KEVIN Sedgebeer, of Reservists, has pulled off a splendid double by winning both the singles and pairs championships in the Wellington Ex-Services Skittles League.
A thrilling finals night on the Institute alley saw Sedgebeer crowned Cyril Hicks Singles Champion after a evening of top-quality skittling.
Steve Trevelyan had set the early standard with a superb 58 in the quarter-finals along with Rob Higgs (55), Sedgebeer (54), and Andy Chappell (51).
The players to miss out were Darren Sparks (45), James May (43) and Paul Beer (43) while John Lane was unable to attend.
In the last four Trevelyan and Sedgebeer edged through with steady hands of 51 and 50, setting up a mouth-watering final. Chappell and Higgs both played well, but their scores of 45 were not enough to force their way through to the final two.
Despite trailing Trevelyan in the earlier rounds, Sedgebeer saved his best for last, hitting a strong 54 to overcome Trevelyan’s 49 and clinch the title. It was a brilliant display by the Reservists’ player, overcoming one of the league’s very best to lift the prestigious shield.
Fresh from his singles success, Sedgebeer completed a dream week by winning the Harryt Dowson Pairs Cup at the Cottage along with Reservists’ teammate Darren Sparks.
The duo stormed through the preliminary round with a 20-pin win over All Stars: Liam Desborough and Tyler Cox, hitting the night’s highest score in the process. The win set up an all Reservists’ semi-final against Phil Powell and Glen Escott, which Sparks and Sedgebeer won by 26 pins.
In the other semi-final, Hot Shots’ pairing of Edd Chivers and Alex Govier edged through by a single pin against Cottage Pies’ Lee Ellis and Paul Robinson, thanks to a crucial 14-spare from Chivers in the opening hand.
In the final, Sparks and Sedgebeer proved too strong once again, powering to a 21-pin victory over Chivers and Govier to seal the title and cap a fantastic week for Reservists - and particularly Sedgebeer.
Meanwhile, King Pins signed off for the season in the Chris Bulluck Championship with a three pin win over United Services on the upstairs alley of the Victoria Arms, with Shane Powell hitting a splendid 52 for the home side. Phil John knocked the highest score of the match with a splendid 57, although it was not enough to inspire his side to victory as they fell just short of the King Pins’ total. King Pins 360, United Services 357.
In the Gerald Thorne Championship, Relyon were 13-pin winners over Shooters at the Conservative Club. Jason Hayes hit 52 for the Bedders, while Richard Cox knocked 48 for Shooters. Relyon 312, Shooters 299.
Fixtures for Friday, May 2 - Gerald Thorne Championship: Club Rockers v Holywell Lake (Rockwell Green Institute), Cottage Pies v Oaks (Cottage Inn); Fireguard A v Relyon (Wellington Football Club), Hot Shots v Home Guard II (Conservative Club, downstairs), OBA v Bell Green (Victoria Arms, upstairs), Report Centre A v Rebels (White Horse Inn, Bradford on Tone), Shooters v Reservists (Victoria Arms, downstairs).
May 9: Bell Green v Shooters (Victoria Arms, upstairs), Holywell Lake v OBA (Victoria Arms, downstairs), Home Guard II v Club Rockers (Wellington Football Club), Queens Legs v Report Centre A (Conservative Club, upstairs), Rebels v Hot Shots (Cottage Inn), Relyon v Cottage Pies (Conservative Club, downstairs), Reservists v Fireguard A (Rockwell Green Institute).