Martock & District Skittles League
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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.
6 weeks left and the tension is rising at the top of both divisions and with the league title picture and promotion/relegation nowhere near close to being sorted yet this week promised to be good.
The lead for Duke of York is at 10 points and despite it being fairly comfortable they need to get it to more than 12 to give themselves more comfort especially as both play each other at Stoke Club last game. They travelled to faced lower mid-table Nelsons Nomads who can spring surprises at any time so it was ultra focus for the leaders. Stoke WMC have to keep pressure on the leaders and continue to win in the hope that the gap can decrease soon. They were at Bell Ash to face Nobbys Nuts who likewise to Nomads can hit big pins so Stoke had to play like their reigning champion status to get over this hurdle.
Bakers Big Arms are striding away in 3rd and have a outside chance to spring into the top 2 but they have to be perfect to the end of the season and a home game with Pornstars this week was not straightforward especially as Pornstars have a relegation battle to fight so this was a sticky match for Big Arms.
Monkey Spankers got a rare win at home last week and looked to back that up as they travelled to Stoke Club to face Seahawks who have had weak form in recent weeks. Mid-table clash was at East Lambrook as VIPS faced Bakers Rogues and there was a bottom of the table clash as Rusty Axe hosted S Club 8.
Division 2 was ‘Showdown’ week as the top 2 faced each other and with 2 points between them this match could have a bearing on the title picture, Fivehead was the venue as Crown Shanks in 2nd faced the leaders Lamb & Larks. 3rd v 4th was also a match to keep an eye on as Split Pins hosted Dolphins. Mucky Ducks hosted Mandys Bell Boys in a mid-table clash, lower table action saw Hotspots hosting Lord Nelson and Rosies Rebels host bottom team Thorns & Roses.
Would we see changes in the league table in Round 17! Lets crack into the action.
Division 1
We are at the business end of the league season now and with 6 league weeks to go there is nothing certain for league honours and promotion/relegation.
We go first to Lord Nelson and to hosts Nelsons Nomads who are ok where they are in the table but they don’t want too many slips otherwise they could be dragged into an unwanted relegation battle. They were up against it though as the leaders were in town as Duke of York were their opponents who despite being top by 10 points from their nearest rivals Stoke WMC they had to battle back last time out against VIPS and needed a more comfortable victory here to steady any nerves they could be feeling. The opening hands from Nomads were very chalk and cheese as the top half were very abject and it needed a big recovery from the bottom half to get them going and spares from Mark (11) and Nathan (14) was just the tonic they needed and 59,53 was a decent start. The opening from Duke was good from skipper Rog Lee with 8,9 but after that it was a struggle as big pins were hard to come by and with Steve Shire having an awful start (2,3) it felt like the previous week all over again as 48,52 meant a 12 pin lead for Nomads and both hands in the bank. As much as it was a surprise that Nomads had a decent lead it was important to keep pressure on Duke as their bounce back capabilities are superb, Nomads were slightly better in the top half in the middle hands but it still needed a good finish and they got a decent one as nothing lower than 7 from the bottom half meant 51,59 and pressure was on for the leaders Duke of York. It was much more consistent from Duke as they battled away to reduce the deficit and hoped to lead after the middle hands but as much as there was endeavour it felt like they couldn’t get the scores required to get them back in the match. It took an important 12 spare at the end from Adam Redwood to give them hope for a big finish as 59,56 meant the lead was chopped to 7 and pressure flipped to Nomads to set Duke a chase they couldn’t get. Not sure what happened but Nomads completely fell off a cliff in the last two hands as a plethora of low scores was scarcely believable but it happened and 50,38 was the luck that Duke needed as two 48’s were required to grab another comeback win. Rog had a big wobble in the chase but his team backed him up and cruised to the winning line and with Adam Redwood the hero here with 54 finishing with two 9’s Duke breathed a sigh of relief as they won
9-3 by 18 pins to keep their momentum going at the top of the league. The last two hands were typical of Nomads season as they promised much but faltered when it mattered as they are 9th.
