2013-10-01

West Midlands after being relegated from division one of the Riley’s BDO Inter County Championships last season began the new campaign with an away fixture against Leicestershire and returned with an encouraging victory to set them off on the right track for a quick return to division one.
Saturdays ladies game saw Kim Fellows kick off the proceedings for the West Midlands and they could not have asked for a better start as Kim romped to a straight 3-0 victory over Hayley Trigg and her 18.79 average at the end of the day earned her the match award.
Donna Greasley levelled the scoreline for the hosts with a very close 3-2 win over an unlucky Claire Hobbs, who after trailing 1-0 took a 2-1 lead. A further 3-0 win for the West Midlands was provided by Samantha Maiden, who beat counterpart Debra Ward and with a 3-1 success from Heather Wright against Joanne Sciepanow West Midlands were assured at least half of the points as early as the fourth game.
A share of the points was clearly not going to be enough as Shellbie Simmons recorded a 3-1 win over Melanie Bell to put the result beyond Leicestershire’s reach. The final game was a 3-1 win for Jacky White (Leicestershire), her win against Jacqueline Maiden taking the final score to 4-2 for the West Midlands.
The men’s ‘B’ game turned out to be a game of two halves, newcomer Jamie Barrowman was first on and despite falling behind twice to Andrew Hibbert he stuck to the task and went on to win 3-2. Martin Angell doubled the lead with his 3-0 win against Rich Cockram, Angell checking out on 105 in the first leg and rounding off his win with a seventeen darts leg to average 25.91, which was enough to win him the man of the match award.
Another new face for the West Midlands, Shaun Carroll moved the scoreline along to 3-0 when he accounted for Mark Wagg with a 3-2 verdict, Shaun fighting back from 2-1 down.
It was game number four before the home side recorded their first win, Jim Young beating Robert Thompson 3-2 after missed doubles in the second leg cost Thompson the game. Jordan Singh put the away side back on winning lines when he won 3-1 against Scott Warwick, but from leading 4-1 the match took a completely different path for the visitors.
Lee Saville (Leicestershire) won 3-1 against John Platt, Mike Lewis had a 3-0 victory over Paul Price and with another straight three legs win from Andy Tempest against Mark Watkiss and suddenly the running score was all square at four each.
In game number nine, for the first time in the match Leicestershire took the lead, Steven Coltman beating Peter Wyse 3-1. Coltman’s team mate Gary Harris looked all set to immediately add to that tally when he opened up a 2-0 lead over Ian Stanton and although Stanton took the game to a decider it was Harris who won the final leg and guarantee his team mates at the worst a draw.
Gary Watts (West Midlands) won the first leg against Steve Liddell, only to see Liddell win the following three to confirm a victory for the hosts by chalking up the all important seventh game.
The final game between Stephen Watton (Leicestershire) and Avtar Singh could have swung either way as Singh won the first leg, Watton the next two and Singh the fourth to force a fifth and final leg. That final leg, with an eight outshot went to Watton with Avtar Singh left nursing a remaining score of 52. The final scoreline was 8-4 to the home team, giving them an overall lead on the day of 10-8.
West Midlands were now looking for good results from both their men and ladies in the ‘A’ team matches, but the ladies did faulter in their opening game when Kath Jenkins lost 3-1 to Caroline Newberry. The disappointment was short lived as Jackie Crew, from 1-0 down to Katie Leatherland went 2-1 up, Leatherland levelled in the fourth but Crew with a double one finish clinched a 3-2 win.
Long time West Midland’s player Diane Tolley also dropped the first leg in her tie with Mem Martin, but quickly recovered to win the game 3-1. At number three for the West Midlands was Sarah Roberts, who was in superb form against Kelly Welsh. Sarah won the opening leg in 21 darts, she then went one better taking the second leg in 20 darts. Continuing the trend Sarah then wrapped up the game, her 3-0 win, plus the lady of the match award with a 19 darts leg to give her a superb 25.05 average.
The penultimate encounter saw West Midlands confirm their victory when Gemma Barrett accounted for Julie Booth with a 3-1 result, and taking the final score along to 5-1 to the West Midlands was anchor girl Lisa Astbury, who beat Krissie Long 3-1/
What a good weekend for the West Midland ladies, both of them recording wins, something neither of them achieved throughout all of last season. Well done ladies.
With only the men’s ‘A’ result to be added and the running score being 13-11 in West Midland’s favour, all that was required for an overall win was at the worst a 7-5 defeat, but defeat wasn’t part of the plan as the opening six games proved.
Nick Fullwell (West Midlands) was first on against Alex Young and he made short work as he romped to a 4-0 victory. Gavin Baker had to twice come from behind against Mark Stanley before he sealed a 4-3 win to double the lead. The ‘A’ team’s man of the match, Mark Jones was on at number three against Jon Bott. Jones won the first two legs in 20 and 19 darts, Bott’s reply was 17 and 16 darts to level the match. Jones then went ahead with a 13 darts leg, hitting scores of 140, 85, 120, 140 and checking out on double eight first dart. He then repeated the 13 darts feat, this time his scores were 95, 100, 140, 134 and double sixteen for a tremendous 29.65 average.
