THE wooden spoon play-off final in the Wellington Ex-Services Skittles League was staged at the Cottage Inn, where the bottom sides of the Chris Bullock and Gerald Thorne divisions went head to head, with Home Guard IV beating Report Centre A by 45 pins.

The captains, Colin Selwood (RCA) and Simon Davey (HGIV), met in the alley to toss the coin and RCA won and elected to skittle first. The highlights for RCA in the first three hands were John Cottrell’s 14 spare to start the second hand, along with tidy skittling by David Bennett who did well to pick up his pins. They left Home Guard IV with scores of 44, 61 and 53 to chase.

Pete Readings led the way for Home Guard IV with a fourteen and a thirteen spare in his first two hands. Gary ‘Chalkie’ White hit a great 17 spare to close out a mammoth second hand for the Thursday night side, and Greg Harrison hit a fourteen spare in the third hand. HGIV scored 61, 73 and 53 to enjoy a 29-pin lead at halfway.

Chances were harder to come by in the second half for RCA, but David Bennett hit a 12 spare in the fourth hand, and Colin Selwood, also hit a twelve spare in the final hand. RCA knocked 51, 50 and 51 to record a total of 310. Bennett took the top score for RCA with 46.

Home Guard IV only needed 31s to claim the win. Pete Spencer hit a tidy fourteen spare in hand four, the only spare for HGIV in the second half, but there was nonstop cheering as they chased down their target to record a total of 355. Pete Readings hit 57 for HGIV, supported by Greg Harrison and Pete Spencer who both scored solid 51s. Report Centre A 310, Home Guard IV 355.