Next is Bell Ash and to a clash which had ‘banana skin’ written all over this one as the hosts Nobbys Nuts despite their position in the table are always a team you have to respect especially at home as they can score heavily here and they would need to and more this week as the visitors were title chasing Stoke WMC who have to keep winning to hang onto Duke of Yorks coattails and big wins are needed to put pressure on them. The opening hands from Nobbys Nuts were timid at best as a mix of scores up to and including 8s put them under pressure straight awa y as 53,54 was not the start they hoped for to put early pressure on Stoke WMC. The visitors start was very up and down as they struggled on the first hand with 51 but wow did they make up for it in the 2nd hand as a 16 spare from Deano and a 17 spare from Mike Harper were the major contributions to a massive 78 hand and the lead for Stoke was 22 and 1 hand for each team. That seemed to wake Nobbys up as opener Keith Brice hit 9 and a 13 spare to get off to the perfect start and that was followed by Shane with a 14 spare. Adam Westlake pitched in with a 12 spare and this was more like them as 72,59 put them back in the match and a contest was on. Stoke’s reply was ok at best until the bottom 2 exploded into action. Stuart Tayler with a 9 and a 17 spare and Mike Harper again with a 15 spare to follow his 9 meant a great response of 61,77 and the lead extended to 29 for Stoke but they shared the hands again and was 2 each. Nobbys needed monster hands to give themselves a chance of winning the game but despite decent scores throughout the spares dried up and that meant only 62,53 and Stoke needed only 87 pins to win this match. Stoke were comfortable in the chase and a 13 spare from skipper Graham Brimble contributed to the match being won by the time the bottom two skittled and Mike Harper had a brilliant night and his 3rd spare of 16 to finish gave him a whopping 69. Stoke WMC will be frustrated though as a win by 38 pins would normally get more points but it was 9-3 and that meant the gap to Duke of York was still 10 points with only 5 games to go. Nobbys Nuts were outplayed at times here but 3 points for the loss could’ve been worse as they are 7th.
We travel next to Bakers Arms and to hosts Bakers Big Arms who are having a great season and look good to finish 3rd as their form continues in an upward direction and certainly they will be a force to be reckoned with sooner rather than later. They still have an outside chance of possibly getting 2nd as still plenty of points to play for and they hosted struggling Pornstars who despite a decent win at home last time out against Nelsons Nomads are still in a problem down in 10th and needed a follow up win here to get a winning trend going. Big Arms started on the front foot and there were decent scores throughout the opening hands but Rooster with a 13 spare gave the hands a better look and 62,57 was a good start. In reply Pornstars got off to a great start with Andy hitting an opening 15 spare but then the hands tailed off as mixed scores blighted their progress and 54,51 could’ve been so much more but that meant a 14 pin lead for Big Arms. The middle hands is where Big Arms push on and build big leads but this time around they spluttered as a 3 and a 2 derailed them and hands of 50,52 gave Pornstars a way back into the match. Andy opening for Pornstars was having a good night as a 13 spare was a great start for the Stars again but could they make a better fist of it this time in the middle hands? Well they were slightly better and 59,52 and they reduced Big Arms lead to 5 and there was a game on here. Big Arms had to get a good finish here to set Pornstars a chase they might struggle to get and they were mixed all the way until Rooster gave a man of the match performance with a 2nd spare of 16 to finish with 58 and 63,52 meant Pornstars needed 60,61 to get a great win here. Pornstars gave it a great fight and there were times in the chase it was on but Andy with a 2 and Trist with a 3 ended the chances of winning and 61,51 meant that Big Arms won 11-1 by 8 pins which was harsh on Pornstars as they stay 10th. Bakers Big Arms form continues to grow as they stay in 3rd.
To Stoke Club for the first time this week and to the bottom alley for an intriguing clash between 2 sides who are having a bit of an up and down 2026 so far but still are dangerous teams to face. Hosts Seahawks are on a slide down the table and in poor form so badly needed a morale boosting win here but it wouldn’t be a formality as the visitors were Monkey Spankers who were in line to challenge Duke of York at the start of the year but mixed form has dropped them to 4th and miles back from the top so for both teams it was important to get the W here. The alley is always tough to score on so was important to get the lead early and Seahawks were not too bad as they set out to control the early goings. One decent hand and one weak hand as 56,49 was not what they desired, but Monkey Spankers would have to play decently to achieve this and more. To explain the reply from Spankers would be like a F1 car having a few bumps whilst going in a straight line! There were quite a few low scores mixed in with decent scores and a 13 spare was good as well, but 48,54 was disappointing for them and Seahawks were 3 up. The alley was definitely biting here and despite decent scores from a few Seahawks players, Stewart Seery with two 2s was horrid for him and Seahawks and 49,55 wasn’t the push they needed. Monkey Spankers were let off and they took advantage this time as two 9’s one of them a bolted spare from Lewis Watts gave them impetus and skipper Sean Doble crashed in a 15 spare to give the hands a nice finish as 62,51 gave Spankers a 6 pin lead and a crescendo last two hands were on the cards here. Seahawks had to play on top of their game and didn’t they just as they were majestic in the final hands and spares from Luke (12) who hit 47 and Andy Harper was back to his best with a 15 spare and a 9 to finish with 53. 65,62 was massive and left Spankers needing two 61s to win which would be miraculous! The pressure of the chase made Spankers crack and despite Sean Doble top scoring with 50 they got nowhere near and Seahawks got a great win here 10-2 by 23 pins to stay in 6th. Monkey Spankers erratic form continues as they stay 4th.
