HAVING won all four of their matches in qualifying, the Motley Crew are through to the knockout stages of the Butcombe British Championship and a step closer to the finals in Torquay.

GAZELLES 316 MOTLEY CREW 370

THE Crew travelled to Yeovil for their return match against the Gazelles.

The home side started out by hitting 53, but the Crew, hungry for another win, began with stickups from Jason Pring (15) and Andy Mowlam (14) to give them a hand of 70.

Another 53 was recorded by the Gazelles in hand two, though the visitors replied with 63 and a 14- pin stickup from David Clark.

Into the third, and the Yeovil lads continued fighting back with a hand of 58. However, the Crew kept their foot on the gas and hit back with 66 thanks to a 14-pin stickup from Andy Rosewell.

Trailing by 35, the hosts scored 51 with their fourth hand before the Crew fired 57 to lead by 40 with two legs to go.

Going into the final hand the Gazelles knew they faced a mammoth task to beat the Weymouth men. They only hit only 47 and the Crew’s 58 gave them the win.

MOWERS 348 MOTLEY CREW 361

MOTLEY Crew’s last match in the first round saw them travel to Wellington for the return encounter with the Mowers.

The Mowers started out with a good hand of 58 and the Crew struggled to find their feet as they could only amass 47.

Into the second, and the Mowers continued with a steady hand of 55. Motley dug deep with 74 in what was to be the biggest hand of the night.

This was due to stickups from Simon Dagger (14) and Andy Rosewell (12).

Motley’s lead of eight was cut by two after the next, with the hosts hitting 61 with a 15 stickup. Motley responded with 59, including a 13-pin stickup from David Clark.

The fourth hand saw stickups from the Mowers’ first and last man, giving them a hand of 64.

The visitors could only retaliate with 47 so the home side now led by 11. Steady skittling in the fifth from the Wellington side saw them hit 52, though the Crew hit back with 67 and another stickup (14) from Clark.

Mowers’ final hand totalled 58 but the Crew dug deep as Dagger (14) and Gary Blake (12) gave them another whopping hand of 68 and victory by 13.

The Crew now face The Saints from St Thomas Social Club in Exeter.