THE top two in the Puriton & District Skittles League played each other with Pirates defeating Farmer Boys by 21 at the highscoring Puriton Inn alley.

Danny Palfrey had five spares in his score of 91. This win increases Pirates lead at the top of Division 1 to five points and was Farmer Boys’ third consecutive defeat.

Stop-Outs went third on their own, only one point behind Farmer Boys, after a 12-pin defeat of Foxes & Ferrets at their alley, despite a double flopper 25 from Phil Hunt of the home team, who ended up with a 78.

Crown Jewels pulled 20 on the last hand to beat Crown at the Bristol Bridge.

Closest game of the night was at Bason Bridge Inn, where Adrian Barnett of Barstewards needed a nine to force a draw on the last throw and ended up with an eight to let Somerset Vaults win by a pin.

At the bottom of the table, Polden Bears picked up only their fourth win of the season with a 32-pin defeat of Woolavington Boys, thanks to a 72 from captain Dennis Williamson and move to within a point of the two teams above them, Old Railway and Knowle Otters who both had byes.

In Division 2, with Wasters having a bye, it allowed Polden Turkeys and Nomads to close the gap at the top after they both recorded wins.

Nomads won a high scoring game at Cross Your Hart, Phil Coggins going down with 87 in his team’s total of 531. Polden Turkeys defeated Wheatsheaf Boys by 30 at the Red Tile and are now seven points ahead of them, although the Boys stay in fourth place.

In the battle of the bottom two, Rofugees came out on top with a 20-pin defeat of Herdsmen, who are now eight points adrift at the bottom.

Results: Division 1 – Knowle Otters bye; Pirates 527 (Danny Palfrey 91), Farmers Boys 506 (Simon Puddy 78); Polden Bears 495 (Dennis Williamson 72), Woolavington Boys 463 (Pete Brakes 66); Wanderers 442 (Dan Kevill 63), Crusaders 460 (Brian Scott 64); Crown 480 (Dave Counsell, Paul Tregale 68), Crown Jewels 500 (Russ Myers 75); Foxes & Ferrets 471 (Phil Hunt 78), Stop-Outs 483 (Peter Beavan 71); Old Railway bye; Somerset Vaults 474 (Charlie Gale 78), Barstewards 473 (Jack Coombes 63).

Division 2 – Huntspill Boys 457 (Ian Bristow, Carl Saunter 63), Landlord Rejects 443 (Callum Underhill 67); Cross Your Hart 493 (Pete Ormerod, Steve Watts 69), Nomads 531 (Phil Coggins 87); Haymakers 444 (Kevin Watts 67), Swannies 439 (Gary Palmer 73); Rofugees 438 (Phil Eliot 67), Herdsmen 418 (Dave Deller 57); Wasters bye; Oddsquad 424 (James Vowles 65), Ruggerites 456 (John Parsons, Bev Gowan 74); Polden Turkeys 468 (Rob Stafford 68), Wheatsheaf Boys 438 (Chris Southwood 65); Three Cee’s 459 (Graham Sugg 65), Odds & Sods 424 (Martin Glover 59)