MARK Hills of the Taxis notched the highest gents' score of the season in the Torquay Skittle League with 79.

Taxis from Division Four defeated bottom side Psalms 428-353.

Captain Pete Wilson finished with 73, which included a 23 spare, but Hills capped that with 79. His scores were 16, 7, 16, 16, 15, and nine. Jim Mounce top scored for Psalms with 52.

Taxis trail leaders Babbacombe B by just two points now after they lost to previous bottom side Dirty Habits 365-370. Barbara Buck top scored with 57 for Babbacombe and Ian Broom 55 for Habits.

The highest lady score this week was by Jill Powell of Guys & Dolls with 61.

Despite Powell's efforts, Guys & Dolls lost to Strikers by just two pins, going down by 399-396. Strikers penultimate leg of 71 made all the difference. Margaret Riley made 58 for Strikers.

Royals missed their chance to go level at the top of Division Six with Guys & Dolls and Crusaders after only drawing with Fixed Spools on 355 each.

Chris Short notched 55 for Royals and Kim West made 57 for Fixed Spools.

Keewees extended their lead at the top of Division One to three points after defeating Sports 374-385. Second-placed Tippers lost at home to the Wolves 376-391. Keewees' captain Jim Heard lead the way for them with 61 and Steve Davey notched 67 for Wolves.

At the bottom Old Ilminsterians won only their second match of the season defeating Barton Blues 410-399. Janet Clements top scored with 60 for Old Ilmins and Bill Harris made 63 for Blues.

Mayfield find themselves four points adrift at the bottom of Division Three after losing to Fixits 356-365 and Torquay Blues won.

George Willcox made 56 for the losers and Sarah Griffin an impressive 60 for Fixits.

Torquay Blues defeated A Team 406-343. Les Davies with 55 for Blues and Keith Clark with 49 for A Team were the top scorers.

RESULTS

DIVISION ONE: Sports 374 (A Nichol 52), Keewees 385 (J Heard 61); The Pits 395 (S Bovey 60), Willows 406 (P Bastow 62); Trojans 392 (L Hargreaves 58), Torquay Reds 352 (C Fraser 56); Tippers 376 (A Hewings 53), Wolves 391 (S Davey 67); Old Ilminsterians 410 (J Clements 60), Barton Blues 399 (B Harris 63).

DIVISION TWO: Magnificent Eight 373 (B Norman 58), Newcomers 361 (B Finson 55); Hookies 398 (P Field 61), New Image 384 (P Glover 52); Kirkham Lions 372 (R Blaynee 59), Pinnacles 405 (C Simmonds 64); Rodbenders 362 (B Ellis 55), Out N Sticks 407 (B Griffiths 63).

DIVISION THREE: Babbacombe CC C 349 (R Hiscock/S Baker 47), After Eights 394 (J Hughes 58); Torquay Blues 406 (L Davies 55), A Team 343 (K Clarke 49); Mayfield 356 (G Wilcox 56), Fixits 365 (S Griffin 60).

DIVISION FOUR: Babbacombe CC B 365 (B Buck 57), Dirty Habits 370 (I Broom 55); Rockets 84 374 (S Bell 53), Flower Power 378 (N Luscombe 55); Taxis 428 (M Hills 79), Psalms 353 (J Mounce 52); Skylarks 380 (B Bright 60), Moxhams 399 (P Beeks 69).

DIVISION FIVE: Odds & Sods 352 (E McCormack 53), Roadrunners 378 (L Eccott 54); Cherries 371 (L Sharland 60), Gasheads 363 (G Isaac 54); Gold Tops 354 (S Moir 53), Whistlers 364 (P Weaver 58).

DIVISION SIX: Royals 355 (C Short 55), Fixed Spools 355 (K West 57); Legion Golds 342 (K Masters 49), Tigers 347 (P Badham/T Parrott 47); Strikers 398 (M Riley 58), Guys And Dolls 396 (J Powell 61).

