The final week of season 12 – lots to play for. We had some returning bowlers. Sal Spence dropped in to get some competitive practice before she bowls in the tenpin tour masters. And we welcomed back Ray Lay who’s been away for 4 months after having an operation on his foot,
Championship
Two bowlers battling it out for the title, Roger Hurst and Spencer Edwards. Roger started well with games 221 and 212 but Spencer and Laura teamed up and upped the bowling pace with them rattling through the frames. Poor Old Roger’s ticker was going 10 to the dozen and he was puffing on inhalers and sipping energy drinks and had an oxygen mask on. Roger’s performance dipped and Spencer picked his up. Spencer cleaning up both pots with a 235 high game and an 814 series. Shout out to Gary Waghorn who shot a 234 game.
Overall
So that 814 series for Spencer gave him 53pts, and Roger scored 38pts which meant that Spencer took the Championship title, with Roger in 2nd and surging into 3rd was Gary Waghorn.
Promotions to the premiership for the following bowlers – Spencer Edwards, Hayden Hewitt, and Ben Holkham squeaks into the prem
Premiership
High game went to Jamie Hayes who down on 1 & 2 (the pot winning pair) shot a 258 and pipped Alan Keddie who shot a 257 to win the high game pot. Despite this high game Jamie sinks back in the championship next season. High series went to young gun Dan Basher Bonfield with a paltry 864 series.
Overall
Every word I write here hurts me ! – The title was battled out between Mark Slo Mo Mark Richardson, Matt Trotter and Paul Loberman. They all bowled on the same pair to heighten the drama. Mark Richardson scored 39pts and that secured him 3rd place in the league. Matt Trotter scored 36pts which I think was lower than his previous lowest, so no improvement to his overall point tally… but I’ve been saying we needed to watch that lurker Loberman who this week scored 42 points and dropped a 15 so a gain of 27points and that saw him take the premiership title !
A very decent 10 week league cycle that saw me pay out £1268.50 !
We go straight into season 14 next week – I’m missing out season 13 for superstitious reasons ! – if you fancy bowling, come along next Monday. There is zero commitment with this league. You can play as often or a little as you like. If you want to win a cash prize at the end of the season you have to bowl a minimum of 6 weeks – but if you just want to turn up every now and then and have a bowl you’re more then welcome.
Penultimate week of season 12… things getting spicey ! Firstly, we must thank Laura whose birthday it is on Friday for bringing in the cakes. Happy 50th for Friday Laura. Though personally I was disappointed with the “jammy joeys” – they contained no Jam !
Championship
It was another good week for Spencer Edwards an 847 set giving him the series pot and 52pts propelling him up the league. But the high game pot went to Hayden Hewitt with a 252 – he is rinsing up the pots in the championship.
Overall
With one week to go… Roger Hurst had a bad week but continues to lead the league on 253pts from Ben Holkham. Ben’s meant to be holiday next week, but don’t surprised if he hires a jet to bring him back for Monday night bowling… this league title means a lot to him. Skulking there in 3rd is Spencer 5pts behind Roger – but he has a much lower dropper then Roger. Spencer has a 28pts dropper … so he needs 34pts next week and hope Roger doesn’t score more than his lowest dropper of 37pts.
There are 3 bowlers who could be getting promoted next season based on their average, Ben, Spencer, and Hayden.
Premiership
Darren Fox was a lucky man… He won the high series pot by a pin from Mark Slow Mo Richardson with a 916 and he won the high game pot by a pin with a 257 with Matt Nash having a 256. What difference a day makes, as Darren averaged 138 in the county finals… I say averaged… he only actually bowled one game !
Overall
A dark horse ,,, Mark Richardson sneaking up in 2nd and is 13pts behind the leader Matt Trotter. But Mark is in tip top form and has a lower dropper then Matt. Then you got to consider Lobbers there lurking like a proper dungeon creeper in 3rd place with a 15pt dropper. He’s 19 pts behind Matt in 1st… so if he scores 35pts and Matt doesn’t score more then his lowest dropper, which is 37pts then Lobbers can take the title… so I think I speak for the whole league when I say … c’mon Matt you can do it !!
So plenty of permutations in the final week… if you fancy bowling then drop in next Monday, you can join the league at any point in the season. The occasional bowler makes a big difference to where the league title goes.
Week 8 – and that means funky pattern week. Which is usually a popular week. Personally, despite the strikes being harder to come by it’s nice to bowl on something a bit different from the house. A chance to use a different bowling ball for a change. I mean I wouldn’t want to bowl on something that hard every week – I’d end up chucking my gear in the river.
