STUDLEY Swan Skittles League’s representative Renegades team lost ground in the qualifying group for the British Skittles Championships.

Despite going behind early in the game, Renegades fought back well to lead table-toppers Cotswold Cavaliers after four legs, only to squander their slight advantage to slip to a disappointing home defeat at the Mettis Aerospace Skittles Alley.

Renegades were confident going into this return fixture in the qualifying group.

and, after a topsy-turvy start, leg four saw Renegades make their highest leg score of the evening – 58 pins – to lead Cavaliers by a single pin.

But needing to put in another high score, the fifth leg proved to be a disaster for Renegades as they could muster only 45 pins compared with Cavaliers’ 61, which included a 13 stack by Dave Williams, to effectively end any realistic hopes of a win for Renegades.

Cavaliers could even afford to relax in the final leg and although Renegades won this leg narrowly, they rarely looked likely to make the 69 pins needed to snatch victory, as Cavaliers cruised to a 326-314 win to take all four points for an away win.

Best individual scores in the game came from Cavaliers’ Dave Williams with 46 pins while Renegades’ consolation for the evening was the top player score of 48 from Graham Howells whose stack included taking all nine skittles with his first ball.

Renegades will aim to improve whey they face Gloucester team the Fabulous Baker Boys in their next fixture.