themselves and S Club 8 would be down but who knows in this decider.
Division 2 and the Champions Lamb & Larks were partying and continued the celebrations as they travelled to face 8th placed hosts Lord Nelson who were more than happy to slightly spoil the champions party with a win here.
The ‘Final Showdown’ of Division 2 was at Crown Fivehead as hosts and Nomination Champs Crown Shanks needed 2 points to deliver promotion but their was jeopardy as the visitors were 3rd placed Split Pins who could win promotion with 11-1 or 12-0 and on an high scoring alley as Fivehead is, certainly any result was possible here. 4th placed Dolphins looked to finish off the season well with a positive home result against 11th placed Ham Boys who have staved off the Wooden Spoon already. 10th placed Hotspots hosted 5th placed Mucky Ducks, 9th placed Rosies Rebels hosted 6th placed Stoke Buoys and new winners of the Wooden Spoon Thorns & Roses hosted 7th placed Mandys Bell Boys.
Showdowns and Jeopardy filled the final week of the league season, what would transpire!!
Division 1
We start the last week of the season with the obvious match that we’ve all been talking about! The venue is at Stoke Club and its the top 2 teams with 7 points between them! The hosts Stoke WMC had that advantage and any win for them here would deliver back 2 back league champions. Long time leaders
Duke of York had the league in the palm of their hands but exceptional performances from the Bakers teams gave them all the jeopardy in this match as they had to win first off and then win 10-2 and above to give them the league title so this was massive and a fitting ending to the league season. Consistency of good scores has been the key to Stoke WMC and they were average at best but skipper Graham Brimble hit a timely 14 spare to make the opening two hands a lot better as 57,62 was a decent start. Duke of York had to start well to give themselves every chance of league glory and a couple of 8s from skipper Roger Lee was decent, and Maurice Lee followed up with an 11 spare but there were too many lowish scores mixed in the start for them as 58,53 meant an 8-pin lead for Stoke WMC and 1 hand each which kept the league title simmering nicely. No spares for Stoke in the middle hands but they were very good with 7s,8s and 9s as 56,58 was ok but a chance for Duke to stamp their authority. Roger with two 8’s and a 10 spare from Simon Male gave Duke a great start but the rest fell away badly and with 55,47 and both hands lost this meant…….
Stoke WMC achieve back to back league titles and congratulations go to Graham Brimble and his team on a superbly consistent season and never let go in chasing down their rivals Duke of York. This though meant a horrid last 2 hands for Duke and a celebration for Stoke WMC. The last 2 hands was a sea of noise and happiness and the model of consistency shone throughout their last two hands, but as can be imagined there was a little bit of variance through the celebrations as 61,55 meant for Duke they needed two 68,69 to end with a win albeit a hollow one for them. It was a case of what could’ve been for Duke as they scored well in the chase but the middle two hands killed the game for them and a good 60,57 was not enough and the Champions won 10-2 by 19 pins and start the celebrations. Duke have been brilliant all season and just fell near the end but signs are promising for another title push next season as they finished Runners up.
It was 3rd v 4th as we go to Bakers Arms for the least time this league season as hosts Bakers Big Arms looked to finish off a superb season with a win here and being the quality season they have had they look a team ready to add a trophy to their name sooner rather than later. Seahawks were the visitors as they have had another strong season and hoped a win here would give them a top 4 finish. Quality skittling between these two teams was on the cards and the hosts needed to assert their home advantage early. That didn’t happen as there probably was an end of season feel to the match as Big Arms struggled to assert their muscle early on with a plethora of low scores as 45,56 was a mixed start. Seahawks were marginally better in their opening reply as there wasn’t anything of note in terms of low scores as they hit 56,51 and Seahawks were 6 up after the opening exchanges. Low scores continued to dog Big Arms as the middle hands followed the opening hands with a mix of low scores and 57,45 was not what Big Arms needed. The game was firmly in Seahawks favour, and they jumped on Big Arms struggles as the better scoring came from them and skipper Andy Harper with a 14 spare put the match firmly in Seahawks control as 62,55 meant a 21-pin lead for the cruising Seahawks. Big Arms were hoping for one last hurrah to finish the season in style and despite a couple of low scores the scoring was much better and with 59,50 that was much better, however Seahawks needed 89 pins to win the match which looked a formality. The top half did the damage in the chase as Kyle was superb with a 9 and a 13 spare to finish with 50 and anchorman Paul must’ve been laughing as he hit a 13 spare and then contrived to hit a duck (0) after! 55,49 meant they lost the hands but won the match as Seahawks won 9-3 by 15 pins to end the season on a great note as they finished 4th and Big Arms despite the loss finished a superb 3rd and thankyou to both teams for a brilliant season.
