WESTBURY’S skittles league saw a dramatic end to the season as long standing champs the ‘Royal A’s saw their 17-year table topping marathon broken by just half a point.
The taste of success was sweeter than ever for members of the Westbury Ranger skittles team who claimed the first division cup after ending almost 20 years of dominance by the Royal A’s.
Slinking into pole position, the Rangers pin-men collected the five points they needed to win in their last game of the season.
Long standing team member Shaun Gardiner said, “Royal A had played two nights before us so we knew what had to be done.
“It was touch and go all season, them then us, them then us – it was tough!
“We always said to them when we started that we’d knock them off their perch and now we have!”
Westbury Rangers joined the league’s fourth division in 1988 with most of the current line-up being finalised in 1990 when two Rangers teams joined together. Since then it has been a long hard climb to the top for the team who has steadily worked their way up the table, while making sure their feet stayed firmly on the ground.
“We don’t take it seriously like some of the teams do,” said Shaun, admitting that the team strategy for order of play was decided by drawing playing cards before a match.
Gracious in victory, team skipper Joe ‘bottle’ Bailey said, “You’ve got to hand it to them; they’re a good team. Seventeen years is a long time!”
