Skittles players in Gloucester have been on a roll this season – and not just on the alleys around the city.

Competitors in the Gloucester Charity Skittles League have helped raise £700 for the Spring Centre in Quedgeley, which provides care and support to children with learning difficulties.

Paul Critchley, who has been chairman of the league for three years and plays for Outkasts in Division Five, said: “We support a charity every year and it’s great that we’re able to give something back to the community.”

More than 2,700 players – men and women – were registered to play in the league this season across 106 teams and seven divisions.

That is some way short of the peak years of the sport in the 1980s and 1990s when there were 176 teams in 11 divisions, but Bob Morris, the league’s general admin and website manager, said: “Skittles is still a very popular social game across the county and our league alone has a constituent mix of 2,273 male and female players who play the game every week throughout the season.”

It may be a social game but winning is still important, of course, and the 2016/17 campaign has been dominated by The Extras.

They won the Division One title and the Champion of Champions Cup and also had the player with the highest away average – Luke Hayward – with a score of 78.07.

Critchley’s team, who play at Longlevens Rugby Club, also had a successful season. After two successive promotions they “narrowly missed out on going up for a third successive year after finishing fourth”, he said.

The league, which has been going for 70 years, runs from September to April and anyone wishing to register to play or wanting to register a new team should email paulcritchley@charityskittles.org

The annual general meeting takes place at the Gala Club on Wednesday 2nd August.

Roll of honour

Division One: champions, The Extras; runners-up, 2B Leaders
Division Two: champions, Pilot A; runners-up, The Rebels
Division Three: champions, Kingsholm Nomads; runners-up, Booga’s Bowlers
Division Four: champions, Rowdites; runners-up, Gunners
Division Five: champions, Western Region Ramblers; runners-up, Westonians
Division Six: champions, The Krankies; runners-up, Dambusters
Division Seven: champions, Longlevens Community Centre; runners-up, The Drifters

Champions of Champions: champions, The Extras; runners-up, Longlevens Community Centre

Highest Away Average (Divisions 1-4): Luke Hayward (The Extras) 78.07
Highest Away Average (Divisions 5-7): Benjamin Vye (Ridge n All) 73.23

Highest score of the season – men: Dennis Preston (Wynjammers) 105
Highest score of the season – women: Lisa Robins (GJSSC) 104

Front Pin Triples (Divisions 1-3): champions, 2B Leaders A; runners-up, Price Walker A
Front Pin Triples (Divisions 4-7): champions, Drifters A; runners-up, Drifters B

Long serving secretary awards: Derek Mumford (John Carr AFC), Steve Simmons (Rowdites), Dave Richmond (Dambusters), Rose Cole (Crackpots).