Buoyed by the continuing run of good form, a still-depleted Hustlers ventured to the Adam & Eve to take on old friends, high-flying Tivoli Boys, knowing that at least one Tocknell would be going home happy.
Despite Lloyd opening with our first 9 of the night, a good first leg was taken to the cleaners by a top-scoring leg. Trailing by 31 pins, bravely set about pulling the gap back. But still no joy, as they missed the 100 mark in dropping a further 19 pins, leaving us trailing by a round 50 pins at the midpoint.
With the game still evenly balanced it was now the turn of third leg to have a go at pulling the gap back. With Chris getting our top spare of the season and a couple of 9 from Steve helping him to our first 40, there was still hope as they became our top-scoring leg. But again they dropped pins (steadily losing fewer pins as the night progressed), leaving the anchors with just a gap of 66 pins to ensure a rare draw. Sharing the 9 between them, they did try but, with Clive regaining control of Barry with his second ever beaver, even top-scoring AS was unble to beat his man. But they did do enough to keep the gap under the 100 mark.
A new record defeat (previous higest being 66 in each of the last two seasons) certainly burst the bubble of our winning streak. But we’re back at home next week to take on Fox & Hounds. Can we get a full-strength team + reserves together? Rob will need to return soon or he will no longer have an official averge – his tactic to defend it has paid off until now.
24/11/14 v Tivoli Boys @ Adam & Eve
| Pete | 5 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 34 | -16 |
| Lloyd | 9 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 36 | -5 |
| Mart | 5 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 37 | -10 |
1st leg total 107 v 138
| Mark | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 33 | -7 |
| Dave | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 28 | -6 |
| Neil | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 36 | -6 |
2nd leg total 97 v 116
| TC | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 37 | -12 |
| Chris | 4 | 2 | 15 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 36 | -1 |
| Steve | 9 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 41 | -3 |
3rd leg total 114 v 130
| Gary | 9 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 36 | -8 |
| AS | 6 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 42 | -1 |
| Clive | 9 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 34 | -17 |
4th leg total 112 v 138
Grand total 430 v 522
WON by -92