Last Year's Blackthorn British Skittles Championship ladies'

champions Coleford Bowlovers showed what they were made of when

they travelled to Golf Inn, at Ross on Wye, to face

Dragons.

Bowlovers had already secured a 17-pin win against the

Dragons on their home alley at Coleford Bowling Club.

Going into the sixth and final leg of the return match, the

visitors were just three pins ahead and all the Dragons could

do was set the pace, but the pressure was showing and without a

spare they ended the final leg with 56.

The visitors rose to the challenge and with a 13 spare by

second-to-last player Rachel Dyer, the Bowlovers celebrated an

away victory by seven pins, winning 352-345.

The Dragons may have lost that contest, but they had

previously enjoyed a close away win over Blackthorn veteran

outfit Jolly Girls, from Gloucester.

Both teams were evenly matched at the Jolly Girls' home

alley at Englands Glory, with the Girls playing first down the

board.

Dragons captain Ros Evans said: "It was an excellent game,

nip and tuck all the way through."

With only nine pins separating them, Dragons' Rosalyn Evans

top-scored with 46 as they ran out winners 290-282.

Conti Sports 2, who also have a men's team – Conti Sports,

played host to Team Consti at their home alley at Cainscross

Sports and Social Club.

They ran out winners by 61 pins. The return match at

Chippenham Cons Club turned into a real battle between the two

new teams.

Captain of Conti Sports, Nick Silvey, explained: "We were

down for all of the game but came good in the sixth leg and

just about won. We were lucky."

Coleford's Royal British Legion men's team decided it was

pay-back time when they played Shepton Mallet side Easy 8.

After Easy 8 beat them the previous week, the Legion men

were determined to show what they were made of.

With an eight-pin lead from the first leg, the Legion men

continued to dominate the next two legs, leaving them 36 pins

ahead.

When Easy 8 managed a win on the fourth hand, doing so by

only four pins, they were up against it.

The Legion men then took the fifth hand by another eight

pins, giving them a 40-pin lead, so when Easy 8 managed to pull

off three spares on the final leg - notching up 376 overall -

it wasn't enough.

Legion captain Adam House said: "I can't believe how well we

played this game. We came determined and it certainly paid

off!"

Cotswold Cavaliers, from Bibury, rode into the The full Moon

at Wotton-Under-Edge to play the up and coming Aubs Army, who

had been beaten at home only once in the last three years.

The hosts took an early lead, which they held until the

third roll down, when the 2005 individual champion Roger

Jackson scored a timely 13 spare.

That helped the Cavaliers home to an impressive victory by

322-310.

Breakaways completed the double over The Imps at the

Conservative Club.

The Imps took a nine-pin lead after two hands of 61 and 68 -

the second including an 18 stick-up from Barry Gosney.

But over the next three hands Breakaways took control of the

game with hands of 62, 68 and 67 to go 14 pins in front.

The Imps failed to leave Breakaways a decent target on the

last hand, hitting 64, which the Breakaways again beat with

their best hand of the night to win by 22 pins.

In the other Group 11 match Dewlish Monsters beat Pin Ups by

five pins to leave the group wide open.

Uffculme Bellies, who play out of the village men's club,

are also underway.

They started off with a Somerset encounter against a team

made up of quality players from around the Minehead leagues -

The Bicknoller Allstars.

After losing the toss they were asked to bowl the first two

hands and scored legs of 60 and 55.

The home team then showed how to play on their home alley

with hands of 93 and 67 to take an early 45-pin lead.

Bellies did not improve enough on the next showing, with

hands of 67 and 65.

The home team again scored well, with 82 and 79, and amassed

an uncatchable lead of 74 pins.

On the last hand, the home team scored another combined

total of 160 against 135 to win the match by 99 pins.