Top score in the Ladies League was Clare Clarke of Oakettes with 57 on alley one at the Trinity Club, Clare also hit the highest stick up of the week with a 16. The highest team score was 380 by Wonder Women in their 41-pins victory over Breezers on alley one at the Colliton Club, and the Colliton outfit also notched the highest hand of the week with 68.
In the first match of the Ladies Cup Woodpeckers beat Hot Cheese Stampers by 53-pins. at the Goldies.
Top score in the Open League was Matt King of Barmy Army with 68 at the Three Compasses, Charminster. The highest team score was 474 by Breakaways in their 21-pins victory over Wide Boys in Section A at the Wool Legion. The highest hand was 84 by Barmy Army at the Three Compasses, Charminster. Trailing by 14-pins going into the last hand against Royal Oak Wanderers the Army hit 84 to leave their opponents 71 to win, and the visitors fell 6-pins short. The highest stick up was 17 by two players, S Bishop of Woodmen on alley two at the Trinity Club and Graeme Davis of Wareham Legionaires at the Wareham Legion.
Late card: Steve Crewe of Misfits hit 72 for Misfits on alley one at the Colliton Club.
Top score in the Ladies League was Chris Vater and Jen Sims of Oakettes with 58 at Tom Browns. Oakettes used the Tom Browns alley as their Royal Oak alley was unavailable and they hit the highest team score of the week, 395, winning by 40-pins against Woodpeckers. They also hit the highest hand of the week notching 66, a hand that included a 15 stick up from captain Jen Sims which was the highest stick up of the week.
Yokels who play at the Colliton Club on a Wednesday are looking for new players.
Rollers who play at the Spitfire Club, Crossways on a Wednesday are looking for new players.
Strugglers who play on Thursday nights at Goldies are looking for new players. Please contact Alan Simmons on 07341317999 for further details.
If anyone is interested in joining either team please could they contact terry.gosney@btinternet.com
With Fumblers withdrawing from the league during the week it makes it 11 teams that we have lost since the 19-20 season was declared null and void.
Part 11 of 11 – Teams that have not re-joined the league for the forthcoming season
Frampton Fumblers joined the league 2010 and played on a Wednesday evening at the Frampton Arms, Moreton. Fumblers finished 3rd in Section D in their debut season. The following season they went one better finishing runners up to Top Pins, gaining promotion to Section C. Their stay in Section C was short however and after just one season they were heading back to Section D, finishing second from bottom. With the news that the Frampton Arms were closing their alley Fumblers made the short trip to the Spitfire Club at Crossways for the 19-20 to play their home matches on a Wednesday evening and dropped Frampton from their name.
Unfortunately Fumblers have withdrawn from the league ahead of next weeks opening games. Their fixtures in Section D will now become a bye.
In the event of a pandemic or other occurrence which forces the UK Government to impose restrictions, on the way we live, i.e. the temporary closure of pubs and clubs resulting in the suspension of skittles in the short or longer term then, the following criteria will the used to determine the outcome of the season.
To constitute a season at least 75% of the rounds of fixtures must be completed by the fourth Friday in May, the season end being 31st May. In the 2021 /2022 season this will be 16 games in the Open League and 12 games in the Ladies League. Should the full season not be completed by the cut off date and the 75% figure is reached then, where Sections contain a bye those teams who have had their bye will receive a points adjustment being their average points per game from their played matches rounded down to 2 decimal places. If the League Rules in force at the time so permit, cancelled matches remain to be played then the points will be awarded to the team who did not cancel the original fixture.
Section winners, runners up and teams to be relegated will be determined using the adjusted points totals. Where teams finish level on points the criteria outlined in the League rules shall be used to break the tie including to determine section winners.
The priority following any period of suspension will be to complete as many league matches as possible within the time available, the season restarting at the point it was suspended. To achieve this all other competitions will be cancelled irrespective of whether they were in progress or not.
Should it prove impossible to play 75% of the league season by 31st May then the season will be declared null and void. In this event any restructuring of the league required on the resumption of skittles will be based on teams finishing positions in the last completed season.