The Pattern was the same pattern that Verity Crawley and Hadley Morgan of Team England bowled on last week in the European Championships.
Back bowling this week after an injury enforced absence was Jack Stone.. who passed the injury batten to his brother James who’s out with a nasty bulge.
Championship
Laura Fawcett followed up last weeks good performance with another tonight as she was joint top scorer on 49pts with a consistent 761 set. But she was deprived of a pot by Hayden Hewitt who won the high game pot with a 236 and high series pot with an 809. Hayden now has a 200+ average and looks like he will be bowling in the premiership next season !
Overall
Roger Hurst continues to lead on 253pts, 3 ahead of Ben Holkham who is away for the rest of the season. Up into 3rd is Laura Fawcett.
Premiership
We had 4 bowlers break the 800 barrier, but winning the high series was Mark Slo Mo Richardson who eventually ended up with a 847. High game went to Alan Keddie who in game 3 of dug out a 254 game. Another good performance on lanes 1 & 2 – the myth that is a bad pair is slowly being disproved
Overall
Matt trotter is leading the league from Paul Loberman – But sneaky Old lobbers has a low dropper ! he’s got a 15pt week to drop. 3rd Place is up for grabs with James Stone currently in 3rd but is catchable from the chasing pack of Mark Richardson and Alan Keddie.
Don’t forget to catch up on the action via the twitch channel
https://www.twitch.tv/basherback2back/videos
Week 7 of season 12 – lets get straight into the detail…
Championship
The striker Spencer Edwards was in there like swimwear opening up with 253 then 211 and then a 256 – then defied his harshest critic, his dad Cass, who predicted a 140. No No … Spencer showed him .. and struck out for a 155 last game…Av a load of that Casper ! Spencer won the high game and high series pot, but couldn’t be bothered to collect the winnings as he had to rush off to work as a 100K a year train driver… and the strikes are hitting him hard this year… he might only be able to afford 4 holidays to Dubai this year !
Overall
Roger Hurst is still in the lead by just one point from Ben Holkham – Ben had a bad night on the lanes and said he tried 5 different balls. I pointed out he only owned 3 balls so perhaps this was the cause of his problems. Ben is now on holiday for the rest of the league… a 4 week holiday, maybe Ben is also a train driver ! I can’t see who from the pack can catch Roger ? Which a sad indictment on the rest of the league, a guy who climbs off his death bed every week, and has actually died twice this season…. and one of the times was when he was actually bowling, is winning the league !
Premiership
Basher with a 275 was a semi decent effort, but the high game pot went to Ross Holkham who went front 9 then a 9 / X for a 279 – also shooting a 915 series. The high series pot went to Matt Trotter with a 930 – that’s the first pot he has won this season ! EVEN and I mean EVEN James Stone has won more pots than Trotter this season. Lee Miller hasn’t even won one POT !
Overall
Matt Trotter leads the league on 243 pts, with James Stone in 2nd with Alan Keddie in 3rd. But there’s a lurker in 4th Paul Loberman has only played 5 weeks and is just 42 pts behind Matt, he also has a 15 pts low week to drop.
Don’t forget to watch all the action back on the twitch channel – https://www.twitch.tv/basherback2back
Week 6 – we had a new bowler join us Joe Chang – welcome Joe !
It was a week of high scores – a 276, 279 and 299 ! 5 + 900 sets and 1 1000+ set
Championship
Hayden Hewitt bowling for the first time this season, opened up with a 232 and that was good enough to win him the high game pot. Ben Hollywood Holkham who never misses a 10 pin, well he missed 2 and he had a 826 series. But them 10 pins cost him the high series as Hayden Hewitt completed the clean sweep shooting a 832 series.
Overall.
Roger Hurst (test results back from the doctors – Health MOT passed, he’s good for another year) is top of the league on 247pts. The rest of the field are a week behind and will now start catching up. In 2nd is Ben and in 3rd is Jo Green
Premiership
Mark “slow mo” Richardson opened up with a 279 game which normally is a pot winning score. Lee Miller had a 276 in game… but high game went to James Stone who shot the front 11 then sunk it to the absolute apricots and left a stone cold 8 pin for a 299 ! so unlucky he won’t throw a 12th shot better then that… 99 times outta 100 that would have carried. So no 300 for james but a 2nd pot in a row for James. High series pot went to Mark who shot games 279,230,245,259 for a 1013 series.