We go to South Petherton Club for a end of season belter between two quality teams who have had a mixed season as ups and downs have been a feature. Hosts Monkey Spankers have had a very up and down season and going into the 2nd half they were challenging at the top but poor form has dropped them down the table so they looked to finish well here. Visitors Bakers Rogues have likewise had a mixed campaign as they couldn’t get any run of form going and with them also in mid-table this was a clash that had intrigue and a firecracker to finish off the season. This was a great end to the season for both teams as they mixed their orders around and Spankers looked to get off to a good start. The scoring was decent from the hosts in the early goings but there was a wobble in the middle which led to a weak 2nd hand of 52, but Lewis Watts hit a 12 spare to give a good first hand of 64 and that was certainly mixed to start with. Mike Goad started with a 1! Not the best of starts for the Rogues but they did warm to the task after that and Paul Batten blasted a 13 spare and Paul H even better with a 17 spare in the same opening hand and you couldn’t get more mixed than a massive 76 hand followed by a 49! Rogues were 9 up. The middle hands for Spankers got off to a bad start as James Grinter hit 2 and a 4 which put them on the backfoot and despite a mini recovery the hands took a drop as 55,50 was not good at all. This gave Rogues a lift and despite the opening two not getting much they got to work and Kev Phillips with a 17 spare and anchor for the night skipper Paul Gould hitting a 12 spare this meant they hit 57,67 and the lead for Rogues grew to 28 pins and a big win was in sight for them. Spankers last salvos were all a bit late in the match as they finally hit some big scores with Rosco hitting a 17 spare to finish with a fine 57 and skipper Sean Doble hit a 13 spare as well as they hit 63,64 and left Rogues two 50s to win which seemed routine. Indeed it was as 8s and 9s were a feature and Mike R with a 10 spare put the gloss on this match as although 61,60 lost the last 2 hands it meant a Bakers Rogues win 9-3 by 22 pins to finish the season in 6th and 1 point behind Monkey Spankers who despite the defeat finished the season in 5th, likewise a big thankyou to both teams for a good season.
We go to Bell Ash at Martock for the final time in the league season as hosts Nobbys Nuts who are genuinely one of the fun teams to play against, but also a very good team who keep themselves in Division 1 for another season as they will finish in the bottom half come what may of this match. Likewise, their opponents VIPS will finish in the bottom half as well, but they certainly have had a humbling compared to last, but Chris Cox and his team are fab and will want to end the league season well. There were no spares in the early hands for Nobbys Nuts and there were a range of scores from 5s through to 9s as they started with 61,54 and a fairly middling start. The reply from VIPS was a little mixed in the top half with 4s and 5s but Glenn hit a 14 spare and then the bottom half got going as Craig started with a 16 spare to give the hands a strong look as 63,60 meant VIPS won both hands and were 8 up. The middle hands from Nobbys Nuts were very impressive and all it needed was a couple of spares to elevate the hands as there was nothing lower than 7 and Keith Brice with an 11 spare gave two strong hands of 67,66 and this match got hot very quickly. The thing is though when one team does high scores it can go one of 2 directions for the opposite team, either they crash or they go strong as well and VIPS did the latter as Callum with a 15 spare, Ian with a 13 spare and Craig’s 2nd spare of the night with a 15 spare meant a brilliant response of 64,72 as the lead for the visitors grew to 11 pins. Shane got Nobbys Nuts off to a cracking start in the last two hands as he hit a 15 spare but that was it from them in terms of spares as there was the odd 5 mixed with 6s to 9s as 65,54 meant the visitors needed 55,54 to win the match. VIPS got off to the worst start in the chase as skipper Chris hit a 2! And up to the last 2 players the game was in the balance but Craig had a great night as his 3rd spare hitting a 14 spare gave him a brilliant score of 64 and Brian finished the match in style with a 12 spare as they hit 53,69 and VIPS won the match 10-2 by 14 pins to finish the season in 7th. Nobbys Nuts were out spared and finished the season in 8th.
