Brewers Bees beat Steamers by 13-pins in the play-off to take the top spot in Section C, which sees them return to Section B as champions after just one season in the C section, after being relegated in season 22-23, as were opponents Steamers who also go back up at the first attempt.

Brewers Bees are one of the longest running skittle teams with their origins dating back to the 50’s at the Brewers Arms, Martinstown , where the team were known as Brewers Arms ‘B’ and played in Section A on a Wednesday, a night they shared with Brewers Arms A who also were in Section A.

For the 60-61 season the team had moved to town to play at the Plume of Feathers on a Friday, and were now known as Brewers Bees. Bees stayed at the Feathers until 1972 with every season being played in Section A.

For the 72-73 season the Bees played at Chequers on a Friday and stayed there for three seasons, the last season 74-75 saw the team relegated for the first time in their history.

Brewers Bees moved to the Bulls Head for season 75-76 playing in Section B on a Thursday, before switching to a Friday for 76-77, a season that brought another relegation. Three seasons were spent in Section C before they got promoted as champions in 1980. Back in Section B the Bees had a mid table finish in 80-81 before finishing runners up, 2 points behind Skimmers to go back to Section A in 1982.

Bees spent eight season back in Section A, with their highest finish coming in 82-83, fourth place. A bottom place finish in 89-90 had the Bees back in Section B for 90-91, and although they finished as runners up, there was no promotion throughout the league as the sections were made smaller. But Bees were back just two seasons later going up as champions in 92-93, although it was only a one season stay as relegation followed in 93-94 after Bees finished level on points with two other teams , but lost the play-off.

Brewers Bees finished third in Section B in both 94-95 and 95-96 before going up as champions in 96-97, and finished as runners up in Section A in 97-98. Brewers Bees finest hour came in season 00-01 when they topped Section A to be champions.

After over twenty five years at the Bulls Head the Bees moved to the Conservative Club for the 02-03 season where they stayed until the club closed in 2011. While at the club Brewers Bees finished as runners up in Section A in 2007.

The Bees moved to the Wool Legion for the 11-12 season before returning to Town to play at the Cornwall Hotel for one season. A move to Tom Browns on a Thursday was next for the Bees where they stayed for five season.

Bees last season at Tom Browns saw them relegated, so they were back in Section B for season 18-19, playing at their new home, alley 2 at the Trinity Club on a Friday.

As well as a proud league history the Brewers Bees have won the knockout cup on seven occasions, 61,62,65,70,82,83 and 97. In more recent times they have reached two cup finals both finishing in defeat, 2009 and 2015.

Unfortunately we have no records of Section A winners before 1980 so we don’t know if those cup successes before 1980 were matched with any Section A titles.  

Essentials beat Puddletown Wanderers by 20-pins in the play-off at the Colliton Club to win Section B, both teams are heading back to Section A, but it’s the Essentials who go up as champions. Essentials have spent the past two seasons in Section B after relegation from Section A in 2022, while Wanderers are back in A after just one season in the second tier after they were relegated in 2023.

It’s the second time that the side from the Spitfire Club have won Section B, the first time came in 2019, which was the same season they reached the Knockout Cup Final, which they lost to Royal Oak Wanderers.

Essentials first played in the D&DSL as Greyhound Essentials in 2010 and played at the Greyhound, Winterborne Kingston before moving to the Spitfire Club, Crossways in 2013. They won Section D in 2011 and were runners up in Section C in 2012, Essentials stayed in Section B for three seasons before relegation back to Section C in 2015, Essentials returned to Section B after they won Section C 2018.

Our two eldest teams met at the Bladen Club last night to celebrate Puddletown Wanderers 70th anniversary. Both Puddletown Wanderers and Puddletown Nomads appeared in the 1954-55 league fixture book, and both used the Kings Arms Puddletown as their home alley.

Strugglers beat Easy Beats away at the Victoria Hotel to be crowned champions of Section D. The side from the Goldies have lost just three of their twenty matches in the league this season and finished with a pin difference of +487.

