BASHERS have avoided relegation from Division A in the Blackdown Hills Skittles League after gaining a thrilling home victory in their last match of the winter against Pitch Plate Rejects.

They squeezed home by six pins, enabling them to stay up in the top division by one point - which means Black Run Bandits, who beat Jacks of all Trades by 28 pins, are relegated along with Floppers who finished five points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Meanwhile, Division B champions Queens Knockers finished in style with a 54-pin home success against Novices, while runners up Wobbly Wheels also won their last match, beating Hopefuls away by 17 pins.

Flopper Knockers drew their third match of the season, when they fought out a stalemate (359-359) at home to Catherine Wheel.

Positions - Division A winners Hairy Ringers, runners up One 4 the Ditch. Relegated Black Run Bandits, Floppers. Division B winners Queens Knockers, runners up Wobbly Wheels.

Results - Division A: Floppers 398 (B Looker 64), Right up your Alley 414 (C Gibbs 69); Dam Busters 430 (R Barnes 75), One for the Ditch 373 (D Turner 62); Sociables 335 (Sheep 61), Hairy Ringers 362 (R Pulman 54); Bashers 406 (B Kingston, J Palmer 67), Pitch Plate Rejects 400 (S Gover 67); Pinpricks 328 (R Dobson 57), Brass Monkeys 360 (S Bates 57); Black Run Bandits 405 (J Down, B Peters 62), Jacks of all Trades 377 (W Scott 66).

Division B: Winch Em Out 299 (S Dowson 51), Kings 368 (T Brown 64); Queens Knockers 397 (G Richards 67), Novices 343 (P Howard 58); Flopper Knockers 359 (P Wood 58), Catherine Wheel 359 (A Doble 55); Hopefuls 338 (K Pinder 59), Wobbly Wheels 355 (O Risdon 55); High Flyers 277 (P Every 51), Eezners 271 (C Houghton 46); Half Moon 333 (G Stallard 53), Thirsty Farmers 312 (R Bennett 61).