Warwickshire v Essex
Well Warwickshire County Darts Organisation stopped a run of two defeats in the Premier Division of the BDO Inter County Championships although they didn’t get the expected home win in their game against lowly Essex.
The weekend didn’t get off to the best of starts for the ladies ‘B’ as Essex players Lynn Kelly and Sandra McElroy beat daughter and mother Lucy and Denise Keyte 3-2 after both of the Warwickshire players had won the first two legs.
Marian Conway momentarily stopped the visitors charge when she beat Sharon Wakeling in three straight legs but only to see Leanne Peetoom win 3-0 against Melanie Jones and then, chalking up the winning fourth game for Essex was Nicky Bewick who won 3-1 against Helen Rigg.
The home team got a second winner in the final game when Wendy Adams came from 2-0 down to Dawn Kennedy to go on and win 3-2 and in the process take the team’s match award for her 17.21 average. The final score 4-2 to Essex leaving the home side still seeking their first win of the season.
The men’s ‘B’ went into their game on the back of two defeats but began in the best possible way as David Hill gave them a man of the match winning start when he, after losing the opening two legs to Lennie Holmes fought back to go on and win 4-2 with a 27.19 average and winning legs of 19,17,21 and 15 darts.
Carl Green (Warwickshire) went from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 against Bryan Margerison but then lost the next three legs and the game 4-2.
James Hykin began his game against Michael McCombe with a 119 game shot and although he then trailed 2-1 he went on to clinch a 4-1 win and restore the home team’s lead.
Jack Wareing moved the score along to 3-1 in Warwickshire’s favour when he recorded a 4-1 win over Alan Collins but despite a spirited fight back by Robert Comben who came from 3-0 down to level terms at 3-3 against Allan Mathieson he lost the last leg and Essex had reduced the arrears to 3-2. Nevertheless by the halfway mark Warwickshire had restored their two games buffer as Simon Fairbrother beat Jakob Kelly 4-3 in a game that saw Fairbrother open up a 3-0 lead and his opponent win the next three legs with the home player winning the decider.
The second half saw Essex have their best run of the match, a run of three wins to take them into the lead for the first time in the game. Tony Osborne set them on their way when he, after going 1-0 down to Mark Carter opened up a 2-1 then 3-1 lead. Carter won the next two legs to take it to a decider which Osborne won in 17 darts. Richie Howson (Essex) was another player to come from behind and win 4-3 as he went one up against Prakash Jiwa then 2-1 down, he won the fourth only to see Prakash go 3-2 up but after winning the sixth he then with a 111 game shot won the last leg to level the game at 4-4.
Danny McIntyre was the man who gave the away side their first lead as he won 4-2 against Mark Strong who had squared the game in the fourth but then lost the next two.
The tenth encounter was one of five that went the full distance as Steve Woodside (Essex) won the opener against Karl Reynolds only to see Reynolds then take a 3-1 lead. Woodside won the next two legs to force a deciding game which Reynolds put to bed in 17 darts with his opponent way back still requiring 223.
The visiting team secured a draw in the penultimate game as Wayne Gleed beat Gareth Braham 4-0 leaving the onus on Tom Martin to attempt to secure a share of the points for Warwickshire which he did as after losing the first leg in 18 darts he then won the following four for a 4-1 win and on the day a 6-6 draw.
The ladies ‘A’ like the ‘B’ are still looking for their first win but are becoming something a draw specialists as they had 3-3 draws in the first three games of the season and in their encounter with Essex made it four draws in six games.
All six games in the ‘A’ match went with the first throw advantage, Pauline Donat (Essex) beat Angela Jones 3-2 after Jones had gone 2-0 up only to see Warwickshire’s ‘A’ captain Sue Gulliver win her third lady of the match award for the season when she beat Wendy Reader with a straight 3-0 scoreline and take the match award for her superb 23.86 average.
Sue Baker restored the lead for Essex when she won 3-2 against Nina Bolt who had levelled the game in the second and fourth legs. The home team’s second player to square the game was Caroline Pike who after winning the first and then going 2-1 down to Stacey Ellis went on to win 3-2.
