WITH Farmer Boys playing and winning away in Division 1 of the Puriton & District Skittles League, they take a one-point lead over Pirates, who also won, but at home.

Farmer Boys were cruising at Stop-Outs after four hands, with a 26-pin lead, but StopOuts pulled 21 back in the next two hands.

However, with a disappointing last hand, they only set the league leaders 59 to win, which they easily achieved with Nigel Bryant and Simon Puddy hitting spares – Spud’s was his third of the night in a total of 70.

Pirates easily defeated Knowle Otters at Puriton Inn, pulling pins on five of the seven hands, with six of the team scoring 60 or more, but none of the Otters managing to get to that figure.

James Pilbrow top scored for Pirates with 69 closely followed by captain Roger Palfrey Wasters remain in third spot as they beat fourth-placed Nomads at home by 10 pins Steve Hembery had two spares in his 60, while Pete Besley for the defeated team had a one in his total of 44.

Foxes & Ferrets had the closest win of the night, when they managed to beat Woolavington Boys by two at The Crown, East Huntspill.

Captain Sean Woodward needed six to win on the last hand and he managed to scrape a seven.

Trevor Saunders had two spares and Mike Gibbons three in their hands of 66. Kevin Hembery did his best for the home team with 75.

Crown Jewels remain at the foot of the table after their 13th defeat of the season, this week at Bristol Bridge to Crown, who had Rob Vincent in fine form with 77, even though Steve Bartrum hit 75 for the visitors.

Somerset Vaults are slipping down the table after another home defeat, this time by Wanderers, whose top three of Jamie Wall, Fran Bobbett and Graham Fountain hit 68, 64 and 63, respectively, which enabled their team to pull pins on five of the seven hands.

Only Richard Haines offered any opposition with 69.

Barstewards continue to climb the table after a 20-pin win at Polden Turkeys.

Crusaders and Landlords Rejects continue to set the pace in Division 2 and, after good away wins, are six points clear of Oddsquad and Odds & Sods.

Crusaders went to the Watchfield and pulled pins on six hands for a comfortable 35-pin defeat of Haymakers. All the team contributed, with bottom scorers Bert Beesley and Tim Hoban only being seven behind top scorer Jake Arlow.

Landlords Rejects remain one point adrift of Crusaders after a hard-fought 24-pin win at Sexeys Arms against Swannies, only pulling away on the last two hands.

Daryl Underhill was the star for the winners with spares in his last two hands for a total of 66. Swannies captain Brian Kidd led the way for his team with 62.

Oddsquad missed the chance to keep up with the leaders after an eight-pin defeat at Ruggerites, who pulled ten on the penultimate hand thanks to a 16 spare from top scorer Charles Norton. Top scorer for Oddsquad, David Pineo had an 18 spare in his total of 65.

Odds & Sods joined Oddsquad in third place after a comfortable 44-pin defeat of Three Cees, with Martin Glover hitting the highest score of the night with his threespare 80. Most of the damage was done on the fifth hand when Odds & Sods hit three spares in a total of 90 and pulled 26 on the hand.

Cross Your Hart could not add to last week’s win, going down by 18 at Puriton Legion to Spitfires, who had lead man Leighton Davis hitting three spares in his 74 and Ben White hitting 67. Best for the defeated team was Frank Nicholls with 65.

Herdsmen’s away form held up as they clocked up their seventh away win of the season at Wheatsheaf Boys, with Richard Miles hitting 65 and Dave Deller 64.

Walt Richards and Gary Banwell both hit 62 for the defeated team, who lost the game on the fifth hand when Herdsmen went down with 82 and pulled 24.

Lowest scoring match was at King William, Catcott, where Rofugees defeated Huntspill Boys by 36.

Dave Cudlipp was top scorer for the home team with 55, none of his team mates managed to get to 50.

However, the away team fared even worse, with James Shortland hitting a zero in his total of 34 and Aiden Stokes not getting more than a seven in his total of 32