To Stembridge for the final act and to the hosts Rusty Axe who after this match will look forward to life in Division 2 next season but they hoped to sign off with a win here to give them cheer. The visitors Nelsons Nomads are safe for another year and despite their struggles all season long they certainly know how to have fun with numerous matches dressed up in fun outfits which optimises the social laughs we have between all of us. Rusty Axe started slowly with numerous low scores, but Pete did have a 12 spare which brightened the hands somewhat as two 50s were scored and not the best of scores. Nelsons names had a touch of the ‘Harrys’ as the fun continued and Adam hit a brilliant 14 spare to keep the happy mood going as Nomads hit 55,51 to lead by 6. This deficit brought Rusty Axe into life with a loud bang as they played with freedom and produced some brilliant scores as Pete A joined in with a 12 spare and the mix of 7s, 8s and 9s to back him up meant 57 and a brilliant 4th hand 69 to really tune the pressure up on Nomads. The reply had to be good to keep up and unfortunately it was average from Nomads as they couldn’t get the big scores needed as 55,54 was hit and Rusty Axe now led the match by 11 pins. 7’s, 8’s and 9s were the tune of the last two hands for Rusty as they hit 55,60 and left Nomads needing an unlikely 64,63 to win. They huffed and they puffed but despite a 11 spare at the end they didn’t blow the house down as Rusty Axe held on to win 8-4 by 9 pins to finish the season on a high despite finishing bottom in 12th. Nelsons Nomads despite the loss will spend another season in Division 1 as they finish 10th.
To another huge game, but at the bottom end of the table as the relegation battle went to the wire and to the last game and the equation was very simple for home team S Club 8. Win 11-1 or 12-0 and they would be safe, any other result would mean they would be relegated. On the flip side visitors Pornstars had the luxury of all results bar those two but 2 points was all that was needed and the Stars would secure their Division 1 status. This match was scheduled to be at Somerton Sports Club but due to a function this was played at Globe Inn at Somerton and thankyou for hosting. S Club had to start well and they certainly gave it everything but the spares were not there and a mix of low scores
in-between decent scores meant two average hands of 53,51 which was not what was required to save themselves. Pornstars knew what they had to do and to beat those hands and they were safe and the first 3 certainly took a big chunk off that with 7s 8s and 9s, but the rest struggled a little but with a few more 9s happening they hit 60,53 to win both hands and Pornstars are confirmed as safe from relegation and with that S Club 8 are confirmed as relegated to Division 2. Commiserations must go to Mark Aylward and his merry men but they certainly have made it hard for all teams this season despite the results they’ve had. Back to the match and with relegation confirmed the pressure was off and a bit of freedom was there to see in the middle hands as they scored a bit better with a better mix of scores throughout as 58,53 was hit. The lead for Pornstars after the first two hands was 9 pins so they had a game to win as well now they were safe and Josh Phillips with an 11 spare saved Mantis as he hit a 2! But the scoring was decent throughout and 53,59 meant they led by 10 pins and 3-1 up in hands. S Club 8 had nothing to lose now so they relaxed and threw down pins as if it was shelling peas! 8s and 9s were aplenty and 57,62 meant Pornstars needed two 55s to win. Darren hit a 14 spare to start the chase well and it needed the last throws to win this which they did and 59,55 meant Pornstars won 10-2 by 5 pins to not only be safe but also move up to 9th. I am sure we will see S Club 8 back in Division 1 very soon but they are relegated and are 11th.
Division 2
We start the final week in Division 2 at Lord Nelson where Chris Westwood and his Nelson team have had a mixed season but they are always a good, fun, and social team and they could certainly do that in the final throws of this season as they hosted the Champs as Lamb & Larks came to have a champions party and we will welcome them back into Division 1 next season but this match was very much favoured towards the visiting champions. There were new pins, but they didn’t help the hosts early on as the scoring was rough at best and not much to say as 43,46 was a bad way to start and they expected to be a lot down.
