2000-05-01

West Midlands struggling season continues and as expected their tough away fixture against high riding Berkshire was anything but easy.
The ladies ‘B’ had a difficult task in that they, bottom of the division with six defeats in as many outings, took on their counterparts who had won two, drawn one and lost three of their fixtures so far. The home team got off to the better start. Debbie Porter and Enid Vincent putting them two up with 3-0 wins over Val Arnold and Sue Smith respectively. West Midlands campaigner for many years, Rose Mycock reduced the arrears with a super straight legs win over Debbie Webb. Rose recorded a 19-03 average, which at the end of the day was enough to earn her the teams match award.
The revival was short lived as further wins from Nikki Gilbert and Sue Hibbard put the result beyond the visitors reach, 4-1 to Berkshire. Nikki and Sue both won 3-1 in turn against Brenda Phillips and Teresa Johnstone. In the final game, West Midlands second Rose, this time Sanders, provided their second win, another 3-0 success, this time Pam Brice on the receiving end. The final score 4-2 to the hosts.
Eleven points separated the men’s ‘B’ teams. Berkshire, at the top of the table had won all six of their previous fixtures, while the West Midlands, in their mid table position, had won three but also lost three. So with home advantage, the betting had to be in favour of the in form team, Berkshire. The Midlanders won the first half confrontation, Ron Johnson and Steve Brindley were both taken the full five legs distance by Robert Alexander and Kevin Hemming. But nevertheless Johnson and Brindley came out on top to grab a vital early 2-0 lead.
Game three was another five legs affair, this time Berkshire’s Peter Harris getting the result over Mark Wellings. The home side’s cheers were short lived as Joe Biggs won 3-0 against Nick Thatcher and Martin Tibbetts (25.94 man of the match) and Vic Lloyd defeated, in turn, Terry Keen and Neil Robinson in four legs to give the away team a promising 5-1 lead at the halfway stage. At this point an upset looked very much on the cards.
The second half did not go well. John Dewdney opened up for Berkshire inflicting a 3-0 defeat on Adrian Hammersley. Then came Roy Barton who beat William Hadley 3-1 and with a 3-0 success by Brian Smith over Frank Johnson, suddenly the home side was back in the game trailing by just 5-4. Jonathon Platt recorded the vital sixth winning leg for the West Midlands when he won 3-1 against Brian Harris, his win at least guaranteeing a share of the spoils.
Unfortunately for the away team that was exactly what they had to satisfy themselves with. Ken Partington, in three legs, took out Alan Bradburn and in the final clash Roy Peacock beat Steve Penwright 3-1 to put the result all square at six each, nevertheless a very encouraging result for the Midlands team.
Berkshire’s ladies ‘A’ team were still looking for their first win of the campaign, having drawn four and lost two. Despite on victory their West Midlands counterparts were firmly rooted at the bottom of the table, having drawn one and lost four of their other five games. The outcome, a difficult one to call on this occasion but a West Midlands win vital in their bid to move off the bottom spot.
Claire Downing got the Midland side off to a good start when she beat Valerie Skidmore 3-1. Claire chalking up finishes of 110 and 115 to gain her victory. Diane Tolley looked as though she would extend that advantage when she opened up a 2-0 lead over Maureen Hammond, but Maureen fought back in style to grab a 3-2 winning margin. Wendy Reinstadler required just three legs to account for Frances Allen and give Berkshire a 2-1 lead.
In game four the home side looked all set to increase their lead when Pat Stallwood won the first two legs against Angie Perry. It took a lady of the match performance from Angie (18.68) to claw her way back into the game and eventually win it on double one to level the match. The last two encounters had a
similar pattern. The West Midland players Dawn Holdcroft and Gill Cook both won their opening legs against in turn Wendy Warman and Kate Denton. The two Berkshire ladies won the second legs, then the next two legs both went to the visiting contestants giving them 3-1 wins and their team the second victory of the season, in the process moving them two places up the table.
Quite a match was in prospect for the men’s ‘A’ as leaders of the division West Midlands, with five wins and a draw faced a Berkshire team, third in the table having won three and lost three, ten points separating the two. The women’s ‘A’ winning giving the men the life line for an overall victory, they needed to win to clinch the points.
It just was not to be, as many of the West Midlands top players, the one’s that have helped carry the team through their superb season so far, could not produce that previous form and the result was their first defeat in seven.
