Dorchester Pic 'n' Mix 361 Daves Peanuts 330

Dorchester mixed skittle team Pic 'n' Mix qualified for the Grand Finals of the Blackthorn British Skittles Championship mixed competition when they beat Daves Peanuts at the Colliton Club.

The Colliton side clinched their place with one match to play and will now be competing in the Grand Finals at the Riviera International Conference Centre, Torquay on Saturday 18th September.

The home side started with a 58 hand, but the visitors adapted to the alley and hit 56 to only trail by 2.

Pic 'n' Mix hit 1 more on the second hand, but the 59 could have been more if Terry Gosney had not boltered his stick up. The Somerset side replied with 55 to put the home side 6 up.

The home side skittled well to hit 61, but the Peanuts cameback to only lose 2 pins with a 59 hand, as the home went 8 pins in front.

Dorchester Pic 'n' Mix hit their best of the night on the fourth hand with a 64, and when the visitors could only manage 51 the match was as good as over as the home side went 21 pins up.

Man of the match Brian Newton hit a 15 stick up for the home side, but the Dorchester outfit could only manage a 62 hand, Peanuts Les Hawes got his sides only stick up, an 11 as his side hit 59, to only lose 3 more pins, as the gap went to 24 pins.

The home side hit their worst hand of the night on their final throw, a 57, but still pulled 7 pins as the away side hit 50, to win the match by 31 pins.

Top score for Pic 'n' Mix was Brian Newton with 55, while Les Hawes was top for Peanuts with 48.