Lamb & Larks started ok at best and it got gradually worse, but they managed to scrape 49,45 and they were 5 up. This was turning into a horror movie for Lord Nelson as they couldn’t score anything decent again and 45,42 was horrid for them. It wasn’t getting much better for Larks, but the champs kicked into life as Friar with a 15 spare gave massive impetus to the middle hands as 46,63 meant the lead was 27 and the match looked pretty much done. It needed a miracle from Nelson to set anything decent for Larks to chase but it wasn’t happening for them and 43,46 summed up their terrible night and set Larks a paltry 63 pins to win from the last two hands. Larks had a misdemeanour along the way, but they were comfortable as 51,44 was the last two hands and the champs won
10-2 by 33 pins to win the league title by 16 points and 212 points is an impressive total. Lord Nelson finished the season in 9th.
We have another ‘Showdown’ as we go to Crown at Fivehead for a humdinger of a match as this was all about promotion and stay with me as the permutations were more intriguing. Crown Shanks to be promoted needed any win and that sounded easier said than done as the visitors were in for the promotion battle as Split Pins needed 11-1 and above to be promoted so this was a proper showdown for all the marbles and we hoped for a end of season cracker that hopefully went to the end. Would nerves play a part in this! Crown Shanks had to assert home pressure, but they toiled despite decent scoring and the spares were not happening which was not what they needed to start well and 58,59 meant there was a chance for Split Pins to assert pressure. Unfortunately though, Split Pins also couldn’t get going and likewise struggled and no spares meant they had weak first two hands as 50,58 meant Shanks had a 9 pin lead in this massive match. The weight and magnitude of this match was weighing heavily on both teams and Shanks desperately needed spares to be more comfortable and it was one of Shanks big players that produced again as Matt Irving came to the rescue when it mattered most as a 15 spare gave the hands a more healthier look as 62,55 meant that Split Pins needed to do the same and more to stay with them. What I didn’t mention though that the first 2 hands won by Crown Shanks meant they were indeed promoted and congratulations to Darren Cousins and his team for a superb season and welcome them back into Division 1. For this, this meant that Split Pins could relax and play despite the disappointment of losing out on promotion and there were plenty of 8s and 9s but 58,57 meant the Shanks lead was 11 pins. The party was now in full swing for the Shanks and they produced scores that were synonymous to their home form as Rob C with a 14 spare and Shane with a 14 spare and 8s and 9s from the bottom 3 meant 61 and 70 and the game was very much up for Split Pins. The visitors kept trying hard till the end but their season fizzled out as two 56’s was nowhere near and Shanks celebrated with an 11-1 win by 30 pins and will join Lamb & Larks in Division 1 next season. Split Pins have had a brilliant season and fell short at the end but must be congratulated for their performances but the loss means they actually drop and finish in 4th.
Whilst the Division 1 title match was on the top alley at Stoke Club there was a match on the bottom alley as hosts Dolphins looked to finish off what has been a strong season, but key games were lost and therefore falling short in the quest for promotion but going out on a high was the agenda as they hosted visitors Ham Boys who have had a terrible 2nd half after a very decent first half and at early points were top so the drop was like falling out of a plane! Regardless they have had a fun season again and we look forward to them again next season. This had the typical end of season feel as both teams enjoyed the evening despite the bottom alley up to its usual tricks! Dolphins new signing Joe has been a revelation for them this season and he hit an early 11 spare to arrest a poor start from them and it gave the bottom half a lift which Marc Webber finished well with a 15 spare as 52,60 was a very decent start. Skipper Dan Vigar opened superbly with a 14 spare but after that the low scores trended again for Ham Boys and 40,55 meant an early lead of 17 for Dolphins. Delboy 9 spare and another 11 spare for Joe was continuing the good scoring in the middle hands and a few 8s to top the hands off meant two 58’s and Ham Boys needed to get going otherwise the match was beyond them. There was improvement from Ham Boys in the middle hands but the odd low score checked their progress and two 51s meant the lad for Dolphins had grown to 31 and pretty much the game was done. That lead did mean though that Dolphins may have relaxed as the scoring wilted in the last two hands, but Marc Webber top scoring with 51 was superb and hands of 45,53 meant Ham Boys needed an unlikely two 65s to win. The visitors gave it their all but it was not enough and a decent hand of 59 was followed by 46 which meant Dolphins ended the season with an 11-1 win by 24 pins to finish 3rd. Ham Boys will be glad the season as they finished 11th. Thankyou to both teams for the season.