Adrian Arnold (West Midlands) began the match beating Colin Powell 3-0 only to see Gary Hawkins cancel out his win with a 3-1 victory over Colin Davies. For a second time the visitors got their noses in front, this time Tony Walker the man, as he beat Reginald Barnes 3-0. That was to be the last time that they were ahead. Alan Yates (Berkshire) inflicted a rare defeat on Ian Jones winning 3-1. Peter Fisher put the hosts in the lead for the first time in the match when he twice came from behind against Gary Taylor to win 3-2. Rounding off the first half Andy Keen pushed away the challenge of Avtar Singh, his 3-1 success taking Berkshire into the break with a 4-2 advantage.
David Platt reduced the arrears when he beat Steve Hill 3-1 and with a similar result for Paul Johnson, whose 27.86 average against Brian Barton earned him the match award, West Midlands were back in the game at two each.
From there on in it was all down hill. Mick James and David Robbins took the counterparts, Phil Prior and Paul Snowsill the full five legs distance but nevertheless lost. Steve Parkes was unable to stop the rot as Eddie Simmonds beat him 3-1 and in the last game of the weekend Paul Luker, with a 3-2 scoreline claimed the scalp of Tom Aldridge, giving the home team an 8-4 win and an overall 23-16 margin.
The Midland Counties Midlands Masters Competitions were again staged at the Belvedere Club, Burton on Trent, and as usual produced some first class darts from some top class players with the West Midlands taking all of the honours.
In the semi finals of the men’s event West Midlands were well represented by David Platt and Ian Jones. Fortunately the draw kept them apart. Platt was first on against Oxfordshire’s Joe Palmer. After sixteen darts Platt left himself on double eight only to see Palmer check out on 60. Palmer went two up when in the second he finished on 121, Platt was down to 61, having thrown just fifteen darts. With first throw advantage again in the third leg Palmer forged ahead and with his twenty first dart claimed the game and match leaving his opponent without a throw for double eight yet again.
The second match went the full five legs distance. Ian Jones won the first two legs in 20 and 19 darts. Nottinghamshire’s Mark Wilson replied with two in a row in 13 and 15 darts to set up a tense decider. It turned out to be not quite so tense as Jones with 140-85-95-99 and 27 left himself on 55 after 15 darts. Wilson meanwhile, began with 100 and then hit 60-60-22 and 85 to still require 174 as Jones booked his final spot with a three darts finish.
Although Jones did not have the first throw advantage in the final scores of 100-133 and 100 gave him the advantage and a three darts 82 check out won him the opening leg with Palmer back on 88. The second leg saw both players hit two three figure scores, Palmer leaving double eight after his last throw of 106. However, Jones denied him another visit to the oche as he went two up with a 48 game shot.
The Oxfordshire man hit form in the third leg kicking off with 140 then following up with 80-180 and 31 to leave 70, which he finished with his next handful of darts, Jones still requiring 201. The darts advantage proved to be the deciding factor in the fourth leg as after 18 darts Palmer was down to 42, Jones was then given a throw for 10 which he wrapped up to seal a 3-1 victory and the title.
The last four of the ladies competition included two Staffordshire players, Sherrie Dodd and Sarah Hall. Again the team mates kept apart in the draw, Dodd taking on Leicestershire’s Louise Hathaway in the first of the confrontations. With a tremendous 115 outshot Dodd won the opening leg, that though turned out to be her only moment of glory as Hathaway roared to a 3-1 victory with three magnificent twenty darts legs.
Game number two saw Sarah Hall matched against West Midlands Diane Tolley. Hitting 3×100 and checking out on 56 Hall won the first leg in just seventeen darts. Tolley won the next, only to see the Staffordshire player forge ahead again in the third. The penultimate leg could have gone either way, but Tolley held her nerve and forced a decider with a double one game shot.
The fifth and final leg was a cracker. Throwing first Hall had scores of 60-60-100-100-60 and 45 to leave herself on 76 having thrown 18 darts. Tolley meanwhile had been even more impressive hitting 60-74-100-30 and 180, with 57 to throw for. She rounded off the leg in just three darts booking her final spot in 18 darts.
It was a repeat of the same in the final. Twice Tolley had to come from behind as Hathaway won the first and third in 22 and 29 darts, Tolley winning the second in 23. Hathaway hit 100 and 125 in the fourth only to see Tolley hit 100-85-100-87 and 57, leaving 72 which on her next visit to the board she put to bed for an eighteen darts leveller and another deciding game.
Both ladies hit 2×100 in the final leg but the first throws proved to be the deciding one’s, Hathaway hitting 5 while Tolley notched a ton. That was the lead she required to carry her through to a finishing double before her opponent. A 61 finish gave her the game, match and title plus a fantastic West Midlands double.