2003-03-01

Played four, won four that was West Midlands record in division four of the BDO Inter Counties Championships as they began the year 2003. The first fixture of the New Year was an away game against middle of the table Tyne and Wear, one that the leaders were expected to extend their winning run to five games.
It all began very well. The ladies ‘B’ started the weekend with a straight 3-0 win for Jean Tibbetts as she accounted for iris Morris. Carol Young made a quick reply for the hosts as she beat Lynette Pearce 3-1 after losing the opening leg. Teresa Johnson (16.39) restored the Midlander’s lead with her 3-2 success over Amanda Brown. Teresa finishing with her teams top average for the match award. Once again the home team drew level as their lady of the match Brenda Bradley (15.66) took out Teresa Johnston in just three legs.
With the match delicately poised at two each with two to play game five was a vital one for both sides. Ruby McDonald stepped up to the oche for the hosts and for the visitors Sue Smith. Sue won the first leg on double two, while Ruby took the second with double twelve. Double two proved to be a winner for Sue again in the third leg and with double ten in the fourth she won the tussle 3-1 to guarantee at least a share of the spoils for her team mates.
Last on for the West Midlands was Sara Jukes. Sara was made to fight all the way as her opponent, Sandra Hawes took the lead twice by winning the first and third legs. Sara never gave up and levelled on both occasions. She then went in the final deciding leg and despite missing finishing doubles was given another chance and wrapped up her personal 3-2 and her teams 4-2 victories.
The ladies ‘B’, who for the past couple of seasons have not enjoyed the best of results are now getting their act together and have won the last four consecutive matches.
The men’s ‘B’ were looking to extend their four match unbeaten record and although they did not have the best of starts things quickly got better. Jamie Parsons, with the aid of a maximum, won his opener against Robbie Young, only to see Young take the next three legs and finally lose 3-1. That was the end of the bad news for the first half as Paul Johnson’s 3-1 win over Alan Hawse got the ball rolling well and truly in favour of the Midlands team. Mervyn Field, Joe Biggs and John Pountney added their 3-1 wins against respective opponents, Kevin Casey, Paul Morrison and Robbie Wardropper to open up a 4-1 lead. Going into the break Frank Johnson made it 5-1 when he defeated Colin Scott 3-2.
The second half was not quite so successful as the first. Neil Hill added a second win to Tyne and Wear’s tally with his 3-1 win over Alan Cockayne and with a similar win for Gary Ewart against Dave Evans, suddenly Tyne and Wear were back in the game trailing by just 5-3. Viv Gould eased the West Midlands into a more comfortable 6-3 situation when his man of the match performance, a 25.05 average and a 3-0 win over Ernie Brown, made sure of, at the worst a draw.
At number ten was Paddy Johnson, who faced up to Tyne and Wear’s Tess Charlesworth. In double quick time Johnson secured a 3-0 win and at the same time guaranteed the West Midlands 100% record. As it turned out it was fortunate that Johnson did get the required win to earn the result as the last two games both went to the home team. In the penultimate game Milton Anderson beat Fred Parsons 3-1 and then Gerry Harrison came back from 2-0 down to beat Adrian Hammersley 3-2, putting the final scoreline at 7-5 to the Midlands outfit.
The ladies ‘A’ were still seeking their first win of the campaign and looked as though they would get that win at Wearside. Gill Cook (West Midlands) came up against an in form Liz Scullion in the opener, Liz taking her team’s award with a neat 3-0 victory. Claire Downing wiped out the home team’s advantage with a 3-1 win against Ruby McDonald and with a further win from Teresa Johnson over Sandra Hawse the away team were 2-1 up.
Susan Wyatt squared the match again when she defeated Janet Hubbard 3-2, but once more West Midlands forged ahead, this time through a 3-0 win by lady of the match Kath Jenkins (17.28) against Vera Younger. Despite the
tension and the result hinging on the last game it was a real nail biter. Kathy Allen (Tyne and Wear) won the first leg, her opponent, Angie Perry, the second. Allen took the third with Perry yet again bouncing back to level in the fourth. The deciding leg was nip and tuck, Allen had the darts advantage, but it was Perry who was first to a double. However, she missed and Allen checked out on 57 to give the home side a share of the points at three each.
The men’s ‘A’ now only required five winners to gain an overall win and with three wins in the previous four games the odds just had to be in their favour. Martin Tibbetts got the show underway beating Jan Cameron 3-1, one win, four to go. Unfortunately that was the end of the story for the visitors in the first half. Ian Jones suffered a rare defeat, 3-2 to Andy Chalmers, Avtar Singh went down 3-1 to Ray Ryan, Joe Biggs, 3-2 to Paul Williams. On at number four was Colin Davies, he lost 3-1 to John Nicholson and to round off a half that had begun well but went quickly downhill, Warren Telford beat Richard foster 3-2 to leave the away team trailing 5-1.
The situation did not get much better Carl Walker made it 6-1 with his 3-2 win over Steve Brindley after Brindley had opened up a 2-1 lead. Chris Hickman provided a ray of hope when he chalked up a straight 3-0 win over Gary Ewart, leaving his team requiring three more wins in the last four encounters.
Mick James went 1-0 up, 2-1 down and 2-2 before losing 3-2 to John Hepton (Tyne and Wear) and with Gary Taylor losing 3-1 to Brian Green the faint hopes of an overall win disappeared. Tyne and Wear went 9-2 up thanks to Alan Jackson’s 3-2 success against Viv Gould, leaving just one game remaining, which turned out to be the match of the day.
For Tyne and Wear was Robbie Young, for the West Midlands Darren Williams. Young won the first leg in twenty one darts with a 134 finish. With a similar twenty one darts Williams won the second. With the darts advantage Young took the lead again, this time in seventeen darts. Williams then produced a cracking 154 to clinch the fourth leg in fifteen darts and in tremendous style sealed a 3-2 victory with sensational 164 outshot.
So West Midlands suffered their first defeat, but it was their first in five fixtures and in spite of this still remain top of the table nine points clear of second placed Gwynedd.
I’m sure this result was just a blip and the West Midlands will quickly return to winning ways and get back on course for division three next season.