BROCKWORTH and Witcombe Exiles' Andy Cooke has equalled the highest individual score so far as Gloucester Charity League skittlers hit the halfway stage of the season.

His impressive home 97 (8, 14, 9, 9, 7, 5, 9, 7, 14, 15) at the Brockworth Rugby Club against Bird-in-Hand also helped his team move into equal third place in Division Four behind leaders Down Hatherley CC and second-placed Panthers, who lost away to the Crackpots by four pins.

Level on points are the Charity Beavers and the B Team, but with a game in hand Stinchcombe Stragglers could be joint top if they overcome Mixed Spices in a rearranged match next Tuesday.

John Harding also achieved 97 in week eight in the battle for the coveted Jim Hooper Trophy for highest men's score of the season. The highest ladies' score so far of 88, achieved in week ten, is held by Angelina Antonijevic of the Coney Hill Turkeys.

Highest away team score was the mighty Librarians flooring 742 at the St Peters Club against 2B Leaders, but it wasn't enough to stop the 2B Leaders winning the first half by nine pins and in doing so become the first team to take home points off the Libes this season.

The 2B's scored a first half of 371 pins that saw Tony Banks hit 77 and Bill Fanning top score with 84.

The Libes struck back with a second-half 380 pins, no match for the weaker 2B's back half.

Also in Division One, the Macros hit half a dozen spares – all 12s – but Steve Blackwell was spareless in his well-earned home 78 (9, 9, 7, 5, 8, 8, 8, 7, 9, 8) against Hucclecote for all six points.

In Division Two, Ade James struck a first-half 89 for leaders BRS Lions against Legal Eagles, peaking with a 51 leg (7,13,8,14,7).

But it wasn't enough as they tied the first half 361 pins each and went on to lose by 16 pins to move the Legal Eagles up to third place, ten points behind BRS Lions.

Second-placed Blackfriars Press failed to narrow the gap as they lost at Dowty's Sports Club in a surprise win by the Slumbererers.

In Division Five, Cross Keys Exiles moved into second place behind Elmbridge Old Boys with a six-point win over fellow title chasers White Hart Nomads, now in third place.

Gloucester Charity Skittles League Results, Division One: Rebels 4 633 S Cake, 68, Lumberjacks 2 625 L Coleman, 75; Macros 6 692 Steve Blackwell, 78, Hucclecote 0 650 F Barnard, 73; Hillbillies 0 622 Rob Mace, 75, Extras 6 663 A Neale, 74; 2B Leaders 2 695 Bill Fanning, 84, Librarians 4 742 J Stroud, 83; Pilot A 0 646 L Ingram & R Smith, 75, Longlevens 6 680 P Short, 82; Piledrivers 6 630 P Medcroft, 74, Price Walker AFC 0 617 M Dempsey, 72; P A's 4 624 Mike Dean & Neil Jones, 69, Tredworth RFC 2 606 R Simmons, 75.

Division Two: Pike & Musket 6 w/o , Matchplay Wanderers 0 w/o ; Tab's 6 666 Sheila Maiolo, 73, Cockers Lot 0 651 I James, 75; Coney Hill RFC 2 652 G Impey, 73, Boneheads 4 672 C Whitson, 77; Slumberers 4 651 G Bendall, 70, Blackfriars Press 2 643 K Ryder, 77; Services Club 6 650 Jason Sheppard, 72, Parton Rovers 0 639 Eddie Marr, 71; John Carr AFC 6 679 D Mumford, 77, Charity Club 0 636 Lorraine Cornwell, 70; Jolly Boys 6 700 J Maiden, 78, Goodies 0 693 J MacPherson, DK Edwards & T Faulkner, 73; B R S Lions 1 694 A James, 89, Legal Eagles 5 720 B Tilling, 80.

Division Three: Booga's Bowlers 0 635 Paul Daniels, 73, Saintbridge Tipsters 6 650 Paul Coopey & Clive Harris, 72; Simon Skittlers 0 591 Mat Guscott, 69, Robinswood Hill 6 632 PJ Parsons & R Lane, 70; Milky Bar Kids 6 630 Joe Lundberg, 76, St James Club 0 620 Dave Lee, 75; Glockners 4 697 Ken Wing, 77, Spartan Gladiators 2 687 Ron Gough, 78; Walls Decoys 6 641 Dave Conboy, 71, Feds 0 624 Daryll Tanner, 73; Tour Golf 6 662 Dan Revell, 78, Babcock Moxey 0 614 N Taylor, 69; Greyfriars 4 604 R Gladwin, 71, WR Ramblers 2 596 Dave Day, 70; Tuffley Rangers 2 651 C Meredith, 75, Flintstones 4 660 M Spackman, 73.