STONE cold … https://clips.twitch.tv/DaintyTacitGiraffeMikeHogu-zrRYQxianYEQRpWE
Overall
James after two great weeks is now top of the prem ! Paul Loberman is 28points behind in 2nd, but has a week to catch up yet. In 3rd is Big Mac Macpherson. The average this season in the premiership is 204 – which is pretty good.
Week 5, the halfway point of season 12. Dropping in this week was CJ and the richest orangiest part time lorry driver in the world, the one the only, the legend in his own lunch box Jamie O’dwyer.
Lets get into it..
Championship
Young Alfie re-couped someone more his birthday money that his mum makes him spend on league bowling by winning the high game pot with a 235 in game 2. Young Alfred is finding his way in life, and putting him on a lane next to Laura when she’s wearing tight cycling shorts probably isn’t advisable. It’s going turn him right the other way. High series pot went to Garry Waghorn who put together a nice 817 series.
Overall
Roger Hurst is top at the moment having played every week. Roger might be missing for the next couple of weeks while he recovers from a “small procedure” but we all wish him well and hope he’s back bowling very soon. 2nd is Ben Hollywood Holkham and in is 3rd Alfie Humphrey
Premiership
High game pot went to Tom Langley with a 268. But the night belonged to James Stone. What a performance ! games of 236,248,256,248 for a 988 series and 56 points … smashed it. Obviously it was his “friend” Ross that holds him back, as Ross weren’t bowling this week.
Overall
James now leads the premiership but has played a week more then Matt Trotter in 2nd and Paul Loberman in 3rd.
Week 4 of season 12
A lower than usual turnout this week. But that’s what this league is all about – the flexibility to dip in and dip out, no commitment. If you fancy bowling then come on down, if you don’t chill at home.
Championship
High game went to youngster Alfie Humphrey who had to spend his own birthday money to bowl ! – so at least he got some of it back. Alfie shot a 244, and he nearly won the high series… but Roger Hurst went and beat him by 1 pin shooting a 754.
Overall
Roger is leading the league by 37 points from Ben Holkham. But Ben has bowled a week less. In 3rd is currently Richard Parker.
And I leave the championship report on the bombshell that Robert Yandell dropped… Rob came out from the closest last night telling everyone he is actually a 100% lesbian !
Premiership
Lee Miller the pin Killer opened with a 256 then a 220 – then beamed a houseball down to clear a pin the gutter, which injured his wrist and he had to WD ! – what a tool ! Lobbers went 9 miss, 11 in a row for a 279 to win the high game pot and that also helped him shoot a 945 to complete the clean sweep. Tom Langley also shot a decent 912 series.
Overall
Matt Trotter has opened up a big gap up the top and is 35 points ahead of James Stone in 2nd with Big MacMcpherson in 3rd.
Clip of the week….
Tom Langley going in the behind the headpin for 10…
https://clips.twitch.tv/TemperedQuaintTardigradeOhMyDog-7mNXer9Pr_XcMK8n
Week 3 of season 12
Young Harrison Kropelnicki dropped in for a bowl. And we we’re treated to some sugary snacks to celebrate young Alfie’s 12th birthday … he’s growing up into a man and will soon start getting hairs in funny places and tucking his balls into his socks
Championship
It was a poor night in the championship only one bowler breaking 700 – and that happened to be Harrison. Not only breaking 700 but actually hitting an 817 set with a 230 game to win both the high series and high game pots.
But STOP I almost forgot…… Rob Durrant went and had a 211 game…..
Instead of clips of the week…. This week its STAT of the week…. Two stats were supplied to me !
- Ben Holkham missed a 10pin… and he claimed it was the first 10pin he had missed in 50 games ! – I called BS on that.. but he backed it up by showing me his stats on tenpin toolkit….. he then missed 3 others 10pins ! so personally, I think his stats aint worth a w**k
- Robs 211 is his highest game since April 1988 !!! – you can’t even make that up, so it has to be true.
Overall
Still early days, but despite a bad night Ben Holkham remains top, with the grim reaper Roger Hurst in 2nd and Gerry Wrathall in 3rd.
Premiership
What a night, the cream finally rising to the top in this league
Matt Trotter with a 257 first game and an 897 series, Alan Keddie with a 278 and an 894 series… I mean it’s good, but it’s not BASHER good. Basher rinsed up the pocket in the 4th game, staying calm and focussed he pounded it hard for a 279 and 904 series to win both pots !! YES my kids can eat real human food and not dog food this week
Overall
Trotter top by 21pts with Alan Keddie in 2nd and James Stone bowling well in 3rd place.
