COMPETITION was fierce when the final matches of the season for Crediton and District Skittle League were played at the Waie Inn, Zeal Monachorum on Saturday evening.

For the fourth time and third consecutive year, Ian Bond of Alley Kings won the Captain’s Cup with Neil Brimilcombe (Outlaws) as runner up.

Player of the Year was Keith Bird (Moonlighters) with last year’s winner, Iain Tapp (Yokels) runner up.

In the Ladies Individual, the winner was Jan Arthur (Crediton Pirates), Sally Endacott-Phillips (Spudlers) was runner up.

For the Men’s Individual, winner was Graham Blackburn (Newton Winklers) with David Searle (Runaways) runner up.

The Ladies Rose Bowl was won by Gill Balkwill (Izzit Me) with the Men’s Rose Bowl won by Nick Ashweek (Alley Kings).

In the Pairs, the winners were Jamie Davies and Bob Filby (New Winklers) with Graham Rounsley and Charles Lyon (Outlaws) runners up.

The Harry Barnes Shield was won for the third consecutive year by Cricketers. They have won the shield six times altogether and been runners up twice. They did not have trophies but instead gave the value, £165, to the British Heart Foundation. Runners up were Livewires.

The Chris Taylor cup was won by Newton Winklers for the second consecutive year with Yokels runners up,

For the second consecutive year, Ian Bond won the cup for the Highest Average. The trophy for the Most Improved Team was won by Them and Us.

A new cup in memory of past players was won by Pathfinders with Shobrookers as runners up. This presentation was made by Esther Bradford.

League winners were: Division One, Cricketers, who chose not to have trophies but donated £165 to the British Lung Foundation. This was their eighth consecutive year of winning and the ninth win overall plus being runners ups twice.

Division One runners up were Runaways, another team who chose not to have trophies but, instead, donated £77.50 to Chiddenbrook Surgery League of Friends and £77.50 to Cancer Services care of Cherrybrook Ward, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. The wooden spoon was won by United Crediton.

Division Two winners were Them and Us, runners up were Woodpeckers with the wooden spoon taken by Cygnets.

Division Three winners were Hell’s Bells, runners up were Yokels with the wooden spoon taken by Izzit Me.

The league’s annual meeting will be held on June 6 at 8pm in Buccaneer’s Bar.

By Sue Read