PIRATES continue on their way to the Puriton & District Skittles League Division 1 title after a 12-pin win at Woolavington Boys, with Danny Palfrey once again top scoring with a 77.

Farmer Boys got back to winning ways with a comprehensive defeat of Wanderers, despite Lloyd Patch scoring 78 for the defeated team.

However, they are now six points behind Pirates and only three points ahead of a chasing pack, who all have a game in hand.

Somerset Vaults had a walkover as their opponents, Old Railway, could not raise a team and gleefully accepted the three points.

Crown defeated Crusaders on their own alley by 33. Both these teams join Stop Outs, who had a bye, on 29 points.

No change at the bottom as three of the bottom four all lost and bottom team Polden Bears had a bye.

In Division 2, Wasters increased their lead at the top after pulling 13 on the last hand to defeat Odds & Sods on their own alley by six pins, with spares from Nigel Mills, Nick Spencer and captain Mike Baumgardt.

Their nearest rivals, Nomads and Polden Turkeys, could only muster one point between them as the Turkeys allowed bottom team Herdsmen to get only their third win of the season, with captain John Willmouth having a particularly torrid time with a score of 38, which included three fives, a three and a four.

Nomads gained the point after Haymakers captain and anchorman, Kevin Watts, hit 17 on the last hand to snatch the draw, despite Nomads’ Phil Coggins having the highest score of the night with an 84 and Andy Bond hitting 80.

Three Cee’s pulled off a great win at Ruggerites, with Graham Sugg hitting 17 on the last hand so his team could pull seven pins to win by three.

Results: Division 1 – Polden Bears bye; Farmer Boys 520 (Simon Puddy 71), Wanderers 462 (Lloyd Patch 78); Woolavington Boys 488 (Richard Glynn 69), Pirates 500 (Danny Palfrey 77); Crusaders 423 (Nick Haggett 66), Crown 456 (Barry Vincent 73); Crown Jewels 462 (John Grogan 70), Foxes & Ferrets 446 (Sean Woodward 61); Stop-Outs bye; Old Railway v Somerset Vaults (w/o); Barstewards 467 (James Tucker 65), Knowle Otters 455 (Glyn Hawkes 64).

Division 2 – Huntspill Boys bye; Landlord Rejects 383 (Callum Underhill 54), Cross Your Hart 404 (Ebby Amarto 65); Nomads 506 (Phil Coggins 84), Haymakers 506 (Kevin Watts 76); Swannies 451 (Ian Carter 66), Rofugees 418 (Peter Anderson 58); Odds & Sods 474 (James Briggers 70), Wasters 480 (Mike Baumgardt 65); Wheatsheaf Boys 463 (George Barber 72), Oddsquad 422 (Mark Peters/Rich Vowles 56); Herdsmen 477 (Dave Deller 66), Polden Turkeys 453 (Andy Stone/Harry Dedman 68); Ruggerites 446 (John Parsons 75), Three Cee’s 449 (Nick Hansford 75).