The Hustlers

A rearranged Hustlers match on a Wednesday night against the Kraftsmen and all to play for.  Whose bid would be successful?  Would the result be a choc?

Following on, the Hustlers got off to a stuttering start, with Rob’s 40 barely making a difference as we fell 12 pins behind.  A similar story followed with 2nd leg, although TC’s first 40 of the season helped pull back 6 pins to hand over a narrow deficit.

3rd leg got off to a poor start, dropping 10 pins on the first hand.  The rest of the leg was rather up-and-down, but they held on to hand over 15 pins down, with the anchor having it all to do.  And what a start they made.  2 spares on the first hand saw the deficit pulled back and converted into a 2-pin lead.  Slowly, but surely further progress was made and finally the game ended with the Hustlers taking the leg by 21 pins and the game by 6.

Has the corner been turned?  Watch us take on Chelt CC next week, at the Suffolk once more.

After a 3-week gap we finally get to play a match, and it’s back at the Suffolk.  Would the break have been good for us or would lack of match practice show?

A nervous start saw AU lead the way with a steady 40, only for 1st leg to hand over 5 pins down.  With Jim-Bob improving on his previous score, Clive’s top score (and our only spare of the night) helped turn the game around and handed over 2 pins up.

A steady 3rd leg couldn’t improve on this and dropped 11 pins, leaving it all up to the anchors to win the game for us.  But a faltering performance saw another 20 pins dropped and our winning streak come to an end.

Our next game is the rearranged fixture v the Kraftsmen, back at the Suffolk next Wednesday.

The first snows of a new decade saw the Hustlers take on the Jets at the Robins Club for the first of our return matches.  Would it be a whitewash?

Despite the weather keeping some players from attending (and Stu on the start of his extended sojourn in the Colonies), we managed to field a full team and 1 reserve on the night.  Following, a rejigged 1st leg put in a mixed performance (with Rob joint top-scoring) to hand over a single pin in front.  2nd leg were steady, but stretched the advantage out by a further 8 pins.

3rd leg added another 2 joint top scorers, with Lewis chalking up a superb spare in the process, to extend the lead by 3 more pins.  Anchor then followed on with an indifferent performance, losing pins, but still managing to keep a winning margin overall.

A great start to a new year, hopefully indicating a better 2nd half of the season.  We finally return to the Suffolk next week for a run of 4 home games – a chance to establish a winning streak.

For their last game of the year (and the decade), the Hustlers returned to the Double Barrel to take on the Celery Boys with 5 changes in the team.  Could they give Cap’n Clive an early Christmas present?

Setting, AU began in good form, his spare helping him to top score.  Jimbo made an impression on his debut, snatching Barry the Brasilian out of Rob’s loving grasp.  So 1st leg handed over 15 pins down.  2nd leg put nin the performance of the night to pull back 5 pins, with Rich getting his second consecutive 40.

3rd leg struggled, but only lost a further 2 pins as they handed the anchor a 12 pin deficit to make up.  An up-and-down leg ensued, with nobody shining in a very consistent set of totals, dropping 11 pins in the process, handing the Celery Boys an early Christmas present.

Stu now leaves us to carry out his annual spell of missionary work in the colonies and has probably played his last game of the season.  Next time we’re away AGAIN – Tuesday 5 Jan 2010 at the robins Club.

Playing back at the Suffolk, how would the Hustlers cope without the services of Cap’n Clive (dropped) and the poorly Lofty?  Would it be the start of a very Happy Christmas?

The first surprise of the night came when our skipper put us in to set.  First leg put in a very credible performance, with Mark continuing his good form with another 40, handing over 4 pins ahead.  2nd leg then put in the highest scoring performance of the night, with Steve’s 47 (our highest of the night) and Jim’s exceptional 39 helping extend the lead by a further 5 pins.

Then came the 3rd leg.  And what a shock that turned out to be.  By far the lowest scoring leg of the whole night, all 3 will fail to trouble the scorecard next week and dropped a total of 29 pins in the leg to leave the anchors needing to win by 20 just to draw the game.  A brave attempt followed, with Neil getting our only spare of the night ably backed up by a re-emergent Rob.  But it all proved in vain as the Elite’s anchor held on to scrape a win by a single pin.

We end 2009 against the Celery Boys at the Double Barrel next Tuesday – Mike Vonk has threatened to turn up and cheer us on!