HDA METTIS Social Club hosted the final rounds of the Swan Studley Skittles League Singles Knockout, which saw Ian Greenway score steadily throughout the competition to collect the winner’s trophy and become the first Engineers player to take the honour.
In round two, Greenway narrowly overcame Len Quartly (Jumbo Jet Set) 33-31, while eventual finalist Alan Cummings (Alcester Nomads) beat team-mate Eddie Upright, but only after a sudden-death play-off.
Elsewhere in the round, Gail Stringer (Team BG) made the night’s highest score of 42 including a first leg stack of 13 to see off Pete Clewlow (Engineers) who scored 35.
The quarter-finals pitched Greenway against Stringer and the latter was unable to reproduce her previous round form after Greenway made a first leg stack of 15 on the way to a comfortable 36-29 victory.
Following his edgy win in the previous round, Cummings recovered well to make a first leg stack of 14 and total 40 pins to beat Neil Harrison (Alley Cats) by 13 pins.
Greenway was always in front in his semi-final clash with last year’s singles champion Rob Baker (Team BG) as the former ran out a 36-31 winner.
The other semi was more erratic as Cummings scored only two pins in the second leg but then notched consecutive stacks of 12 and 15 to which opponent Steve Smith (Lodge Farmers) had no answer in a 41-28 loss.
As a previous singles champion and following his big scores in the earlier rounds in this year’s competition, Cummings was firm favourite going into the final.
Although he led Greenway by two pins after the first leg to support his favourite tag, after leg three he found himself seven pins adrift.
Greenway’s low fourth leg score of four pins was then matched by a nine-pin haul by Cummings as he reduced the deficit to only two pins.
In the last leg Greenway’s six pins left Cummings to make an eight-pin score to earn at least a sudden-death play-off but he too could only score six pins as he lost 33-31.
Other results: Round two – Rob Baker (Team BG) 36 Tim Jones (Lodge Farmers) 32; Mick Stanton (Jumbo Jet Set) 35 Chris Prichard (Lodge Farmers) 32; Steve Smith (Lodge Farmers) 32 Ray Cartwright (Team BG) 29; Paul Clifton (Swingers) 32 Andy Reynolds (Swan) 27; Neil Harrison (Alley Cats) 33 Paul Hollis (C&G Show) 30.
Quarter-finals – Rob Baker (Team BG) 36 Mick Stanton (Jumbo Jet Set) 34; Steve Smith (Lodge Farmers) 35 Paul Clifton (Swingers) 34.