For a third time it was the visitors who went ahead and this time it was through Karen Breen who despite losing the second and fourth legs to Kat Spanswick went on to win 3-2.
The final game was a battle of the Donna’s as Donna Pinch stepped up to the oche for Warwickshire and Donna Gleed for Essex. Warwickshire’s Donna won the first leg and after losing the second went ahead again in the third with a tremendous 116 outshot. With a 64 checkout Donna Pinch won the fourth leg and the game 3-1 to put the final score all square at three each.
A win was now required from the Warwickshire men’s ‘A’ side for them to earn an overall draw and with wins in their previous four games nothing less was expected.
Ian McFarlane won the ‘A’ side’s man of the match award in their last outing against Lancashire with a superb 30.52 average, now playing against Essex he was on first and had a repeat performance as he accounted for Jamie Peetoom with a 4-2 result and went even better with his average as he chalked up a fabulous 31.17 to win asecond consecutive award. McFarlane went two up against Peetoom in 13 and 12 as he recorded a magnificent maximum 170 game shot in the second. He lost the third in 15 darts but went 3-1 up in the fourth with an 18 darts leg. Peetoom won his second in the fifth, McFarlane once again only having 15 darts but he wrapped up his win in the sixth in 17 darts after hitting four consecutive tons.
The hosts lead was doubled in the second when Jamie Atkins beat Joe Russell with a straight 4-0 result but it was then halved as John Costigan beat Noel Grant 4-3 after Grant had gone 2-0 and 3-2 up.
Parity was restored in the fourth when Paul Marsh (Essex) won 4-1 against Ian Shaw and then with a further 4-1 win for Steve Haggerty over Antony Allen Essex had turned the game around and were leading 3-2.
Fresh from their selection to play for England in the British Internationals on 5th -7th April 2019 at Glenrothes Scotland Kevin Dowling and Nigel Heydon returned Warwickshire to winning ways as Dowling beat Phil Halls 4-3 and Heydon won 4-0 against Darren Peetoom to take the score along to 4-3 to the home team.
Tom Aldridge was pushed all the way by Steve Johnson for his 4-3 win and with a 4-2 success for Steve Giddings against Phillip Brewster Warwickshire were within an ace of victory at 6-3.
The away side reduced the arrears in the tenth when Andrew Kateley won 4-1 against Steve Hine but the win was assured for Warwickshire in the penultimate game when Dean Stewart after going 1-0 and 3-2 down to Daniel Day won the last two legs to seal his 4-3 win and put his team 7-4 up.
The final game of the weekend was another seven legs affair with Wayne Bloomfield (Essex) after trailing 1-0 and 3-2 to Charlie Symons going on to win 4-3 and to a final score of 7-5 to Warwickshire and an overall 18-18 result for the weekend.
———————————
Glamorgan v Warwickshire
Warwickshire’s seventh fixture in the Premier Division of the BDO Inter County Championships was never going to be an easy game as they, in fourth place were playing away to Glamorgan who were third and four points to the good on their opponents.
The ladies ‘B’ opener was Chloe McKivett who had 1-0 and 2-1 leads over Joanne Pugh and but for missed doubles could have won the game but it was Pugh who got the 3-2 result. Claire Crocombe doubled Glamorgan’s lead with a 3-0 win over Vicki Cross and putting the hosts within an ace of victory was Jan Robbins who won 3-1 against Lucy Keyte.
It was game number four before Warwickshire got their first winner and it came in the shape of Helen Rigg who after losing the first leg to Sue Powell went on to win 3-1.
The home team reached a winning margin in the fifth when their Sandra Quinn beat Melanie Jones 3-1, the final score made a little more respectable for the away team when Marian Conway with a lady of the match 3-2 win over Paula Clemett took the result to 4-2 to Glamorgan. For her win and award Marian had to fight back from 1-0 and 2-1 down to finish with an 18.16 average. With just two remaining fixtures the women’s ‘B’ are still seeking their first win of the season.
The men’s ‘B’ had a great start to their game as Mark Strong with a 4-2 result against Shaun Dibbs put them one up and Simon Fairbrother added his similar 4-2 win over Daniel Thomas to their score to make it 2-0. The home side pulled one back in the third when Dai Caller won 4-1 against Jack Wareing only to see Robert Comben and Carl Green add their respective 4-2 wins over Colin Powell and Dan Thompson to increase Warwickshire’s lead to 4-1.
