Warwickshire v Hampshire
Warwickshire played their penultimate home fixture in the Premier Division of the BDO Inter County Championships at home against Hampshire, a fixture that was fully expected to go in favour of the home side but it didn’t quite turn out that way, although the weekend did get off to a good a start thanks to the ladies ‘B’ team.
Melanie Jones opened up for the hosts and after losing the first leg to Pennie Lewis went on to win 3-1. Jo Rolls levelled for Hampshire with a 3-0 win over Lisa Deslandes only to see Chloe McKivett restore Warwickshire’s lead when she also won 3-0 in her tie with Kelly Palmer.
Angela Jones took the advantage along to 3-1 with a 3-1 win against Sue Lowther and the winning game was added by lady of the match Donna Pinch when she beat Dawn Simmonds 3-1 after Simmonds had gone one up. Pinch taking her first match award of the season with a 17.50 average.
The final game saw the visitors reduce the arrears to give a final score of 4-2 to the home side when their Tracy North beat Denise Keyte 3-2, Keyte coming from 1-0 down to go 2-1 up but then losing the last two legs.
Prior to their game the men’s ‘B’ had had a somewhat mixed season with two wins, two draws and two defeats.
Hampshire were first out of the blocks when David Bonnett beat Robert Comben 4-2 and Troy Butler won 4-0 against Luke Kennedy and it took a man of the match performance from Mark Strong to stop the Hampshire charge as he, in 17,15,23 and 21 darts accounted for Steve Musson with a straight 4-0 result and a 26.37 average.
Parity was restored in the fourth thanks to a 4-2 win from James Hykin over Richie Ford and for the first time in the match Warwickshire then went ahead in the fifth when Ian Shaw added his 4-3 win over John Large to their account, Large taking the lead three times in the game before losing the last two legs.
At the midway point it was all square at three each with Dave Coffin winning 4-1 against Gareth Braham.
As in the first half the away team were first to respond as Darren Barnes re-established their lead when he won 4-2 against Karl Reynolds and they went further ahead with a similar 4-2 win for Linton Hickman over Jack Wareing.
With the score at 5-3 to Hampshire Ashley Hykin won Warwickshire’s fourth game when he beat Steve Jannaway 4-1, however that was to be the home team’s last winner as Andy Newcombe, Mick Savvery and Michael Street in turn won 4-2 against Adam Paxton, Mark Carter and Richard Foster to give the visitors an 8-4 win.
After coming off the back of a 5-1 defeat to Cambridgeshire the ladies ‘A’ were hoping to return to winning ways but the first game of the day saw them fall behind as Joanne Senior (Hampshire) won 3-0 against Nina Bolt. Sue Gulliver not only levelled the game but also made it five match awards in seven games as she won 3-0 against Abi Jurd in 22,22 and 20 darts for a superb 23.48 average.
Hampshire went ahead again in the third when Jane Monaghan beat Wendy Adams, again the score was 3-0, however for a second time the home team drew level as Caroline Pike won her tie with Nikki Stevens 3-1.
Game number five was another 3-0 result the fourth of the match as Wendy Reinstadtler gave the away side the lead for a third time by beating Marian Conway and with a 3-1 win for Tara Power-Gillet in the final game against Kat Spanswick the 4-2 result went to Hampshire.
With four wins, one draw and only one defeat the men’s ‘A’ are enjoying a successful season, they began their game by taking the the opening two games as both Mark Westgarth and Kevin Dowling beat respective opponents Mark Thorme and Mike Symes 4-0.
Tom McGlone went 2-0 and 3-1 up against Paul Winter and was unlucky to lose 4-3 but Winter took the last three legs in 14,13 and 14 darts which also earned him his team’s match award.
Warwickshire’s two game buffer was restored in the fourt when Nigel Heydon won his second successive man of the match award for a tremendous 31.00 average in a 4-1 win over Steve Phipps with winning legs of 20,11,15 and 19 darts.
Steve Hine made it 4-1 to the home team when he won 4-2 against Andy Mitchell and by the break the running score was 4-2 when James Nicholson (Hampshire) closed the half with a 4-0 win over Charlie Symons.
Graham Chalk (Hampshire) won the first leg of the second half but it was Warwickshire’s Anthony Allen who got the 4-1 win. Troy Butler made it a personal two wins over the weekend when he came from 1-0 and 2-1 down against Carl Green to win 4-2 and with a 4-3 win against Noel Grant by Robin Hathaway Hampshire were back in the game albeit still trailing 5-4.