Formed in 1995 when the D&DSL was at its strongest with ten sections, the Piddle Valley Strugglers took their place in Section G, finishing 8th, and played at the Brace of Pheasants, Plush. The following season they found themselves in Section F as Section G was disbanded after five seasons. A fourth place finish was good enough to see them promoted to Section E. In 1997 the team moved alleys to the Poachers, Piddletrenthide and finished fourth in Section E for the next two seasons, and were promoted to Section D for the 99-00 season. The teams first trophy success came in the 02-03 season when they won Section D, by now the Piddle Valley had been dropped from their name. Section C was won in season 04-05. The Strugglers had a new alley for their debut season in Section B as they moved to the Gaggle of Geese, Buckland Newton. Two seasons were spent in Section B before relegation back to Section C after finishing bottom in the 06-07 season. The team were known as the New Strugglers from the 07-08 season, and moved alley’s the following season to play on alley two at the Trinity Club, but the team finished bottom of Section C. For the 09-10 season the team became Trinity Strugglers, moving across to alley 3 at the Trinity Club, and finished as runners up in Section D. The team finished top of Section C in the 14-15 season, but after two seasons in Section B were back in Section C, and then Section D for the 18-19 season. From 2018 the team were known as Strugglers and played their homes matches at Goldies.   

Vicki Cooper of Vixens won the Ladies Singles Competition beating Maggs Edwards of Plodders in the final at Tom Browns.

There were 25 entries, with Vicki beating Lauren of Crackerjacs in the semi finals, while Maggs beat Linda of Woodpeckers in her semi final match.

Essentials will be in Section A next season regardless of the outcome of their last match. Currently they sit in second place in the table 2 points above Heathens, but the Crossways outfit have a better head to head against the Heathens so would be runners up if the two teams finish level on points.

Strugglers clinched promotion from Section D with a home victory at the Goldies against Funseekers on Thursday. The Goldies outfit have been among the leaders all season and will be crowned champions if they beat Easy Beats away in their final match of the season on Tuesday at the Vic.

Puddletown Wanderers clinched promotion from Section B at the first attempt, after relegation last season, as they did in 2018. Wanderers have a bye next week so will be waiting on the Essentials result to see if they become champions of the B section before the final round of matches.

Wareham Legionaires are champions of Section A at the first time of asking after their promotion from Section B last season. They become the first team since Allsorts in 2002 to achieve this feat. The Wareham outfit have led the way all season , losing just three times with two games to play.

Legionaires joined the league in 2012, and since winning Section D in 2019 have had continued success with just covid holding them up. Section C was won in 2022 followed by Section B in 2023.

Vixens have won the Ladies League for the first time. The ladies from the Trinity Club have been at the top from the start of the season and clinched the title with four games still to play. The Vixens had to come from 7-pins down after two hands in their away match to Wonder Women on alley one at the Trinity Club. The highlight of the match came on the fourth hand when the Vixens hit 67, which is the highest in the Ladies League this season, with Hayley Guille chipping in with a 13 stick up. The match was a close affair with Vixens clinching the 2pts with a 3-pins victory hitting 360, Vicki Cooper was top score for the Vixens with 52.

Vixens joined the league in 2013 as Top Kats and played on alley two at the Trinity Club on a Monday. The 13-14 season saw just one ladies league as Ladies Section B was dissolved, and the Kats finished 11th out of 16, and their debut season finished with a Plate Final in which they finished as runners-up. Top Kats moved to Tom Browns the following season and stayed there for three seasons, changing names from Kats to Cats and then to Vixens. For the 17-18 season the side returned to play at the Trinity Club, firstly on alley three before switching to their current alley, two. Vixens have twice finished runners up, in season 18/19 and last season when they finished just 3 points behind Crackerjacs. In 2018 Vixens won the Plate Final, while last season they won the Knockout Cup.