KNOCKOUT CUP – PRELIMINARY
ROUND
1. Manor House Hotel 346 Trout Inn 347; 2. Elmore Club 388 Globe
Appley B 343; 3. Rose & Crown 382 Queens Head 394; 4. Bickleigh
450 Barley Knockons 390; 5. Uplowman 384 Half-Way House 371; 6.
Hare & Hounds a bye; 7. Globe Appley 385 Tiverton Chiefs 356; 8.
White Horse 356 The Beare 358; 9. Barmy Army 396 The Farmers
341; 10. Odd Balls 340 Exeter Exiles 340, with Oddballs winning
after an extra leg; 11. Crossways 370 Bradninch C Club 424; 12.
Globetrotters 471 Ayshford Arms 451; 13. The Agri-Nuts 327 Booze
Cruzers 334; 14. Otterheads 346 Huntsham A 315; 15. Redwoods 382
Lumberjacks 351; 16. Brass Monkeys 373 New Pins 376.
High Scores: 77 – M Ware (Bickleigh with 4 spares); 76 –
P Nott (Bradninch C Club with 3 spares – one of 25!); 75 – Pete
Lewis (Globetrotters); 69 – N Cosh (Ayshford Arms), J Norman
(Bickleigh with 3 spares); 65 – R Acton (Bradninch C Club with 3
spares), Andrew Palfrey (New Pins with 3 spares);
Reports;
1. Another very tight game took place this week between Manor
House Hotel and Trout Inn. Both these teams have just been
promoted to Division B, with MHH winning the division and Trout
runners-up, but this game went the other way round, albeit by 1
pin. Very exciting with all down to the last man on!
2. Though Elmore lost the first leg of their game against Globe
Appley B, and were only 1 pin up after the 2nd, they pulled 31
pins over the 3rd and 4th legs, the latter containing 3 spares
in a total of 85, and that was game over, as GAB went down by 45
pins.
3. Rose & Crown and Queens Head were level after 2 legs, and
then R&C put in a big leg of 88, in which there were 4 spares
and this looked promising for the home team. As it was, that was
the end of their success, as Queens pulled back pins on each of
the next 3 legs to win by 12.
4. Bickleigh were in top form in their game against Barley
Knockons, and powered their way to a convincing win. The signs
were there in the first leg of 78, and by the end of the 4th leg
they were 49 pins up, and their opponents though they won the
5th leg, could find no way back, losing by 60 pins. Man of the
Match being M Ware with a 4-spare 77, backed up by J Norman with
a 3-spare 69.
5. Uplowman having been 28 pins up after 4 hands against 1/2Way
House, nearly let it slip from their grasp, as the latter came
back strongly. It was the 2nd leg for the home that was crucial
in their victory, as they posted 82, with 3 spares.
7. Globe Appley hosted their game against new boys Tiverton
Chiefs, and started off with a surge to go 35 pins up after 3
legs. The away team fought back and won the next 2 legs, but GA
won the last leg and gained a comfortable victory.
8. Nearly a shock result, as White Horse of Division C only
failed by 3 pins to beat Division A’s The Beare. The away team
were ahead from the start, going 16 pins up by the end of the
3rd leg, but the home team won the last three legs, their last
leg being the best of the evening, but it was not quite enough.
9. Barmy Army charged into the first round of the cup with a
comprehensive win over The Farmers. They took no prisoners in
winning every leg, including a 3rd leg of 75 that contained 3
spares.
10. Odd Balls were playing their first game for SPDSL as they
have only signed up this season, and entertained one of the
established teams, namely Exeter Exiles. With only 1 spare on
each side in a fairly low scoring game, the tension must have
been growing towards the end of the game, with only 1 pin in the
home team’s favour going into the last 2 legs. Odd Balls scored
111, leaving EE needing 113 to win, and they scored 112 to draw.
By the rules each team plays another leg and this time OB made
no mistake to take their first win of their campaign.
11. Crossways entertained Bradninch C C, League Runners-up, who
started slowly and after 4 legs were only 18 to the good, which
was still possible for the home team to haul in. But what about
the 5th leg from the away team, and especially P Nott? A
25-spare from him in a 81 leg for the team saw them go 43 pins
clear, and a further 11 in the final leg sealed Crossways’ fate.
13. The Agri-Nuts were given a close game by Booze Cruzers, the
latter just running out winners by 7 pins, playing with lowest
score. After 4 hands the away team were 17 pins to the good, by
virtue of an excellent 4th leg of 72, but nearly pulled defeat
from the jaws of victory, with 2 not so good last 2 legs!
14. Otterheads had a comfortable victory over Huntsham A in the
end by virtue of winning 4 out of six legs, and scoring 2 spares
to their opponents none.
15. Redwoods had a clear cut win over Lumberjacks, winning 5 out
of the 6 legs, with 2 more spares than their opponents. Redwoods
made steady progress to be 23 pins up going into the last 2
legs, and cemented this advantage by pulling a further 8, to win
by 31.
16. Brass Monkeys narrowly failed to see off 7-man New Pins, for
which the latter have to thank Man of the Match Andrew Palfrey
who clocked up a 3-spare 65. After 4 legs the away team were 9
pins to the good, but an excellent leg of 73 to pull back 18
pins, saw BM get their noses in front, also by 9. So it was all
down to the last leg! BM posted 54, and NP replied with 66 to
take the victory.
