WITH their main ten-man team having already enjoyed their most successful Swan Studley Skittles League season ever by finishing in fourth place, Lodge Farmers finally netted their first team skittles trophy when their B team pulled off a surprise Triples Knockout triumph.
It put behind them their bridesmaid image of often finishing as runners-up in cup competitions as well as being regular wooden spoonists in the nineties and they now look a good bet for the Summer Knockout Cup in a few weeks’ time.
In the quarter and semi-finals, both Lodge Farmers B and defeated finalists Jumbo Jet Set A had eased to comfortable wins. Lodge Farmers trio Roger Powell, Jason Kirk and Chris Prichard bowled consistently well in their quarter-final as Powell made 33 (16-stack) as they came from behind to beat Engineers D.
In the semi-final which they led throughout it was Prichard with 47 (two stacks of 12) who ensured a win against Engineers B.
Jumbos A trio Len Quartly, Rob Quartly and Mick Stanton were in good form in the quarter and semi-final rounds to make them slight favourites going into the final.
Jumbos A were always ahead of Alcester Nomads C in the quarter-final in which Quartly made 44 (13-stack), while in their semi Quartly and Stanton both posted 36-pin totals to overturn a deficit going into the last leg to beat opponents Chris & Gerry Show A.
The final was a close run and see-saw game in which Jumbos A led after legs one and three, while Lodge Farmers B led after legs two and, more decisively by the biggest margin of the game, four pins after leg four.
Jumbos A finally left Lodge Farmers B to make 17 to lift the cup and they made it with the penultimate ball to win by two pins. Kirk (37) top scored for Lodge Farmers B while Quartly (36) was best for Jumbos A.
Other notable scores from the evening’s games came from Tony Moore of Alcester Nomads C (39, 13-stack), Craig Sears of Chris & Gerry Show A (37, 12-stack), Alan Cummings of Alcester Nomads A (39) and George Bird of Engineers D (38).
Results: Quarter-finals – Jumbos A 111 Alcester Nomads C 96; Chris & Gerry Show A 101 Engineers A 87; Engineers B 103 Alcester Nomads A 100; Lodge Farmers B 95 Engineers D 85.
Semi-finals – Lodge Farmers B 108 Engineers B 100; Jumbos A 103 Chris & Gerry Show 97.
Final – Lodge Farmers B 100 Jumbos A 98.