Yorkshire v Warwickshire
For a tenth successive season in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships Warwickshire faced reigning champions Yorkshire and unfortunately for a tenth successive time they lost, but as per last season’s result it was once again oh so close.
The ladies ‘B’ began their match with a 3-1 win from Angela Jones over Sally Whiting, Angela’s 19.05 average proving to be enough to take the team’s match award.
Like the opening game the following three all went with the first throw advantage, Yorkshire drawing level with a 3-0 win from Giffy Khaosoi over Helen Rigg and Warwickshire forging ahead for a second time thanks to a 3-0 win from Donna Pinch over Andrea Dixon.
It was all square at two each by the fourth as Sara Mortimer beat Melanie Jones 3-0 but it was at this point the sequence was broken as in the fifth the hosts went ahead for the first time in the game when Louise Stocking came from 1-0 down to Chloe McKivett to go on and win 3-1, leaving the result hinging on the final game.
Marian Conway (Warwickshire) opened up a 2-0 lead over Marie Tuinstra and although the home player won the third a win in the fourth for Conway gave her the winning 3-1 result to put the final score all level at 3-3.
The men’s ‘B’ team had not had a win in their previous ten consecutive games against Yorkshire but in the last three seasons had finished all square at six each.
As in the ladies ‘B’ match the men’s ‘B’ award winner came in the opening game when Jack Wareing turned on a superb display as he stormed into a 3-0 lead over Craig Gwynne in 13, 19 and 16 darts. Gwynne managed to reduce the arrears in the fourth when he checked out in 16 darts only to see Wareing seal his 4-1 win a with an 18 darts leg to give him a fantastic 30.16 average.
Karl Reynolds struggled with finishing doubles and went down 4-1 to Tony Darlow and with a 4-3 win for Jordan Crabtree over Gareth Braham Yorkshire had turned the game around and were leading 2-1.
James Hykin (Warwickshire) came from one down to Simon Birkett to go on and win 4-2, then with a 4-1 success for Dave Hill over Paul Moore the visitors were once again in the lead with a 3-2 advantage. It got even better for Warwickshire as Ashley Hykin handed Michael Ridge a 4-0 whitewash and Rob Comben who had a ding dong seven legs battle with Ash Taylor came out the 4-3 winner to extend the away team’s lead to 5-2.
There was double disappointment in the eighth as Tony Molyneux beat Thomas McGlone 4-1, McGlone playing his 200th county game for Warwickshire, a legend in the history of the Warwickshire Darts Organisation and so unfortunate that he was unable to cap it with a win.
Tommy McGlone and Steve Crowther (Men’s Team Manager)
Yorkshire reduced the arrears to 5-4 when Carl Wilkinson beat Richard Foster 4-0 and looked as though they were going to level the score when Steve Stacey went one up against Tom Martin but Martin levelled with a 100 outshot and then took the following three legs for a 4-1 win and at the same time guarantee his team mates at least a share of the points.
Tommy Ryan soon showed that a share of the points was never going to be enough as he raced into a 3-0 lead over Graham Harrison and despite Harrison winning the fourth Ryan rounded off his 4-1 win in the fifth to put Warwickshire in an unassailable 7-4 lead, their first win in ten against Yorkshire.
With the icing already on the cake for the away side Ady Newsholme (Yorkshire) in the final game of the day won the first two legs against Anthony West. West bounced back with wins in the next three legs but it was Newsholme who finished the 4-3 winner to put the final score at 7-5 to Warwickshire giving them an overall lead of 10-8 at the close of the first day.
Sunday’s ladies game had a similar 3-3 result as the ‘B’ side had the previous day the only difference being that all of the games went completely opposite to the ‘B’ match with the first four all going against the first throw advantage. Ann Chilton gave Yorkshire the opening win when she beat Nina Bolt 3-0. Natalie Gilbert cancelled out Chilton’s win when she won 3-1 against Paula Burgess after Burgess had won the first leg. The hosts went ahead for a second time thanks to Beau Greaves beating Kat Spanswick 3-0 only to see the score level at the fourth after Caroline Pike won 3-1 against Dee Bateman.
