SHOCK of the night in Division 1 of the Puriton & District Skittles League was at 37 Club, where bottom team Foxes & Ferrets overcame league leaders Pirates by seven pins.

Robert Simpson led the way for the victors with 67.

This victory lifted the Foxes off the bottom of the league as Crown Jewels were beaten by 44 at Nomads, who are now only a single point behind Pirates at the top of the league.

Nomads’ top four did the damage with Russell Burt hitting 77, Pete Besley 73, Chris Coggins 72 and Andy Bond 70. Colin Nutman was top scorer for the vanquished team with 77.

Farmer Boys got back to winning ways with 13-pin defeat of local rivals Woolavington Boys. Michael House led the way with 74, closely followed by Scott Puddy on 69.

Woolavington had three men in the 70s, Mike Oxman with 76, Jason Kingston 74 and Martin Baker with 71.

Crown have slipped to joint second from bottom after a narrow defeat at Knowle Otters, who hit a fifth hand 80, which included spares for Toby Last, Sean Tippetts and Grant Hockin, on the notorious Knowle Inn, Bawdrip alley to pull 25 and set up victory.

In the battle of the Poldens, the Turkeys came out on top with a 44-pin win at Bears, Nick Dedman hitting 71 for the winners.

Good to see League President Bob Bees return to the alleys, however his contribution was not enough to prevent Somerset Vaults from going down to a threepin defeat at Barstewards.

With only one pin between the teams going into the last hand, both Sam Coombes and James Tucker hit spares for the home team, which left the Vaults needing their highest hand of the night for victory.

Although Tony Slade hit a 12 spare, it was not enough.

In Division 2, Landlords Rejects got back to winning ways after last week’s defeat, this time a comfortable 43-pin defeat of Odds & Sods. Scott Gardiner hit 65 for the home team.

This win maintained the Rejects’ slender lead at the top of the table as Crusaders and Herdsmen both had home wins.

Crusaders beat Rofugees by 89 with Rob Haggett hitting 73, Ben Scott and Nick Haggett both getting 70.

Herdsmen recorded only their second home win of the season and it was only a last hand 82 that allowed them to pull 15 for their victory over Spitfires. Ian Nicholls hit 78, Dave Deller 71 and Lewis Adams 70 for the victors.

Oddsquad and Wheatsheaf Boys have moved up to within three points of the leaders after good away wins at Cross Your Hart and Three Cees, respectively, Jason Parsons being the hero for Wheatsheaf with 83.

Oddsquad did all the damage with a sixth hand 93 that pulled 25, with spares from Ollie Puddy, Joe Barrow, Mark Peters and David Pineo