A DEFENDING two-time national skittles champions, Wiltshire Wonders of Melksham, are top of their group at the halfway stage of the national title, taking on three previous winners.
The Wonders are top of their group – known as the group of death as three previous national winners stand in the team’s way to victory. They are currently on one home win, two away wins and an away loss.
Their first trip was an away match to Sharpness near Gloucester, which turned out to be a tough alley to score on, with the hosts coming out on top 221-204 (221 being 5 pin off of the alley record).
Next came their first home game against Nibs, who beat the Wonders in the 2011 final to lift the national trophy. It was a close match that saw a narrow victory for the Wonders, 332-323.
Match three was an away trip to former champions, Weston St.John’s and to an alley on which the hosts had never lost. However, the Wiltshire team came away with a massive four points, winning by two pins, 359-361.
Their final match, to bring them to the half-way stage, saw a short trip to Chippenham Cricket Club to play The Passing Shots. This game went ‘spare crazy’ with 13 spares and a win of 110 pins ending in a score of 344-454. Mark Wiltshire scored 3 spares with an individual total of 76.
Now, Wiltshire Wonders are top of their group on 11 points, with one away and three home games left to play.