As with the ‘B’ game the sequence came to an end in the fifth, when Warwickshire team captain Sue Gulliver chalked up a 3-1 win over Rachel Brookes, Sue in top form taking the lady of the match award for her 21.40 average.
The draw was salvaged for Yorkshire by Lorraine Winstanley when in the last game she won 3-0 against Wendy Adams.
Making it three out of four match awards for Warwickshire’s openers was Ted Evetts who opened up the ‘A’ side’s account with a 4-1 win over Peter Jacques. After going 3-1 up in 14, 22 and 14 darts Evett’s lost the fourth in 12 as Jacques checked out in 15, However with scores of 100,177 and 180 plus a finish of 44 he not only recorded the fastest leg of the day which was just twelve darts he secured his 4-1 win and also the man of the match award for his tremendous 32.34 average.
Ted Evetts 32.34 Average
Keith Flint was Yorkshire’s first winner but he was made to fight all of the way for his close 4-3 result by Ian McFarlane who won the first leg, levelled in the penultimate leg and then missed his doubles for the win in the seventh. James Barton put the hosts 2-1 up when he won 4-2 against Noel Grant and although Martin C. Adams twice took the lead against Nigel Heydon it was Heydon who got the 4-2 verdict to take the score to 2-2.
Mark Strong (Warwickshire) had 137 and 110 checkouts but lost his game against Justin Hobson 4-3 to see the home team take the lead for a second time.
Warwickshire’s Prakash Jiwa came from behind three times against Brian Dawson to take the game to a deciding leg which he won with a 145 game shot after his opponent had reached a 24 finish, the win making the score level at three each at the halfway mark.
Charlie Symons looked set to give the visitors the lead in the seventh when he went ahead twice against Tony Hull but it was Hull who won the tie 4-2.
From 4-3 up Yorkshire then took their lead to a winning 7-3 as Trevor Burhill won 4-2 against Steve Hine, David Copley beat Mark Carter 4-1 and John Walton added his 4-0 success over Carl Green to their tally.
Antony Allen pulled one back for Warwickshire when he beat Mark McGeeney 4-3 but the result was taken to 8-4 in favour of Yorkshire when Garry Thompson rounded off the weekend with his 4-0 win over Kevin Dowling giving Yorkshire an overall 19-17 win which could easily have gone in the opposite direction.
Fulll Results:Yorkshire v Warwickshire (19-17)🙁Yorkshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Peter Jacques 1 Ted Evetts 4, Keith Flint 4 Ian McFarlane 3, James Barton 4 Noel Grant 2, Martin C. Atkins 2 Nigel Heydon 4, Justin Hobson 4 Mark Strong 3, Brian Dawson 3 Prakash Jiwa 4, Tony Hull 4 Charlie Symons 2, Trevor Burkhill 4 Steve Hine 2, David Copley 4 Mark Carter 1, John Walton 4 Carl Green 0, Mark McGeeney 3 Antony Allen 4, Garry Thompson 4 Kevin Dowling 0, Men’s ‘B’:- Craig Gwynne 1 Jack Wareing 4, Tony Darlow 4 Karl Reynolds 1, Jordan Crabtree 4 Gareth Braham 3, Simon Birkett 2 James Hykin 4, Paul Moore 1 Dave Hill 4, Michael Ridge 0 Ashley Hykin 4, Ash Taylor 3 Rob Comben 4, Tony Molyneux 4 Thomas McGlone 1, Carl Wilkinson 4 Richard Foster 0, Steve Stacey 1 Tom Martin 4, Graham Harrison 1 Tommy Ryan 4, Ady Newsholme 4 Anthony West 3, Women’s ‘A’:- Ann Chilton 3 Nina Bolt 0, Paula Burgess 1 Natalie Gilbert 3, Beau Greaves 3 Kat Spanswick 0, Dee Bateman 1 Caroline Pike 3, Rachel Brooks 1 Sue Gulliver 3, Lorraine Winstanley 3 Wendy Adams 0, Women’s ‘B’:- Sally Whiting 2 Angela Jones 3, Giffy Khaosoi 3 Helen Rigg 0, Andrea Dixon 0 Donna Pinch 3, Sara Mortimer 3 Melanie Jones 0, Louise Stockings 3 Chloe McKivett 1, Marie Tuinstra 1 Marian Conway 3.
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