An all-time great quote

It was one of those great classic quotes, the timing of which was perfect. Team Clothier was under the cosh for the first time this season and things weren’t looking good. Wyatt Earp (pictured) then steps up and throws down two decent balls but he had only hit four down so far.

"How many are left?" he called down to the sticker-upper.

"You’ve still got the back pin up," came our reply, to which he innocently said: "on which side?" We fell about laughing – pure genius!

Anyway, that broke the tension, we relaxed and ended up romping to another victory. We won by 13 which is our smallest victory this season, but we were up against our biggest test.

The team we were playing, Currell who play at East Harptree Club, had their seventh player get a flopper on his first two hands which set them up nicely, but we fought back over the final four legs. Of course, it begs the question: what’s the most number of hands in a row that you have got floppers in?

For Team Clothier, Hurricane Hellard hit form with 52 and Joe The New Kid also topped 50 with 51. I hit 46, which was ahead of the top two in our team’s averages – Nashy and Pasty.

Skipper was in the chair and for once the thought of money did not inspire him. He hit 42 and had to pay more team-mates than he drew money from.

Our game next week has been postponed due to half of the team being on holiday (not all together I hasten to add), myself included. I am checking out the delights of DisneyWorld so when I get back I will probably play skittles wearing a pair of Mickey Mouse ears. The week I’m back, my team-mates have the first round of the front pin first cup and the third round of the "proper" cup so I will blog on those when I get back. Anyway, until then…

Go for wood!

Tim

Definition of the week: Film star – something I am now aspiring to, following my debut on video. Check our my colleague’s blog Here Comes Christmas at http://here-comes-christmas.blogspot.com/

Clash of the titans

It was like the Clash Of The Titans as the top two sides in Division D of the Mendip Farmers League came head-to-head last night - and after a slightly iffy start, Team Clothier came out on top!

We beat the team called Young by 30 pins to create our biggest run of wins since I've been playing for the team. Our opposition hadn't lost this season either but had drawn twice and they had some good skittlers in their team. However, once we got our noses in front we stretched away.

Nashy top scored for the second week in succession by hitting 45 thanks to a flopper and some consistent play. Then came Joe The New Kid who also hit a spare and the Fat Controller, who we all wish good luck to as he was going into hospital today for an op.

I was in the chair for the first time this season and ended up just up having drawn from four and paid out three players. My 40 keeps my average pretty decent (42.67 in case you were wondering). Thankfully playing helps my stiffness following my recent accidents...

We were playing at the Lamb Inn at Clandown which was a bit of a hike for some of us. It's a weird old pub which seems to go on for ever, smells of wee a bit and had people playing table tennis in one room. The alley was quite long and the pins small but once it warmed up we got the hang of it.

We look to take our unbeaten run on next Wednesday with a home match at the Poacher's Pocket. Can we make it nine in a row? And if you play in a team, please comment to let me know you're longest winning streak so we can try and beat it! Anyway, until then...

Go for wood!

Tim

Definition of the week: Off the side - often shouted when you shank a ball into the side of the alley and any pins it subsequently knocks down are put back up. The more you have to drink, the more often this phrase is used...

A bit of a prang

My skittles playing was somewhat curtailed this week by a blithering idiot who decided to drive head on into my car. Pootling back from band practice nice and safely my car got smacked in the front by a driver "swerving to miss a deer". Hmm... sure you were mate, most of us swerve to miss deers by going on to the wrong side of the road for some distance at 80mph.

Anyway check out my destroyed car (pictured right) and then you will realise why I couldn't play skittles this week. I couldn't miss out on writing this blog though so I pass over the keyboard to team member extraordinaire Pasty for a report on the game:

Team Clothier have won again and this time by another massive margin of 57!! Our pin average is looking a bit good this year!! We were back at our home alley at the Poacher's Pocket and hosting A Bown, an all-women team, that put up quite a spirited fight, but couldn't quite match our fine form of late.
Also we were playing with a weakened team without the likes of Lethaby Jnr and DJ, both who had been involved in car accidents. They really must stop hitting people, or is that the other way round?!! Nashy top scored with 53 followed by Skipper with 46. The rest were close behind and in the 40s. Except at the other end of the spectrum was the Fat Controller who hid a shocking 32. He seemed more interested in chatting up the ladies on the opposing team - what a Leg End!!