Next, we go to Rose & Crown at East Lambrook for a mid-table clash between two teams searching for consistency in their form. Hosts VIPS are slowly but surely working they’re up the table from the depths of despair that their bad form was in the first half. Visitors Bakers Rogues are also mixed with their form but are starting to get a good run going recently and with them one of the teams pushing for the top 4 it was imperative for them to win here. The alley is notoriously difficult here and that was the case here as VIPS started in mixed fashion with scores of 5s through to 9s and that mean an average score of 53,55 to get things going for them. The reply from Rogues was very similar without the 9s and that proved the difference in the scores as 52,53 meant a slim lead of 3 for VIPS. The middle hands for the hosts were not better at all and continuing their mixed theme they ended up with 55,49. Rogues weren’t explosive but they seemed a bit better with their scoring compared to VIPS and 7’s and 8s and the odd 9 meant 54,53 and the game was 3-1 in hands to VIPS, but the match was now tied and literally anyone’s to win here. VIPS needed decent hands to give themselves a chance of winning the match and unfortunately the 5th hand spoiled their chances with 43 and although the last hand was their best hand of 56, Rogues were set two 50’s to win the match. Bakers Rogues weren’t plain sailing though as 3s came in when not needed but the bottom two of Kev Phillips and Maf Keates settled the nerves and the match with 59,47 and won 8-4 by 7 pins to stay in 5th. VIPS wasted a chance to win here and with the loss they are 8th.
We have a bottom of the table clash next as we go to Rusty Axe and to hosts and bottom team Rusty Axe who continue to struggle for any sort of form and they will need to start getting s bit of form soon otherwise the drop to Division 2 will happen for them. They are bottom as well because the team that was bottom have had decent form in the 2nd half and 2nd bottom are S Club 8 who harbour hopes of saving themselves from the trap door and if they could get a vital win here that would go someway to beating the drop. There was a 10 spare early on for Rusty Axe and a couple of 9s, but also low scores dogged them for decent hands and 51,49 wasn’t the start they were looking for. S Clubs reply was even worse and series of low scores from everyone meant 49,42 and somehow Rusty Axe were up by 9 pins. They were let off the hook and needed better middle hands to push their lead further. The hands were better as there were fewer low scores and more in the way of 7s, 8’s and 9’s and that meant 57,48 to put a bit of pressure on S Club 8 to change the momentum that Rusty Axe currently had. The momentum stayed with Rusty Axe as S Club did slightly improve but there was another weak hand from S Club as 54,43 meant Rusty Axe were 4-0 in hands and 17 up. Rusty’s luck was turning in their favour and they needed to take advantage to finish this match off but they just couldn’t get any substantial scoring going and 52,41 gave S Club 8 a chance for a comeback win, as 56,55 was needed for S Club to win this match from nowhere. Wow! And they certainly did wake up as they played a blinder last two hands as John blasted a 16 spare and Andy with a 12 spare and well backed by the rest of the team meant 64,62 and ended up a brilliant comeback win for S Club 8 8-4 by 16 pins to stay 11th but are closing the gap on the teams above them. Rusty Axe need wins fast as they stay bottom in 12th.
