ONE for the Ditch stretched their lead to four points at the top of Division A in the Blackdown Hills Skittles League after beating their Sidmouth Arms counterparts, Hairy Ringers, in a thrilling match by just two pins.

Pitch Plate Rejects, in second place, suffered an 11-pin defeat against the Jacks of all Trades while The Dam Busters moved up to third place after beating Sociables at the York by 21 pins.

In another close game, Kings gained a seven-pin away victory over Brass Monkeys, winning for only the sixth time this winter.

In the battle between the bottom two teams, Bashers came out on top, beating Half Moon by 29 pins.

In Division B, The Queens Knockers won at home against the Lamb Chaps with a massive score of 455 - certainly the highest score hit on any alley for a very long time.

But the Black Run Bandits also won at home against the High Flyers to maintain the gap between the top two to one point.

Results - Division A: Jacks of all Trades 437 (R Sparks 72), Pitch Plate Rejects 426 (M Lever 73); One for the Ditch 375 (D Turner 59), Hairy Ringers 373 (B Pulman 64); Brass Monkeys 367 (D Hayes 58), Kings 374 (R Dudridge 62); Dam Busters 394 (A Dyer 64), Sociables 373 (D Case 68); Bashers 367 (J Cummins 63), Half Moon 338 (T Jefferson 52); Pinpricks 337 (S Salter 53), Floppers 369 (B Looker 68).

Division B: Thirsty Farmers 376 (D Tuckett 71), Wobbly Wheels 378 (O Risdon 67); Novices 338 (M Pike 62), Catherine Wheel 359 (N Gubb 61); Eezners 358 (M Bendle 60), Right up your Alley 336 (G Moore, C Burton 66); Queens Knockers 455 (S Bellringer 80), Lamb Chaps 382 (S Archer 63);; Black Run Bandits 401 (J Brown 65), High Flyers 329 (E Jennings 69).