Handling the pressure

It was a damp and misty night atop the Mendips. Two hardy skittles teams were locked in combat in a crucial game at the top of D Division.

Team Freestone had home advantage and the edge with just two legs remaining. Knowledge of their tough alley and a spare had put them 11 up and things were looking rosy.

However, they had not reckoned with Team Clothier’s spirit. A fightback began on leg five, as Skipper and his squad pulled five back to leave the two teams separated by six with a leg to go. The pressure was beginning to get to Team Freestone, they hit a lowly 47 leg on their last go and Team Clothier knew they were in with a shout.

Consistency throughout the team’s scores on the final leg left the anchor man needing four to win it. He stepped up and his first ball took just the back pin. The pressure increased when his second ball took only two more. Everyone held their breath as he threw the last delivery of the game… and managed to knock down four more to take the victory! Who was this heroic anchorman? Oh yeah – it was me…

After taking the plaudits and being very chuffed with myself, I then realised I had only hit 40 overall and had to buy my man a drink. I got money off the Chair though – DJ hit 36 and had to pay pretty much the entire team.

Top scorers for us were Mr T Lethaby Snr and Hurricane Hellard who both hit 43 to help their away averages no end.

Also a notable mention must go to Joe The New Kid who tackled the five half-pint challenge for the first time. His time of 14 minutes and 34 seconds was the quickest so far of the people who have done it and who don’t have a drink problem.

Next week we are not sure whether we have a game yet. It is a cup week and our interested ended a few months ago in the cups. However, we still have our game in hand against Team Freestone to play, so we might be back at the Poacher’s Pocket on Wednesday against the same opposition. Watch this space. Until then…

Go for wood!

Tim

Player of the week: Joe The New Kid (pictured) – it has to be Joe for his five half-pint challenge performance. One of the hairiest members of Team Clothier, Joe The New Kid has become an excellent acquisition for the side this year. He had never really played skittles before, but as a goalkeeper for Belrose he was used to seeing balls hitting woodwork.

Streaking clear

Team Clothier is back on a roll and moving clear at the top of D Division of the Mendip Farmers League.

Last night we defeated the team of John Witts who were second in the league behind us. We now lead the table by three points, with two points for a win. We also have a game in hand so we are feeling slightly confident.

This was a tough match with the lead swinging one way and then the other like a confused transvestite. However, on the fourth leg (which we are notoriously bad in) we hit a 69 and pulled clear. We then kept pulling away until we won by a comfortable 24.

Leading the way in the team was our very own gunslinger Wyatt Earp who hit a top shootin’ 51, followed by Nashy who hit 50 which might just, possibly, maybe, mean he is top of the averages. Top score overall though was Mr T Lethaby Snr, who hit 60 on the bottom, but then there is no pressure when you’re not in the side

The Fat Controller was in the Chair and had a mixed night. He hit 46 so drew money off most people but it could have been so much more. After starting with two eights, he then got a flopper to much cheers. However, the glory went to his head and he put the next two balls straight through. It’ll take a while for him to live that down…

I hit 45 so had to pay the Chair but I hit a nice spare myself so I am pleased with my night’s work, especially as I beat my man.

Next week we play another team near the top, Team Freestone. These guys were third by the latest table I’ve seen and they also have a game in hand. This, of course, is against us, so it is another crucial week. If we win at the Waggon and Horses on Tuesday, then we really would have our fate in our own hands as far as the title goes. Anyway, until then…

Go for wood!

Tim

Player of the week: Mr T Lethaby Snr – Our usual number two in the team is known to occasionally cross-dress (pictured) and to always lose things, such as keys, wallet, phone, passport... However, he’s normally one of our most consistent players, even if he does have a beard. Humorous tales are too many to mention them all, just if you ever meet him, ask him about the time he downed a shot, wobbled to his feet, proclaimed “I played rugby y’know” and strode out of the pub before I could even get my drink to my lips…

Random number generators

Consistency was notable by its absence this week, but Team Clothier has still kept up its title push with another win.

We were playing Dave Watts’ team at the George in Gurney Slade and were victorious by 16, but our inconsistency almost cost us the match.

Having worked our way into a 12-pin lead we then conspired to hit a 42 leg which, as anyone who has ever played league skittles will know, is complete and utter pants. We suddenly went to being five down and things were looking shakier than a nervous jelly.

However, Team Clothier is never one to take such rubbish lying down, and we stepped up and hit a 66 leg and promptly were nine ahead again, leading eventually to the 16-pin win.

Chief random number generator, but top scorer, was Nashy (see player of the week below) who started and ended with a spare, but hit a 3 in there as well to end with 51. Second highest was the Fat Controller was hit a rather good 47, including a couple of hands when he thought he had a spare but couldn’t see the other end of the alley well enough to see that there was still a pin standing.

I hit 40, but that should have been more as I got a spare on my first hand and then chucked the last ball down the left-hand gutter – getting too excited I guess! Wyatt Earp was in the Chair and hit 42, drawing from most of the team.

As we tucked into our sandwiches and chips after the game, which were very nice by the way, it got me thinking. What is the best and worst skittles food you’ve ever been served? As for me, the Apple Tree at West Pennard used to do full-on fish and chips which was great and our home alley, the Poacher’s Pocket, always puts on a good spread. On the rubbish side, I could name a few who have given us dodgy curries or stale bread…

Our game next week is on Wednesday at home against fellow pace-setters Team Witts, one of only two teams to defeat us in the league this season, the other being Watts who we beat last night. Anyway, until then…

Go for wood!

Tim

Player of the week: Nashy – Our opener (pictured) has excelled at that position since moving there for this season. Being a, whisper it, estate agent Nashy has plenty of time on his hands these days which he spends, we reckon, practising skittles, hence the top scores this year.

A new year and a new challenge

Team Clothier moves into 2009 equal top in D Division of the Mendip Farmers Skittles League and hoping for the title. However, our charge into the new year was halted by the fact that we didn’t have a game scheduled this week.


So we decided to keep our hand in with a friendly game, but little did we know what a challenge it would be.


We decided to invite all the Team Clothier SWAGS along to play. SWAGS stands for Skittles Wives And Girlfriends and most of us were promptly shown up. We rotated the team so it went Team Clothier member, SWAG, Team Clothier member and so on so things were even, but Skipper’s side beat mine by 10.


Mr T Lethaby Snr starred on the night with 50 but his SWAG for the night was DJ so he could focus on his game. Nashy just beat Mrs Nashy by 1, but Hurricane Hellard lost out and faced much abuse! I hit a well-earned but spare-free 41.


Another player to just beat their better half was Pasty. Now Pasty had his birthday on Monday so he had to face the five half-pint challenge last night, which made for an entertaining evening. Not known as a big drinker, Pasty achieved a rather good 19 minutes for the challenge but was flying afterwards. I couldn’t possibly repeat some of the stuff he was saying, suffice to say it was amusing and rather X-rated.


The skittles season resumes proper next Tuesday at the George in Gurney Slade. Last night’s scores do not count towards who gets in the team so it should be a similar side to that which played at Chew Magna just before Christmas. Anyway, until then…


Go for wood!


Tim


Player of the week: Pasty (pictured) – our regular at the number three slot in the side has to be featured this week as he tackled the five half-pint challenge. A member of Team Clothier for a good eight years or so he has been known to discuss tactics until the wee small hours. One of his most famous Team Clothier moments was when he got rather drunk one night at the Sheppey Inn, Godney, and heckled a player for foot faulting despite the opponent having to use two walking sticks to stay upright…