Division 2
We had a ‘Showdown’ as we start Division 2 action at Crown Fivehead as it was 2nd v 1st and the two teams that have been tit for tat and the gap before this match was 2 points. Hosts Crown Shanks would feel confident as they are at times violent with their scoring at home and away teams struggle to cope but this away team have been one of the teams of both divisions as leaders Lamb & Larks knew that a good win here could be a showstopper and a statement win to win Division 2 and also a dress rehearsal before both teams play each other in the Nomination Final in a couple of weeks. Shanks must’ve had nerves as they started in weak fashion and reliable Ollie started shockingly with a 4 and a 2 and despite better scoring there were two more 4s which meant poor hands from Shanks and 55,48 was not the start to this important match they wanted. Lamb & Larks were at full strength, and it showed early as scoring was coming easy and Claus with a 15 spare to accelerate the hand to a busting 71 and 57 to follow it meant they had a big lead of 25 and 2 hands to the good. Ollie was back to his best as a 13 spare made up for a shocking start but as the hands progressed the lack of more spares was concerning for Shanks and a 4 and a 5 thrown in meant they couldn’t hit massive hands which they needed and 65,61 would normally be decent but they needed Larks to wilt to get back in the match. There was no let up from the leaders who were producing a masterclass here and Friar with a 13 spare, Tiz with a 13 spare and Sniffer with a 14-spare meant 65,73 and all 4 hands were won, and the lead was becoming unassailable as it was now 37. Shanks fought to the end here and praise for them continuing to score well but the frequent spares they normally get here dried up and only Darren Cousins with a 15 spare made the hands decent with 67,61 meant a mundane two 46’s to win for the leaders Larks. Larks proceeded to do a demolition on Shanks. Lofty bolted 9 spare, Coach 18 spare, Webby 17 spare, Claus 2nd spare as he hit 12 and Sniffer with his 2nd spare which was 17 and that concluded an absolute battering as 68,82 was superb and champs-elect Lamb & Larks hit 416 to win by 59 pins 12-0 to now be 14 in front at the top and look near unstoppable. Shanks were not at their best and hope for revenge in the Nomination Cup Final as they stay 2nd.
It was 3rd v 4th as well this week as we go to South Petherton Club and to hosts Split Pins who despite a bit of mixed form in the year so far are still in the hunt for promotion and with a few weeks left every win matters and this match was key for them to keep themselves in 3rd as the visitors were 4th placed Dolphins who had a decent chance to close the gap to Split Pins in 3rd with a vital win here so this match for both had the makings of being tight. This burst into life straight from the off as Dave hit a 16 spare and the first hand from Split Pins was brilliant as a bolted 9 spare from Josh and four 9s meant a first-hand 74! A 50 to follow was ok at best but a very decent start from Split Pins. Dolphins were swimming at lengths to get decent scores to start but despite a few 9s there was the odd 4 and 5 which blighted their progress and 57,59 meant Split Pins were up by 8 and 1 hand each team. Split Pins progressed really well, and Josh hit a better spare this time with a 13 and Flunky with 16 and Captain George (Meself) with 13 meant good hands in the middle as 61,66 was hit to put big pressure on Dolphins to keep up. Dolphins skipper Pete Wescott had a duck which was not what they needed and it wrecked the 4th hand as that was 48, but the 3rd hand with Paul S had an 11 spare and Sparky Marc Webber hit a 16 spare was 68, the lead for Split Pins now was 19. Josh fancied bolting another spare at the end but 52 was a good night for him and Flunky with 50 was good too but the last two hands were not great with 54,51 and Dolphins needed 63,62 to win here which is very possible here. Skipper Pete redeemed himself with 9 and a 16 spare but there was low scores after that and despite Joe wading in with a 13 spare Dolphins ran out of steam and although Sparky Webber hitting 57 it was Split Pins who edged this 8-4 by 8 pins to stay in 3rd and close the gap to Crown Shanks in 2nd. Dolphins were unlucky here but the loss dents their promotion hopes as they stay 4th.
In a mid-table clash we go to Eli’s and to 5th place and hosts Mucky Ducks who are progressing well this season after a troubled first half and sitting off the top 4 and not likely to get near there they will hope they can stay in 5th to the end of the season. Their opponents were bottom half Mandys Bell Boys who are also having a decent season after a weak start and near mid-table means they are a challenge for any team they come up against as well as being fun to play against. The opening hands from Mucky Ducks were not too bad as a 13 spare from Derek Webb followed by a mix of scores 6 through to 9 meant 58,68 and an ok start here. Kev for Mandys Bell Boys opened up with a 14 spare and skipper Cliff also with a 14 spare was good momentum for the visitors but odd low scores checked their flow and 58,67 was harsh reality as Ducks were 1 up and won both hands. No spares in the middle hands from Ducks wasn’t ideal as they looked to get a bigger lead, but they did get a plethora of 8s and 9s and 62,57 was again ok but not the big hands they would’ve liked.. Describe Mandys Bell Boys reply was consistent but not highly consistent as 6s,7’s and 8’s was all they could get and 55,58 was all they could muster as Ducks were 7 up. An opening 9 and 17 spare was superb from Ducks and there was a bolted spare as well and a few decent scores along the way meant 59,72 and the target was 70,69 for Mandys which was highly unlikely but not impossible. Juls with a 13 spare was good but Mandys ran out of steam rapidly and low scores near the end meant Mucky Ducks ran out winners 10-2 by 18 pins to stay 5th. Mandys Bell Boys drop to 8th.
