ANDY Thornton continues to lead the BIG Smash Bowling League, but only after a dramatic draw against Stewart Turnbull.

Thornton held on to the league’s only unbeaten record by the narrowest of margins at Dalton Cricket Club.

Having sat out round two, he returned to the green on what turned out to be the most dramatic night so far – with all four matches going to the final end.

Thornton and Turnbull were second on the green and a tense start saw the former lead 8-5 after six ends.

The lead was stretched as he found another gear and claimed the second power end to, holding a 15-8 advantage after end 12.

Turnbull would not let the game get away from him and took the third power end to close to 17-11.

He then led magnificently and claimed the next two, turning the match on its head and creating a thriller of a finish at 17-15.

Thornton composed himself to claim a double on end 19, meaning Turnbull needed all the points from the final end for a draw.

The chaser led out and placed the jack two feet from the tricky edge of the green, with his lead just a foot away.

Turnbull then produced two great woods to claim the maximum four points in the leagu’s first tied game.

Before Thornton and Turnbull put on their show, Liam Howard edged past winless Gareth Jones 20-18 to sit second.

Jones started like a runaway train, moving into a 5-0 lead after three ends, and it could have been more, but Howard clipped a short wood with his last on the fourth end that allowed his to wick onto the block and take control of the jack for the first power end.

A mamimum haul had him back in the game, and it was 8-6 to Jones after end seven.

That lead went out to 11-6, but another maximum power end haul for Howard cut it to a single point.

Howard won the next five ends for an 18-11 advantage, but Jones dug deep for 18-14.

He needed to win both ends to take the match, but Howard denied him, despite a maximum haul on the final power end, with Jones settling for a losing bonus point.

Roy Moxham took his second win of the campaign with a 17-12 success against Simon Perry.

It was a titanic battle between two great players, who could not be separated early on as both bowled fantastically well.

Perry led 3-1 after four ends, but it was level at 3-3 before Moxham led for the first time at 6-5 after nine ends.

He also had the benefit of leading the jack out for the second power end, but Perry claimed the double points this time to go back in front.

It was 8-8 after 12 ends and 12-12 after 18, setting them up nicely for the final stages.

A great wood from Moxham gave him the lead and the jack back going into the last end 13-12 up, setting up a tense finish.

With Moxham lying a single, Perry had no option but to play over, and he had an unlucky strike as he picked up the block but cannoned Moxham’s woods to stay on the green for amximum haul and the win.

Turnbull returned to action against Danny Rogers, but could not repeat his earlier heroics as he fell to defeat.

Rogers took an early 3-1 lead, but Turnbull picked up the first power end to go 5-3 in front.

It was 8-6 to Rogers by the next power end, and he increased his lead there to 10-6.

Turnbull again showed no signs of letting the match go and clawed his way back to 11-11.

Rogers pushed back in front to 15-11 with two ends to go, and a single for his opponent meant the best Turnbull could do was another draw.

A bad final end opened the door for Rogers to claim a single and the 18-12 victory.

Round Four Fixtures (Tomorrow (July 13), 6.30pm start): Perry v Lowden, Howard v Moxham, Jones v Lowden, Perry v Thornton.