At the close of the first half the score was 4-2 as Graham Brooks (Glamorgan) won 4-2 against James Hykin after Hykin had gone one up.
The first five games of the second half all went with the first throw advantage, David Hill (Warwickshire) kick starting the run as he beat Wayne (Sid) Davies 4-1. Dai Powell reduced the arrears for the home team with a 4-2 win against Karl Reynolds after Reynolds had won the first, third and sixth legs. Mark Carter restored the visitor’s three games buffer with a 4-2 success over Sean Fisher only to see the sequence continue as Richie Edwards (Glamorgan) came from 3-0 down to Adam Paxton to go on and win 4-3.
The winning seventh game was put up for Warwickshire by their man of the match Gareth Braham. Braham’s opponent Ron Morgan actually went 2-0 up with two 15 darts legs but Braham in 21 and 15 darts levelled the game and then took the lead in the fifth with a 22 darts leg. Morgan took the game to a decider when he produced a wining 17 darts leg in the sixth only to see Braham clinch a 4-3 win in 15 darts and the match award for his 27.02 average.
Taking the final score to 8-4 in favour of Warwickshire was Tom Martin who handed out a 4-0 defeat to Ray Johnson.
A opening 3-0 win for Glamorgan’s Rhian O’Sullivan over Donna Pinch was followed by two further 3-1 wins for the home side as Michelle Jones and Nicky Biddick in turn defeated Wendy Adams and Caroline Pike.
Chris Savvery took the first leg off Sue Gulliver but it wasn’t enough to stop Sue racing to a 3-1 win to clinch her second successive match award and fourth of the season as she recorded a terrific 23.98 average.
Sue Gulliver’s win only delayed the eventual outcome as Alannah Waters-Evans added her 3-0 win over Nina Bolt to Glamorgan’s tally to put them into an unassailable 4-1 lead.
The finals score, 4-2 to the home team as in the final game Angela Jones (Warwickshire) handed out a straight 3-0 defeat to Donna Thomas.
Nothing less than a win from the men’s ‘A’ would be good enough for an overall victory for the weekend and helping them on their way with a winning 4-1 start was Steve Giddings with his win over Dale Hughes. The lead was short lived as Wayne Davies levelled for the home side with a 4-0 win against Charlie Symons and with a 4-2 result Lloyd Browning gave Glamorgan the lead at the expense of Steve Hine.
Antony Allen was the man to restore parity as he accounted for Cavan Phillips with a 4-2 scoreline and with a 4-1 win for Ian McFarlane over Hywel Manuel Warwickshire had a small advantage for a second time. Nevertheless at the halfway stage the game was levelled for a third time when Jeff Bass (Glamorgan) won 4-2 against Dean Stewart.
The second half began with Warwickshire’s best run of the match three wins in a row begun by Kevin Dowling who with a 116 finish squared his game with James Richards at one each after Richards had checked out on 142 in the first leg. Dowling then went on to win the tie 4-2. Noel Grant was another 4-2 winner as he defeated Leighton Jones and with a 4-3 success for Jamie Atkins over Tim Jones Warwickshire were 6-3 up.
Ian Shaw (Warwickshire) made Keirion Carter fight all the way for his close 4-3 win as he came back from 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 down to level before losing the decider.
The penultimate encounter of the game and the weekend produced Warwickshire’s man of the match in the form of Nigel Heydon. Nigel won his first award for the season with a superb 32.25 average in his 4-1 win over Clive Langford. Heydon went 3-0 up in 18,18 and 17 darts with a tremendous 134 checkout in the second. Langford won the fourth in 13 darts only to see the Warwickshire and England player wrap up his win in the fifth with a 12 darts leg hitting 140,131 and 140 before finishing on 90.
With a win already guaranteed the last game between David Rogers (Glamorgan) and Tom Aldridge saw the former win 4-2 to give a final score of 7-5 to Warwickshire and an overall 19-17 victory to keep them in fourth place in the table just one point short of third placed Lincolnshire.
———————————