Still some space in this weekends Mixed Trios Tournament – if you want a sneaky late entry then click here https://events.btba.org.uk/tournament-details?recordId=recJGEPGuOJGt8gXd
Week 2 of season 12 – firstly massive congratulations to Lee Miller and his partner Lizzie Love Puff on the arrival of baby Annabelle. Lee taking his fatherly duties seriously by getting bubba to sleep whilst watching last nights stream… lets face it our bowling will send anyone to sleep.
In other news… Rob Yandell might still be trying to park his car… which is the longest car in the world… imagine a stretched hearse ! we pulled up alongside each other last night… I went in to the bowl, chatted, done the times crossword, then went back out to the carpark and Rob was still trying to get into the parking space – he reckons his new car has too many sensors and camera’s on and he gets confused.
Championship
Basically the night belonged to Ben Hollywood Holkham. Ben’s had a tough couple of seasons but it seems he’s coming through the other side and started to score well again. Ben won the high game pot with a 253 and took the high series pot as well with a 857.
Overall
Ben’s top and with a 206 average… with Roger Hurst still breathing and alive (just) in 2nd.
Premiership
18 bowlers in the premiership meant it was hard to win decent points, with any game short of 200 not scoring any points. Steve Allardyce said he felt a big one inside him…… he also thought he would bowl well. And he was right shooting a 921 series to take the high series pot. But the high game went to Jack Stone who shot a 279 in game 2
Overall
Matt Trotter in the early lead, with Allardyce in 2nd – but will Steve get his 6 weeks in. Jack Stone in 3rd but again will Jack play 6 weeks… he likes to disappear for a couple of weeks every season for random “fishing” trips with other men…
I’m moving “funky pattern” week forward to next Monday – as I want to lay a pattern I MAY use for the Bedfordshire Mixed Trios tournament the following weekend…
If you want to enter that tournament we have 4 spaces on the Saturday and 2 on the Sunday – entry form is here – https://events.btba.org.uk/tournament-details?recordId=recJGEPGuOJGt8gXd
Clips of the week….
Ross sends the head pin on a journey
https://clips.twitch.tv/VastMagnificentUdonBabyRage-lE9ss45voUklp9vi
POWER CUT
https://clips.twitch.tv/DifficultMiniatureBunnyPMSTwin-tdNE0wSHNJb3vMn_
Stone cold
https://clips.twitch.tv/CrowdedOriginalBaboonBibleThump-AeS5F4dbW2MW_whS
Week 1 of a brand new season in the drop in singles league. We’re now in season 12. This week Sukky and Bat Hulk Russell Snipper dropped in and joined the regulars for a bowl.
Championship
Rob Yandell, once won a Tenpin Tour event, but doesn’t like to talk about it – well Rob started off stroking it up there… I think one of Rob’s main strengths is his hair ! – he has great hair… TV hair… I think he is the Kilroy Silk of senior bowling. Anyway… strike 9 / six in a row and he’s looking to have his highest ever game… then …. Open Open in frames 9 and 10 for a 225. The high score kinda fizzled out, but Rob had the consolation of winning the high game pot and £12 in his back burner. Ben Hollywood Holkham opened with a 205,205,205 – that’s not a copy and paste error he really did have 3 205’s in a row ! he finished of his set with a 180 and his 795 set gave him the high series pot.
Premiership
I gave big mac the choice of any lane to bowl to… he chooses the pair that had Mark slo mo Richardson and Lobbers on… as a consequence they are probably still bowling their 4 game block. Poor Alfie was on their lane as well… it was commented that he be starting university before he finished the 4-game block. He was a fresh-faced adolescent when he started bowling … by the time he finished he had a full beard and was a divorced dad of two. Anyway.. Lobbers did manage to finish 4 games and he shot a 957 which gave him the series pot.. he also thought he had won the high game pot with a 266.. and I took great delight in saying that Sukky had beaten him with a 268 ! UnnnnnnLucky….
Clips of the WEEK !!!!
Finesse from Bat Hulk – https://clips.twitch.tv/WiseEntertainingMangoSaltBae-LAWT_fwAvnca6Nqh
Check out the spare on lane 9 from Dickie Parker – https://clips.twitch.tv/AltruisticJollyHornetCmonBruh-rO9jkr5CX-UTHOyG
I want to make you are of a BTBA Championship Tour I’m running at Dunstable on September 30th and October 1st – it’s got a handicap and scratch prize fund, pot games, money shots… all the usual nonsense
You can enter here https://events.btba.org.uk/tournament-details?recordId=recJGEPGuOJGt8gXd
