WITH leaders Cottage Pies having a bye, Fireguard A have the chance of closing the gap at the top when they play Oaks on their own alley in Wellington Ex-Services Skittles League’s Gerald Thorne Championship on Friday, November 22.

The Pies opened up a four-point lead over their rivals Fireguard after beating them by ten pins last week in a match which could have gone either way at the Cottage. Come the end the Pies set a target of 354 which proved just beyond their rivals.

Shooters, who began the winter with four successive victories, lost further ground on the leaders after they went down by ten pins to Oaks. Travelling out to the Blue Ball at Sampford Moor, there was never a lot to choose between the teams and this was another match which could have turned out differently. Ashley Bright top scored with 54 for Oaks and Adrian Maidment hit the same score for Shooters.

Meanwhile, Ex-Servicemen made it seven victories from seven games in the Chris Bullock Championship when they beat Odds & Ends by 17 pins on the Victoria Arms’ downstairs alley. Ricky Baker top scored for the 100 per centers with 56 while Simon Liddel scored 53 for Odd & Ends.However, the big shock in this division was Mowers' eight-pin loss to lowly King Pins with Jordan Bryant being the match-winner with a splendid 61. Martin Studley hit 56 for Mowers who suffered their first defeat and slipped back to second, three points adrift of Ex-Servicemen.

Results - Chris Bullock Championship: Here 4 the Beer 325 (Elliott Broom 45), Home Guard IV 307 (Pete Reading 45); Mowers 379 (Martin Studley 56), King Pins 387 (Jordan Bryant 61); Odds & Ends 365 (Simon Liddel 53), Ex-Servicemen 382 (Ricky Baker 56); Scuppas 368 (Steve Hazell 53), All Stars 366 (Andy Chappel 55); United Services 433 (Geoff Smith 72), Outsiders 379 (Ron Smith 65); WRFC 306 (Dave Huggett 46), Foresters 332 (Andy Pitman 48). 

Gerald Thorne Championship: Bell Green 362 (Simon Rudd 54), Hot Shots 350 (Gary Pepper 56); Cottage pies 354 (Tom Mattravers 52), Fireguard A 344 (Dan Taylor 51); Holywell Lake 393 (Ryan Skeels 58), Report Centre A 368 (Pete Bright 56); Home Guard 2 (Andy Davey 47), Queens Legs 344 (Jack Mason 51); Oaks 385 (Ashley Bright 54), Shooters 375 (Adrian Maidment 54); Relyon 330 (Rob Higgs 45), OBA 316 (Jason Vincent, Andy Kemp, Paul Beer 44); Reservists 336 (Richard Troake 47), Club Rockers 309 (Chris Hyland 48).

Fixtures, Gerald Thorne Championship, Friday, November 22: Club Rockers v Bell Green, Fireguard A v Oaks, Hot Shots v Holywell Lake, OBA v Reservists, Queens Legs v Rebels, Report Centre v Home Guard 2, Shooters v Relyon. Bye: Cottage Pies.