THE Fireballs sent “reverberations” throughout the skittles scene in Worcester when they upset the odds to win the Eric Wild Cup.

The Argonauts went into the final with a 12-point headstart but The Fireballs clawed it back to win 438-415 at the Gun Tavern.

Lloyd Cox, owner of the Bridge Inn in Lowesmoor, said his Monday night side had gone from “zeroes to heroes” as he claimed 80 per cent of his squad had never played the game before prior to this season.

“Within the skittles world it has caused some reverberations,” Cox said.

“I know it is skittles so we have got to keep it in perspective but it is like we have gone from zeroes to heroes.

“We were never meant to do anything. We are not doing anything in the league but in the cup we have gone on this amazing run.

“We have showed great team spirit.”

The 38-year-old said he only had one player signed up just a week-and-a-half before the Worcester Friendly Skittles League Division Two campaign got underway.

“When a team dropped out of the league at the last minute, leaving a space, I immediately jumped at the chance,” Cox said.

“But the problem was I had no players and I didn’t even know the format of playing a skittles game.

“I recruited Jon Down as captain as he has played in the The Woodentops skittles team, from the pub, for the past two years.

“From there I raided my pool and darts teams for available players and even started asking around regulars at the pub.

“The majority had never even picked up a ball, and some regulars didn’t even realise I had a skittles alley.”

The Eric Wild Cup, made up of teams from the Monday and Wednesday leagues, saw Cox’s team overcome Claines RBL, The Alleycats and The Albert Halls before stunning The Argonauts in the final.

“We had had fun throughout and as a bunch of novices, not expecting anything from it, it’s brought us closer together as a collective,” Cox added.

“To win a cup in our first season is phenomenal.”