DIVISION SEVEN: Syndicate 357 (P O'Neill 54), Ferrets 317 (P Spear/T Colling 45); Renes Rebels 409 (E Godfrey 69), White Rockers 362 (L McCaig 53); Dodgers 352 (J Bowie 57), Dolly Birds 337 (V Harvey 50); Pisces 361 (C Bills 54), B L Evergreens 385 (R Hughes 56).

DIVISION EIGHT: Oddfellows 343 (T Willoughby 51), Angels 322 (P Costello 47); Coxs N Oars 297 (A Mabin 46), Alley Katzs 361 (B White 56); PPC 345 (I Garner 54), Three Links 348 (K Spragg 54); Royal Warriors 351 (R Capel 61), The Crew 231 (M Glover 67).

TOP scoring men's team in the Totnes League were the Fords with 501 in their victory over the Offcuts.

Top individual score was Mark Northway from the Wizzards, who scored 111 to help his team to victory over the Swashbucklers.

Two players got double floppers, one of them being a maximum 27. Malcolm Lee of the Offcuts got 27 during the seventh end in their match against the Fords.

The other double flopper went too John Parnell of the Screwdrivers, who scored a 22 in their victory over the Flying W's.

The Berries were the top-scoring ladies' teams this week with 312 in their victory over the Outsiders. One other team scored 300-plus. They were the Singles with 302.

Top individual score from the ladies' league was Cherry Paul of the Berries with 92 in the game against the Outsiders.

Players and league officials have been saddened to learn that long serving committeeman George Stroud has died.

George also played for the Panthers for 30 years during which time he won the men's pairs with partner David Routley, helped his team to win Division Two and Three as well as getting himself into the top ten averages to earn himself a place in the Totnes Team for the Devon County competition.

RESULTS

MEN'S DIVISION ONE: Fords 501 (D Gray & B Sharland 96), Offcuts 465 (M Lee 91); Bric a Bracs 455 (M Lehuray 84), Pilgrims 461 (K Worth 95); Flying Ws 456 (D Rowe 85), Screwdrivers 472 (D Boon 89); Warriors 414 (L Steer 86), Shot 458 (R Murch 85); Wizzards 475 (M Northway 111), Swashbucklers 457 (A J Bligh & V Sercombe 84); Woodpeckers 445 (C Watts 90), Wrecks 460 (K Hyland 96).

MEN'S DIVISION TWO: R.F.C. 451 (A Guy 88), Lions 428 (V Smith 85); Millers 443 (A Rowe 90), Rat Tails 464 (S Sutcliffe 88); Saints 418 (L Bligh 79), Tri ards 461 (S Robinson 91); Wasps 439 (M Morrish 88), Station 31 438 (NHolmes 83); Panthers 435 (J Derbyshire & M Monaghan 77), Wingers 419 (C Jones 92).

LADIES' DIVISION ONE: Care Bears 285 (A Life 78), Gems 287 (J Hingston 79); Berries 312 (C Paul 92), Outsiders 292 (K Rodgers 76); Westons 270 (S Cox 78), Alley Cats 261 (S Neville 73); Wagtails 285 (S Tomas 87), Odds and Sods 294 (V McGall 81).

LADIES' DIVISION TWO: Fordetts 271 (L Sharland 74), Hopelasses 285 (P Pound 76); Otters 273 (L Salter 75), Misfits 287 (S Lethbridge 83); Diamonds 266 (M Sherriff & S Edwards 70), Rocketts 278 (S Janes 83); Allsorts 285 (K Watson 88), Singles 302 (L Harris 78).

LADIES' DIVISION THREE: All Stars 259 (L Edmonds & H Jeffery 69), Follies 280 (S Crimp 78); Ladybirds 243 (R Binmore 66), Meadowbrooks 271 (A Robinson 75); Seekers 255 (A Boyle 74), Novices 264 (T Veale 71); Renegades 261 (R Evans 73), Urchins 256 (W Milford 75).

LADIES' RECORDS: (team score) Allsorts 351, (individual score) C Harrison 109, (highest spare) K Watson 26.

MEN'S RECORDS: (team score) Shot 561, (individual score) M Northway 119, J Perring 119, (highest spare) A Endicott 27, M Lee 27.