BELLIES remain top of the Sampford Peverell and district league by one point in spite of losing to Elmore Club who now share second place with Settler Boys.

The top of Division B looks similar with All Blacks one point ahead of Barley Mow and The Ponies.

In Division C Catherine Wheel’s win over Lion Cubs, reduced the latter’s lead to four points, with Halfway House in third.

DIVISION A – results: Elmore Club 396, Bellies 358; Bradninch C Club 443, Lumberjacks 443; Globe Appley B, bye; The Hounds 384, Redwoods 352; Castaways 358, Settler Boys 309; Brass Monkeys 378, Calverleigh 364; Barmy Army 388, Globe Appley 369; Globetrotters 440, Queens Head 403.

High Scores: 72 – A German (Globetrotters, three spares); 69 – C Acton (Bradninch C Club, three spares); 67 – D Buckingham (Queens Head, three spares); 66 – C Acton (Bradninch C Club, two spares); G McLoughlin (Lumberjacks, three spares).

Reports: Elmore Club led from the off as they won the first three legs from Bellies, going 32 pins up. The away team pulled back 12 over the next two, but the home team won the last, and are within one point of their opponents in the table.

An exciting tussle took place between Bradninch C Club and Lumberjacks as in a comparatively low scoring match for the Bradninch alley honours were even at the close. The Cricketers lost the first four legs but pulled back all the pins in the last two.

The Hounds have now won their last seven games as they beat struggling Redwoods. The home team overtook their opponents and were 15 pins up after two legs, and held advantage to take a comfortable win.

Castaways beat Settler Boys, which means the Boys have lost four of their last five games. The home team were up after two legs, and took a comfortable two points from the game.

A close match took place between Brass Monkeys and Calverleigh with the later nine pins up after four legs. The home team got their act together over the last two, winning by 14.

It was ‘evens stevens’ after the first two legs in Barmy Army’s game with Globe Appley. The Army then won the next three to leaving GA with a mountain to climb in the last leg, and the game went to the home team.

Though Globetrotters lost the first leg against Queens Head, they piled on the pressure over the next four, pulling 56 pins. There was no way back from that for Queens. Man of the match and of the week for the home team was A German with a three-spare 72.

DIVISION B – results: Barley Mow 408, Oggies 391; HCC1 356, Bickleigh 346; Crossways 348, All Blacks 404; The Merriemeade 397, The Agri-Nuts 371; Bullocks 354, The Beare 373; Ayshford Arms, bye; Uplowman 370, Bradninch RBL 405; The Ponies 412, Roy’s Rebels 406.

High Scores: 70 – Paul Crispin (Bradninch RBL), C Pook (Roy’s Rebels) both three spares; 67 – Roger Butler (Barley Mow, two spares).

Reports: Barley Mow went three down against Oggies but quickly turned that in to a 13 pin gain and with the last two close they came out 12 pin winners.

HCC1 manage to leap-frog Bickleigh. They were up in the first two legs with the away side levelling things up after four. But HCC pulled their fingers out in the last to win by ten.

Crossways went one up after the first leg but All Blacks then ran riot and cleaned up, winning by 56 pins to keep top spot by one point.

The Merriemeade took two much-needed points by beating struggling The Agri-Nuts by a clear 26 pins.

Bullocks were playing catch from the off in their game with The Beare. With the away team pulling 22 pins on the fourth leg it was game over.

Uplowman saw a brief glimpse of hope against Bradninch RBL at the half way stage but the away side soon pulled clear in the second half, winning by 35.

The Ponies came from 11 down in the first two to beat bottom team Roy’s Rebels by six pins, keeping them just a point off the top.

DIVISION C – results: Tiverton Chiefs 378, The Travellers 377; Huntsham A 373, Ashill Inn 332; Halfway House 359, Heathcoat Hulas 351; Rose & Crown 387, Booze Cruzers 376; Knock Em Down 295, HCC2 269; Catherine Wheel 376, Lion Cubs 371; Tiverton RBL 334, The Farmers 381. Late result: HCC2 336, Catherine Wheel 349.

Reports: Tiverton Chiefs and The Travellers played out a thriller that left the home side winners by a single pin. Chiefs were on first and were one down after two legs. Travellers extended their lead to 14 after four legs, but Chiefs pulled their best leg of the night on the fifth and Travellers were left with a challenge. Travellers then had their worst two legs of the night to fall just one short.

Huntsham A had a comfortable home win against man-short Ashill Inn. Huntsham took five of the six legs, with the other one drawn.

Halfway House had an eight pin home win against Heathcoat Hulas. The game was all square after two legs, then Halfway were six up after four. A fightback from Hulas in the fifth left them needing 65 in the last, but it didn’t quite happen and a 56 left them eight short.

Home side Rose and Crown got the better of Booze Cruzers by 11 pins. The first two legs saw a consistent 61 from both teams, before R&C strode into a 16 pin lead after four. Cruzers had an evening-best last leg, but it wasn’t enough to stop R&C recording their third win in a row.

Knock Em Down beat HCC2 at home by 26. Both sides played a man short, which resulted in two scores below 300.

Second-placed home side Catherine Wheel got the better of top team Lion Cubs by just five pins. Catherine Wheel were on first and leapt into a 15 pin lead after two legs. A poor third saw Cubs pull back 11, before the home side restored the advantage to 10. Cubs were in with a shout, requiring 127 off the last two, but it wasn’t to be and they slipped to only their second away loss of the season. The result leaves Catherine Wheel four points behind Cubs.

The Farmers upset the form book with a 48 pin away win at Tiverton RBL. Farmers took all but the last leg on their way to a convincing win.