League fixtures took a back seat as the Doubles Competition got underway. The 26 pairs entered were formed into 7 groups with games played on a round robin basis. Only group winners and the best runner up would qualify for the quarter finals.

Group A ended with Luke Saunders & Craig Ellis (Engineers) and Tim Jones & Jamie McGill (Lodge Farmers) locked at the top on 6 points each. The Engineers’ pair qualified though having scored  just 6 more pins than the Farmers’ duo.

Frank and Sue Morris (Lodge Farmers) scored consistently well (111 & 110 pins respectively) to win all their games for a maximum return of 8 points and easily qualify for the last eight from group B.

Another Farmers’ duo in group C, Andy Rumble & Rachel Morris, also took maximum points for a comfortable journey into the quarter finals with each of them having a 17 pin stack in totals of 94 and 90 pins respectively. Mick Stanton (Jumbo Jets) also scored well with 92 including two stacks of 14.

Qualifying easily from group D with maximum points were Angela Guest & Dave Orton (C&G Show) with Orton making an 11 stack in a total of 80 pins. Other bowlers in the group making stacks were Jim Child (Nomads) with a 12 and Charlie Few (The Borough) with two stacks of 11.

James Marshal and Alan Cummings (Nomads), won each of their group E games to register maximum points and qualify for the last eight. Marshal and Cummings made stacks of 12 & 10 respectively. Craig Sears, with a stack of 10, and Mark Ganderton (Engineers) also qualified as the best runners up with four points as they had a superior pin total over the group G runners up.

Ian Greenway & Maurice Wroe (Engineers) dropped only one point in qualifying from group F as Greenway scored 129 (14 stack). Farmers’ Richard & Lynne Long (Lodge Farmers) finished a close second but were always behind on pins despite Richard Long scoring 115 (13 & 12 stacks).

Group G was a tight affair with three pairs finishing on 4 points each. But by scoring just 5 pins more,  Rob & Len Quartly (Jumbo Jets) edged through over Paul & John Clifton (Engineers). Both Rob Quartly and John Clifton had a stack of 14 pins.

For a list of full group tables and results click here.