Division Four: Bulldogs 0 614 A Cale, 75, Down Hatherley CC 6 658 K Wood, 71; Rowdites 6 w/o , Hex 0 w/o ; B Team 2 636 T Smith & D Langley, 70, Mixed Spices 4 646 Carla Fanning, 79; Charity Beavers 6 635 K Mutton, 74, Elvers 0 596 Pete Cuthbert, 68; Brockworth & Wit Exiles 6 671 Andy Cooke, 97, Bird-in-Hand 0 634 Martyn Burrows, 82; Crackpots 4 602 Cam Cole, 68, Panthers 2 598 Terry Willett, 71; Stinchcombe Stragglers 6 634 D Aspden & L Cowley, 69, St James Revellers 0 588 Charlotte Wilks, 70; Upton Tug of War 6 606 T Martin, 66, Mutineers 0 580 Allan Simpson, 76.

Division Five: Muhammed Alley Cats 2 574 B Bateman, 64, Gunners 4 582 Jerry Lane, 71; Cross Keys Exiles 6 632 D Trenfield, 71, White Hart Nomads 0 579 Liam Poole, 70; Glolecs 6 624 M Keene, 73, Fruit Traders 0 574 B Warner & C Smith, 62; Winget Cricketers 2 697 I Holl, 76, Rebels Reformed 4 713 N Huggins, 83; Elmbridge Old Boys 6 650 A McHale, 71, RGH Dingos 0 610 Andy Locke, 72; Rejects 6 584 Len Cheeseman & Harold Mumford, 66, Spartans RFC 0 575 J Stait, 66; Coney Hill Turkeys 0 642 S Boaden, 72, Wotton Hall B 6 666 Bob Allen, 80; Blue Circle 2 561 Sid Gardner & S Vines, 64, Wild Catz 4 565 Andy Wood, 65.

Division Six: Must Get Beers 6 624 Ryan Speck & Steve Smith, 68, Seventy-Niners 0 603 Justin Whithorn, 66; Rollers 6 650 Ronnie Glover, 79, Dambusters 0 615 Dave Noyes & Keith Norman, 69; Spartan Skittlers 4 593 Jim Davies, 72, Minsterworth Rebels 2 574 Simon Bourne, 66; Comets 6 580 M Hopton, 73, Hardwicke RBL 0 570 M Toomey, 72; Woodchips 6 617 R Goodall & J Green, 69, Family Assortment 0 580 Ben Smith, 75; Stray Hounds 2 580 Steve Bullock, 72, PH 10's 4 591 T Durrant & K Matthews, 69; Outkasts 4 609 Paul Critchley, 73, Tuffley Bulldogs 2 596 D Morris & S Green, 67.

Division Seven: Tuffley CC 6 574 Paul Davies, 72, Madhatters 0 559 S Bethell, 72; GRH S&SC 4 591 Haydn Hilton, 68, Simply the Best 2 578 Bev Reeves, 74; Hospital Whistlers 2 591 Grant Proud, 65, Tuffley CC 4 596 Paul Davies, 67; Kings Oak 2 679 S Bennett, 83, Ploughboys 4 694 Trevor Mitchell, 84; Bootleggers 0 626 Gerald Elton & Tony Hill, 71, Wynjammers 6 663 Jamie Anderson, 71; Three Oaks A late result , All Trades; G A D I S 0 548 Jim Byrne, 64, Krankies 6 573 Ben Zecca, Riccardo Zecca & Mark Powell, 63; Jolly Roger 6 570 Jack Oakey, 66, Kingsholm Crusaders 0 556 Gary Higgins, 62; Madhatters 6 602 P Davies, 69, Victoria Men 0 579 P Sawczuk, 68.

Division Eight: RAOB Pebbles 2 619 Anthony Birch, 75, Crazy Gang 4 642 Barry Monk, 74; Crazy Gang 4 565 Barry Monk, 74, Bits & Pieces 2 533 Steve Hobbs, 62; Flyers 4 603 Pete Smith, 68, Bouncers 2 578 Ken Bishop, 69; Lillywhites 6 708 J Coole, 80, Saintbridge Sinners 0 667 K Harris, 72; Them Again 6 537 Rose Rawson, 65, Victoria Ladies 0 493 Loz Murry, 60; Caer Glow 4 549 A Grainger, 65, RAOB Pebbles 2 529 Vicky Jessep, 64; Wotton Hall C 4 597 David Chamberlain, 76, Outlaws 2 577 Brain Hesketh & Carole Harris, 68; Allsorts 0 577 Steve Thorpe, 67, Westonians 6 608 Andy Telford, 70; Tuffley Crusaders 2 595 S Doyle, 76, Abbeydale Eagles 4 608 J Fadden, 78.