Thanks for that Pasty, a fine report I think all will agree?! Our next match is Monday at the Lamb Inn, Clandown, which is miles away! Hopefully I will be fit enough to resume in the team. Anyway, until then...

Go for wood!

Tim

Definition of the Week: Ladies - A word usually shouted from the opposing team when the Fat Controller is on the alley to distract him...

A cup upset

The season just gets better and better for Team Clothier. Last night we beat a team from two divisions higher than us in the knockout cup – and by 28! We are now through to the third round for the first time since I’ve been in the team, which is about a decade.

Our B Division opposition, Dyke from the Pheasant at Worth, won the first leg, but we won every other leg even when they pulled some good scores out of the bag. We hit five spares, and generally played really well. We now like to think that we are having a good season as we have proved we can beat a B Division team.

As far as scores go, Joe The New Kid played a blinder and he is really coming good for the team. He hit 51 which is good scoring, even if it was a left-hander’s alley! Just behind him was Wyatt Earp with his second 50 of the season. DJ was in the Chair and was only doing OK early doors, but then he hit a spare on his last hand to draw money off half the team. He hit 47 I think but certainly got money off me as I scored 44.

We were playing down the Horseshoe in Shepton Mallet, the first time we have done so since it reopened. Run now by Ken and Steph Turner (pictured), it is really nice to have a decent pub in the town again! They seem to be doing well, and they’ve done a good job in the refit. The alley is a touch odd though, nice and short, but the old fireplace sticks out into where you stand to bowl. It was a good job Hurricane Hellard wasn’t playing last night or he could have done himself a mischief!

Next week we are back in league action at home in the Poacher’s Pocket (I had a lovely roast dinner there on Sunday, by the way). Hopefully the league will send the newspaper the tables soon so everyone can see how we are doing! We want to keep our six-game winning streak going on Wednesday next week whatever. Anyway, until then…

Go for wood!

Tim

Definition of the week: Danger pin – As in calls of “that’s the danger pin gone” when on your first ball you just take one pin, normally down the side. I hear that far too often…

How times have changed

This week’s Inside For Beginners has a historic theme to it as this cartoon was unearthed in the newspaper’s archives. It shows the Westbrook Wanderers team and the men who played for them. They all look fine gentlemen, but I’m a bit worried that one is called "Shaky" Oliver, who either got very nervous before a game or very cold…

As you can see, the look is somewhat different to Team Clothier (see our picture in the first post of this blog) and I wonder if we will survive the test of time any better than they have? Also, I wonder if any of the Westbrook Wanderers are still around – it would be good to get a comment from them if they are.

Anyway, on to this week’s game, and it was another comprehensive victory for us! We strolled home by 45 for the second week running, after winning every leg. I now make it that we have played five, won five, and have a pin difference of plus 219. Not bad…

Top scorer was Mr T Lethaby Snr who hit 50, and who was the player who reacquainted himself best with the alley at the George in Gurney Slade, which used to be our home strip. I hit 41 which was OK considering I was very inconsistent, and generally scores were pretty good.

We need another nickname though. Alan has played for the team for years, but we weren’t sure how many games he would be able to play this season. However, he should be able to make it plenty of times so therefore needs a nickname, especially as he was in the Chair and had to pay most people last night apart from the Fat Controller. Any suggestions, please comment…

Next week should be our first real test as we play a B Division team in the knock-out cup. The game will be on Tuesday at the Horseshoe in Shepton Mallet, which has recently reopened and means there finally is a decent pub in the town. Anyway, until then…

Go for wood!

Tim

Definition of the week: Flopper – When a player hits all nine pins down with one ball, a feat which we rarely achieve. It is categorically not about anyone’s performance in the bedroom…