Off to Lamb & Lark for the last time this season as hosts Hotspots have had a mild season this time around and have been in the bottom half of the table for the majority of the season but pretty sure despite their table position they have enjoyed it. The visitors were Mucky Ducks who have been very impressive all season and if it wasn’t for the bad start they had I might’ve been talking about them for promotion but 5th is cemented come what may of this game so it was time to enjoy the last match of the season. The opening two hands was indicative of Hotspots season as they struggled to score early on and a duck from Olly didn’t help the cause as scores of 50,39. Mucky Ducks were looking for a big lead and a 14 spare early was superb and a 16 to follow, but there were low scores mixed in which checked the hands somewhat as 52,58 meant a 21 pin lead for the visitors. This woke Hotspots up in the middle hands as a 15 spare was hit in the top half which led to hands of 52,57 which was much better from them. The reply was tough for Mucky Ducks as they just couldn’t get the scores like the first two hands and a 2 at the end was not great and 51,48 meant the lead was cut to 11 for Mucky Ducks. Two good hands from Hotspots to finish would put massive pressure on Mucky Ducks and in general they did just that as 8s and 9s were hit and a 14 spare at the end meant 58,65 which was superb and gave Mucky Ducks a tricky ask of 56,57 to win this. The chase was steady and really decent throughout, but the lack of a spare was crucial and with the anchorman needing 8 and 9 to win the pressure was really on and unfortunately he came short as Hotspots completed a comeback win 10-2 by 1 pin to finish the season in 10th. Mucky Ducks loss finished their season in 5th.
Next to finish the season we go to Rose & Crown at Bower Hinton as hosts Rosies Rebels will gladly give the Wooden Spoon to Thorns & Roses this season as they have had a much better season and the fun they have is one of the reasons why we have a fun, social league. The visitors were Stoke Buoys who despite struggling with players throughout this season have kept decent form and a mid-table finish is a good return for their efforts. The alley typically is difficult and it proved that in the early goings as Rebels found it tough to score well and 45,51 was a meek start. The same can be said for Stoke Buoys as they struggled despite John’s decent start of 8,9 and 48,45 meant Rosies Rebels were 3 up. An 11 spare from Chris transformed Rebels and despite a few blips 56,47 was an improvement and pressured Stoke Buoys to keep up. The visitors struggled throughout the middle hands apart from John again and James as well with 7,9 but skipper Graeme Whittle’s duck turned the match in favour of Rebels as Stoke Buoys 51,44 meant a lead of 11 for Rebels. Skipper Tracy Wood slotted a 10 spare and despite a 1 from Chris the bottom half were steady and 54,50 meant Stoke Buoys needed two 58s to win. The wheels fell off for Stoke Buoys as low scores throughout meant 43,41 and Rosies Rebels ran out comfortable winners 11-1 by 31 pins to finish the season in 8th place. Stoke Buoys finish the season
in 6th.
The last game to report on for the 25/26 season is at Rose & Crown Lambrook as Wooden Spoon winners Thorns & Roses finished a tough season in their new home this season and lets hope they get used to the alley next season with improved results. The visitors were always fun Mandys Bell Boys who have had a decent season and finishing mid-table is a good return for their efforts. I cant seem to find the scoreboard, but in a low scoring match it was Thorns & Roses who finished the season with a win 10-2 by 20 pins to confirm bottom and the Wooden Spoon. Mandys Bell Boys finished 7th and thankyou to both teams for a brilliant season.
All that’s left is for myself and the committee to thank all teams, captains and supporters for a brilliant season. Congratulations to both Stoke WMC and Lamb Larks for winning Divisions 1 and 2 and hope everyone has a good summer.
Cheers all
Steve