Tom Aldridge (Warwickshire) assured his team mates of at least a draw when he took the score along to 6-4 with a 4-1 success over Gary Stafford, however the visitors kept their hopes of sharing the points alive with a 4-1 win from Luke Getty over Tom Ryan in the penultimate game, but it was Warwickshire who got the 7-5 verdict when Simon Power ended the weekend with a 4-1 win over Sam Rooney after Rooney had won the first leg..
The 7-5 win from the men’s ‘A’ was not quite enough for Warwickshire to avoid defeat as the overall 19-17 result went to Hampshire.
Full Results:Warwickshire v Hampshire (17-19)🙁Warwickshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Mark Westgarth 4 Mark Thorne 0, Kevin Dowling 4 Mike Symes 0, Tom McGlone 3 Paul Winter 4, Nigel Heydon 4 Steve Phipps 1, Steve Hine 4 Andy Mitchell 2, Charlie Symons 0 James Nicholson 4, Anthony Allen 4 Graham Chalk 1, Carl Green 2 Troy Butler 4, Noel Grant 3 Robin Hathaway 4, Tom Aldridge 4 Gary Stafford 1, Tom Ryan 1 Luke Getty 4, Simon Power 4 Sam Rooney 1, Men’s ‘B’:- Robert Comben 2 David Bonnett 4, Luke Kennedy 0 Troy Butler 4, Mark Strong 4 Steve Musson 0, James Hykin 4 Richie Ford 2, Ian Shaw 4 John Large 3, Gareth Braham 1 Dave Coffin 4, Karl Reynolds 2 Darren Barnes 4, Jack Wareing 2 Linton Hickman 4, Ashley Hykin 4 Steve Jannaway 1, Adam Paxton 2 Andy Newcombe 4, Mark Carter 2 Mick Savvery 4, Richard Foster 2 Michael Street 4, Ladies ‘A’:- Nina Bolt 0 Joanne Senior 3, Sue Gulliver 3 Abi Jurd 0, Wendy Adams 0 Jane Monaghan 3, Caroline Pike 3 Nikki Stevens 1, Marian Conway 0 Wendy Reinstadtler 3, Kat Spanswick 1 Tara Power 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Melanie Jones 3 Pennie Lewis 1, Lisa Deslandes 0 Jo Rolls 3, Chloe LcKivett 3 Kelly Palmer 0, Angela Jones 3 Sue Lowther 1, Donna Pinch 3 Dawn Simmonds 1, Denise Keyte 2 Tracy North 3.
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The Warwickshire Youth squad played hosts to Merseyside in their latest inter county fixture and with another superb performance with wins in all three sections recorded an overall 10-5 victory.
Playing at the Parkstone Club, Coventry the Under 18’s won 4-3 thanks to wins from Jordan Ainsworth, Lucy Keyte, Jake Liggins and Matthew Cain while supplying the straight 3-0 win for the Ladies were Skye Pickard, Laura Bowley and Courtney Hine. Rounding off the win with a 3-2 verdict in the Under 21’s were Tom Mills, Lewis Bayliss and Charlie Symons.
Warwickshire now top all three divisions and with just three more fixtures to play are odds on favourites for the championship title.
Full Results:Warwickshire Youth v Merseyside Youth (10-5):Warwickshire names first:Under 18’s:- Jordan Ainsworth 2 Steven Harding 1, Joe Pitchford-Morris 0 Sam Jones 2, Lucy Keyte 2 Lois Tweedle 1, Mackenzie Nixon 0 Ethan Clayton 2, Jake Liggins 2 Ellie Downie 0, Matthew Cain 2 Ben Cusack 1, Ben Liggins 0 Kyle Easeman 2, Ladies:- Skye Pickard 2 Megan Jones 0, Laura Bowley 2 Chelsea Maxwell 0, Courtney Hine 2 Amelia Lemon 0, Under 21’s:- Tom Mills 3 Lewis Fearon-Abban 2, Jnr Joyce 2 Matt Johnson 3, George Ross 1 Joe Perry 3, Lewis Bayliss 3 Lewis Downey 1, Charlie Symons 3 Aaron Jones 1.
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