Part 10 of 10 – Teams that have not re-joined the league for the forthcoming season
Knighton Belles joined the league in 1987 and played on a Tuesday evening at the New Inn, West Knighton. Two seasons later they changed their name to Westenders and finished as runners up in Ladies Section B. Their first taste of Ladies Section A was a short one finishing bottom in the 90-91 season. There was another promotion in 93-94 as Westenders were runners up to Cockeroos. It was just a one season visit again for the team in Section A, although they did manage to finish off the bottom, 13th out of 14. Westenders remained in Section B until they finished runners up in 2012 which meant promotion up to Section A. The 12-13 season saw the Westenders finish 8th out of 9 in the ladies top league but there was no relegation as for the following season there was just one Ladies League. In 2014 the Westenders reached the final of the Ladies Knockout Cup losing to Devils in the final. For the 16-17 season the team had to move when the New Inn alley closed, so after almost 30 years Westenders had a new home at the Spitfire Club, Crossways.
Part 9 of 10 – Teams that have not re-joined the league for the forthcoming season
Devils have been one of the most successful teams in ladies skittles and can be linked back to the formation of the ladies league.
The ladies league first appeared in the fixture books in the 76-77 season and Goldies Bunnies was one of the fifteen teams. In 79-80 the team moved to the Trinity Club and became Three ‘n’ One changing their name to Trinity Oxo’s in 1985. Mel Gosney joined the team in 1989 taking over as the sides secretary for the 93-94 season changing the team name to Red Devils. The previous season had seen the Oxo’s win the Ladies Knockout Cup. Red Devils stayed at the Trinity Club playing on alley two and in their first season under their new name won Ladies Section A. The 94-95 season saw Devils move onto alley one at the Trinity but still on a Monday. The team won the Ladies Knockout Cup in 97-98, the season that they moved onto alley three on a Tuesday. At the turn of the century Devils moved to the Colliton Club and became Colliton Devils, playing on alley two on a Tuesday evening. The Devils were runners-up in the Ladies Plate in 2002 before winning Ladies Section A in 2005 and finishing runners up in the Cup, a season that saw them switch home nights to a Monday. In 2006 the team finished as runners up to Oakettes in Ladies. Section A was won again in 09-10, a season which was their last at the Colliton Club. In 2010 the team was on the move with the Bulls Head becoming their new home on a Monday evening and just became known as Devils. It was a successful season with the team winning the Ladies Plate and finishing runners up in the league. It was at the Bulls Head when the team became a formidable force winning the double of league and cup for three seasons on the trot, seasons 11-12, 12-13,13-14. With the Bulls Head closing it was yet another move for the team with Dorchester Town Football Club their new home, but this did not stop the run of success and the Ladies League was won for three more seasons making it six league titles in six seasons, with the cup being won in 2016 and the Plate in 2017. The Devils last trophy win was the Ladies Cup in 18-19 although the team were on the verge of winning another league title before the 19-20 season was null and voided.
Part 8 of 10 – Teams that have not re-joined the league for the forthcoming season
In 1985 the Frampton Arms, Moreton alley opened and amongst the teams using it in the first season was a ladies team called Moreton Maids on Monday evening. The Maids were formed by Sally Childs who two years later joined the league’s committee, and has been on the committee ever since, becoming Vice-Chairman in 2008. After finishing 6th out of 8 in their debut season the Maids won Ladies Section B in 86-87. Moreton Maids first taste of Ladies Section A ended with no wins and relegation back to Section B. Two seasons later Section B was won again as the Maids headed for the top section again. This time they managed to stay up and Moreton Maids was still in Ladies Section A when they moved alleys in 1994. The White Hart on a Monday was their new home and with the move came a new name, from 94-95 they became Bloomers. The team stayed in the ladies top section and were on the move again in 1998 as they became one of the teams to play in the first season of the new alley two at the Colliton Club. For the next 19 years the team was known as Colliton Bloomers until a name change to Colliton Ladybirds for the 17-18 season. Bloomers reached the Ladies Knockout Cup Final in 2015 losing to Crackerjacs. The team spent an unbroken 30 seasons in the Ladies top section finishing runners-up in 2013 to Devils.