Another mid-table clash was on the top alley at Stoke Club as hosts Stoke Buoys are happy enough where they are in 6th and continued improving form gives them hope for a good end to the season especially with the Nomination Plate final coming up soon for them. The visitors are freefalling Ham Boys who are dropping down the table quicker than a rat down a drainpipe and the heavy losses they continue to have is giving them hope of regaining the Wooden Spoon! This was a likely home win, but you never know. John for Stoke Buoys opened with an 11 spare but there were a few mixed scores afterwards from the rest of the team and two 53’s was ok but not the best start they hoped for. Ham Boys poor form continued, and they just didn’t get going and 49,50 meant a 7-pin lead for Stoke Buoys. The home team were not spectacular in the middle hands but decent and mixes of 7s and 8s meant 57,56 and good improvement to their first hands. It just wasn’t happening for Ham Boys as this was getting worse for them, but a 12 spare from Liz was good for her but little consolation as 52,46 meant a 22-pin lead for Stoke Buoys and a comfortable win was on the cards. They indeed continued decent scoring as they finished well with Martin slipping an 11 spare in for good measure and 61,51 pretty much finished the match right there. Ham Boys had a match to forget and 41,48 finished them off as Stoke Buoys won 12-0 by 45 pins to stay 6th but a great result. Ham Boys freefall continues as they are 10th.
Off to Lamb & Lark now for a lower table clash and to hosts & 2nd bottom Hotspots who are continually struggling for good form this season and in 11th they just can’t seem to get anything going and they hoped that might turn for the better this week as they hosted Lord Nelson who are doing ok just off mid-table and mixed form has contributed to where they are so a favoured away win here would hopefully do them well. The opening hands from Hotspots was typical of their season form as the mix of decent scores and low scores was troubling them again and two 45s was very weak and put them on the back foot. Nic with a 14 spare for Lord Nelson was a great start but there was also a couple of 1s thrown in which didn’t help, but 49,54 gave them a 13-pin lead and both hands won. Hotspots could only get better in the middle hands, and they did despite more low scores, but their anchorman hit an 11 spare to give them two 52s and something decent for Nelson to chase this time. Nelson was ok in reply, and low scores didn’t help them, but Paul did with a bolted 9 spare which helped, but 51,52 meant the lead for Lord Nelson was slightly cut to 12. Hotspots continued to struggle but the anchorman hit a 2nd spare which was a 12 for a score of 48, but 48,51 meant two 44s to win for Lord Nelson. They did that very comfortably and more as a 10 spare from Peter led a dominant 5th hand of 66 followed by 50 and Lord Nelson won 10-2 by 29 pins to be in 7th. Hotspots struggles continue as they stay 11th.
Last of the week we are at Rose & Crown at Bower Hinton as hosts Rosies Rebels have had a decent season so far and are in the bottom half but look unlikely to retain their Wooden Spoon from last season as form has been a lot better. Their opponents could be the next holders as Thorns & Roses came to play and despite their position in the table the youthful exuberance they have in the team will always be a winner despite results not going their way. The opening was unfortunately weak from Rebels and not much to say other than 42,43 was not the start they wished for. Thorns looked at it from the off and Dazz with a 13 spare was superb and 46,61 meant a 22-pin lead and a big lead early on for the bottom team. The low scores continued but anchorman Wayne was impressive this time around as 9 and a 12 spare made the hands a bit better as 46,51 was achieved and Rebels hoped that Thorns would falter in reply. The hands were not as good from Thorns in the middle but despite a few low scores they did come up with decent scores as 54,47 meant they extended the lead to 26 and a rare win was very much on here. Paul for Rebels hit an 11 spare but the final hands fizzled out and although Wayne top scored with 48 their hands of 49,45 meant 69 pins to win for Thorns which surely they would get. Dazz top scored for Thorns with 47 and despite their weakest hands of the night with 48,43 it was easily enough as Thorns & Roses got a great win here 9-3 by 21 pins to stay bottom 1n 12th but a good morale boosting win. Rosies Rebels will be disappointed to lose this one as they are 9th.
Duke of York continue to lead the way in Division 1 but a 10 point gap is not comfortable yet as with 5 games to go Stoke WMC can and will put all the pressure on in the hope that for them Duke might crack. Division 2 has taken a seismic shift as Lamb & Larks won the big match this week and demolished Crown Shanks in the process so a 14 point gap is significant.
Lets see what happens in Round 18!
Cheers
Steve
