The race for the Continental Bowling League title was forced into a holding pattern this week as the highly anticipated summit clash between the Nifty Rollers and the Under Dawgs was postponed. With the first and second-placed sides unable to take to the lanes at Warwick, the chasing pack seized the opportunity to consolidate their positions in what is becoming an increasingly congested top four.
The Odd Balls were the primary beneficiaries of the leaders' absence, moving to cement their third-place standing with a clinical performance against the Astronauts. In a high-stakes battle between third and fourth, the Odd Balls proved too consistent for their rivals, securing an eighteen-nine victory. The result provides the Odd Balls with crucial breathing room as they look to pressure the top two, while the Astronauts will be left to rue a missed opportunity to climb the ladder.
Further down the standings, the fifth-placed Cubs continued their fine run of form with a dominant display against Spicenix. The Cubs showed no signs of slowing down, dismantling the seventh-placed side with a comprehensive twenty-two to five scoreline. The victory ensures the Cubs remain firmly in the hunt for a podium finish, while Spicenix remain mired in the bottom half of the table following a difficult evening on the lanes.
The most closely contested match of the week took place in the lower half of the table, where New Hope secured a vital win to boost their survival hopes. In a nail-biting encounter, eighth-placed New Hope managed to edge out The Invaders by the narrowest of margins, finishing with a fourteen-thirteen victory.
The result sees New Hope gain ground on the sixth-placed Invaders, who will be disappointed to have come away with nothing from such a tightly fought contest. With ninth-placed Sunset on a scheduled bye week, all eyes now turn to the rescheduling of the top-of-the-table fixture which could decide the ultimate destination of the league trophy.
High Scratch Games
Women
Melissa Botelho 214, Terrika Simmons 181, Jennifer Stovell 177
Men
Dennis Joell 236, Christopher Leverock 226, Anthony Smith & Kevin Swan 213
High Scratch Series
Women
Melissa Botelho 553, Jennifer Stovell 512, Susie Bradshaw 462
Men
Dennis Joell 638, Kevin Swan 599, Dwayne Trott 580
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