Hat-trick history for the Moonrakers

A MELKSHAM skittles team swept the board at a recent weekend tournament involving teams from Wales and six English counties. 

The Wiltshire Moonrakers won all three trophies at a ‘Serious About Events skittles’ weekend in Bournemouth. In what has been described as a ‘bowlover’, the Wiltshire Moonrakers won the team event, as well as taking the highest men’s and women’s scorers cups.   

The women’s cup resulted in a tie on 59 pins, between sisters Heidi Agg and Vicky Murton, both of course playing for the Moonrakers. They decided to share the trophy rather than have a play off. Moonrakers’ Rich Clifford completed the stunning hat trick by winning the men’s highest scorer cup also scoring 59 points. 

“We’ve been running these events now for nearly 30 years and we simply can’t remember when a team won all three trophies,” said Rachel Hosking, co-director of Serious About Events.  “The team rocked up some amazing scores, including winning one match by 115 pins.  Their dominance of the competition was never in doubt.” 

The Moonrakers travelled to Bournemouth in Dorset where they faced 14 other teams who had journeyed from Wales and six English counties for the grand weekend competition. 

It was apparent from the start that the Moonrakers were owning the whole tournament.  They won their first game by 89 pins and a subsequent Saturday afternoon match by a staggering 115 pins, clinching their place in the Sunday final. There they carried on their winning streak with a huge score of 475 beating the nearest opposition by 52 pins.  

Captain Elaine Lewis put the secret of their success down to cocktails, or rather downing them. She said, “My daughters Heidi and Vicky and their husbands and teammates Pete and Dave decided to try a few cocktails. These seemed to be much enjoyed and I think everyone relaxed.  I have never known us all play so well.” 

Half of the Moonrakers play for various teams in the Melksham Skittles League and the rest join the Serious About Events weekend tournaments every year.  

“We’ve been playing in these tournaments for 23 years now and this is our fourth win,” said Elaine. “Ironically last time we competed, before lockdown, in 2019, we won by just one pin. This time we decided if we won it shouldn’t be so close. And so we did.  It was a wonderful weekend.  We had gorgeous weather and these amazing scores.” 

For more information on the tournament series please visit www.seriousaboutevents.co.uk