Pandoras delighted (From Penarth Times)

Pandoras delighted

THE ONE thing I have learned playing in the Skittle League is that, no matter how good a player you are, you can always have a bad game.

The reverse is also true. No matter how poor a player you are, you can always have a good day and win the diddler. Perhaps that is why so many of us keep trying.

The same is true of team performances. Last week Llandough Ladies, who are slumbering in the bottom three of the ladies first division, travelled to the Ex's Club to take on New Faces, who are in the top three and are aiming for promotion. On paper, a clear home win was in prospect. But it was not to be. The Llandough side rose to the challenge, won four of the five rolls, and ran out convincing visitors by an embarrassingly wide margin.

Julie Davies top scores for the Ladies on the night with some consistent hitting in her 30 pins, while anchor Sue Sparks ended on a real flourish by flooring all nine pins to send her team home happy. Joan Hughes will be hoping that this poor performance by her promotion hopefuls will be quickly reversed.

The clash of the week in the men's first division last week was the top of the table match between Cogan Sprouts and Pilot Regulars. The Regulars are a difficult side to beat nowadays, but the Sprouts showed that it can be done with a spirited performance against the runaway leaders.

Winning the first three rolls to take a 15 pin lead, the Sprouts must have thought they were home and dry, but the Regulars are not a team to give in and they reduced the Sprouts' advantage on the fourth roll.

However, this time it proved to be a case of too little too late, and the Sprouts won by a ten-pin margin.

Brian Williams will already have looked at his remaining fixtures and will not need me to tell him that the Sprouts have some tough fixtures ahead of them. Still, with my old friend Peter Akers in top form, they could just do it.

In the Ladies premier division there was another of those top v bottom matches with a home win written all over it, when Pandoras Delight took on The Cariads at the Old Penarthians Club. From the very first roll, the Delights set out their store and took an eight pin advantage, and with some very aggressive rolling they never lost the lead.

The Cariads were always chasing the game and, in truth, failed to find any rhythm, having to settle for being second best on the night. With Coronation Angels continuing their winning ways and all the other top sides in the division losing, the fight is now for the runners-up position. Meanwhile, the Delights will be pleased with the two points that give them a chance of catching Lower Girls.

Elsewhere, Bulldogs dented the Cavaliers run of success and Labour A won against Coronation Sports. Meanwhile, Cwrt-y-Vil had a last gasp single pin victory at the Swan to open a two-point advantage at the top. In the Ladies second division, The Blues lead Leo's Lassies by two points, with Penny Farthings and Athletic Ladies a further two points adrift. Results

Wk Ending Friday, March 8

Men's Premier Division: Conservative B 285, Con Men 301; Cavaliers 255, Bulldogs 276; Labour A 310, Coronation Sports 306; Dinas Powys Legion 276, Cwrt-y-Vil 277; Willy Watchers 328, Lower Boys 333; Coronation Exiles 287, Legion Nomads 266.

Men's First Division: Conservative C 260, Railway Sleepers 269; Albion Wanderers 275, Llandough Stars 269; Llandough C 257, Cefn A 279; Cogan Sprouts 273, Pilot Regulars 263; Marauders 304, D P Athletic B 283; Ex Teens 317, Swan Stars 320; Legion Colts 292, Llandough B 293. Men's Second Division: Ex's B 316, Terriers 327; Clive Arms 307, D P Athletic A 301; Legion B 276, Labour D 326; Penarth Athletic 276, Cutters 275; Coronation Oldies 265, Legion A 290; Llandough A 274, Cefn Originals 270.

Ladies Premier Division: Old Pennies 282, Lower Girls 269; Miller Girls 302, Breakaways 311; Dinas Powys Cygnets 291, Con Artists 283; Coronation Angels 269, Conservative Ladies 237; The Cariads 252, Pandoras Delight 264; Cogan Wombles 265, Swan Jokers 267. Ladies First Division: Swan E Brooks 274, Wanderers 247; Allsorts 243, Ex Isles 270; New Faces 260, Llandough Ladies 291; Sexpots 295, Jubilees 256; Dolly Mixtures 281, Kestrels 286; Brandy Belles 275, Goosey Ganders 269.

Ladies Second Division: Leo's Lassies 302, Malthoppers 287; The Blues 251, Coronation Muppets 223; Nuns on the Run v Penny Farthings (post); Cliverbirds 277, Athletic Ladies 295; Breezers 299, Stowaways 304. Late result: Unsportsmans 311*, Labour A 293. *=1 point deducted for late card.

Men's highest scores: 35 A Mules, R Hicks; 34, B Blatchford, H Edwards; 33 A Payne, N Ali, G Davies; 32 M Williams, R Williams (W Watchers), I Thomas, B Windsor, J Brown, L Kihlberg; 31 P Keene, G Donovan, D Langmead, R Williams (Ex Teens), D Williams, P Patterson, E Coombes.

Men's Nines: L Gamble, L Parsons, M Williams, B Blatchford, A Charles, G Donovan, A Crossman, M Forester, L Allen, R Williams (Ex Teens), J Hill, D Gillies, R Hicks, M Smith.

Bolter Kings: C Baker, J Lloyd, L Reece, P Colley, L Allen, B Davies.

Ladies highest scores: 34 C Williams; 33 E Wainscott, S Drew, K Jones; 32 A Price, H Akerman, M Millward, M Angove; 31 J Evans, P Willis, A Newton, S O'Connell, D Mico, J Cross; 30 J Withey, P Reed, C Griffiths, J Davies, S Ford, M Hurley, O Williams, A Monks, I Kemp, C Bigmore, P Brooks.

Ladies Nines: D Jackson, H Akerman, J Merrett, O Williams, S Sparks.

Bolter Queens: S Portlock, C Spear, E Allen, E Lingham, L Morris, W Davies, M Hall, J Smith, J Fris, C Pemberton, L Grant, F Hughes, J Turner, M Taylor, J Brunker, C Grant, V Hunt, M Edwards, J Morgan, K Todd, S Parr, J Lloyd, S Hogg, A Johnson.