Michael Baker dropped just the third leg against Paul Lingard as he won 4-1 and Andrew Forrester staged a terrific come back when after going within an ace of defeat against Derek Allsopp, he fought back from 3-0 down to win 4-3.
Chris Mason twice fell behind to Peter Wills before he won 4-2 to give the West Midlands a commanding 6-0 lead and a definite win over the weekend.
The second half of the match was not so fruitful for the West Midlands as the home side began to claw their way back into the game. Jim Walker and Anthony Littleton in turn had 4-1 wins over John Roberts and Mark Rollinson. Darren Tyler won 4-2 against Richard Platt and with a straight 4-0 win over Matthew Dicken by Jay Foreman, Leicestershire from 6-0 down were now only trailing 6-4.
For the penultimate game West Midlands could not have hoped for a better player to represent them, the man that as so often pulled a vital win out of the bag for them for many, many years, Ian Jones, and once again he did not disappoint. His first visit to the oche produced a maximum and he went on to win the leg against former Warwickshire player Prakash Jiwa in 16 darts. Jiwas replied with a 17 darts leg, after Jones had hit another maximum. The west Midlands man took the lead again when he won the third leg in 24 darts and increased his lead with a 16 darts leg in the fourth.
Prakash Jiwa took the next leg in 22 darts, Jones registering his third maximum of the game and surprisingly missing his finishing doubles. An 18 darts winner for Jiwa in the penultimate leg took the game to a seventh and deciding leg. Two throws into the leg and Jones, yet again, for the fourth time hit a 180 and then went on to win the leg with a fantastic 160 game shot with Jiwa back on 193. An excellent 4-3 win for Ian Jones, a great 27.35 average and the winning game that put West Midlands 7-4 up.
The final game went to Leicestershire, Stephen Smith beating Neil Pointon 4-1 to give a final score of 7-5 to the away team and an overall 20-16 victory.
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Saturday 16th November will see the Ripley Elite Darts League stage another of their ever increasingly popular darts knockouts. Once again the venue will be the Somercotes Billiards Hall, 69 Leabrooks Road, Somercotes, Derbyshire, DE55 4HB.
For an entry fee of £10 o the day there will be a guaranteed £500 for the eventual winner, with, subject to 64 entries being received £200 for the runner up, £100 for losing semi finalists and £49 for losing quarter finalists.
The 64 entries are required for a payout in excess of £1,100, so why not get along and win some early Christmas money.
To pre-register for the knockout or for any further information call or text Darron Brown on 07869-105655.
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The first of the qualifying competitions for the second Riley’s Darts Masters Knockouts was staged at the Riley’s Snooker Bar, Wolverhampton and the event attracted players from grass roots right through to internationals.
Winning through to the final was young Walsall based Matt Dennant and England international and local Wolverhampton player Wayne Jones.
Playing the best of eleven legs the tie went the full distance and to most of the audiences surprise the 6-5 winner was Matt Dennant.
In the semi finals Matt and Wayne had 6-4 wins in turn against Nick Fullwell and Steve Evans, while losers from the quarter finals were, Shaun Carroll, Gavin Baker, Mark Hylton and Andy Roberts.
A total of 25 maximums were hit throughout the event, Nick Fullwell supplying six of them, Dennant five and recent West Midland signing Shaun Carrol three.
Last Sixteen:- Nick Fullwell 4 Ian Jones 3, Shaun Carrol 4 Karl Hughes 2, Gavin Baker 4 Jordan Singh 1, Matt Dennant 4 Neil Wild 1, Mark Hylton 4 Chris Mason 2, Steve Evans 4 Graham Hall 3, Andy Roberts 4 Dan Astbury 2, Wayne Jones 4 Chris Jennings 2, Quarter Finals:- Nick Fullwell 5 Shaun Carrol 2, Matt Dennant 5 Gavin Baker 4, Steve Evans 5 Mark Hylton 4, Wayne Jones 5 Andy Roberts 4, Semi Finals:- Matt Dennant 6 Nick Fullwell 4, Wayne Jones 6 Steve Evans 4, Final:- Matt Dennant 6 Wayne Jones 5.
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In the latest of the Riley’s Saturday knockouts at the Wolverhampton based club the winner was West Midland county player Dean Stewart. Stewart beat Andy Roberts 5-2 in the final after a close 5-4 win in the semi’s against Simon Preston, Roberts had a more comfortable passage with his 5-1 win over Micky Baker.
The two finalists were in a high scoring mood throughout the competition, with a combined total of 17×100, 12×140 and 3×180.
Losing quarter finalists were, Alan Carter, Kark Hughes, Mike McFall and Dan Astbury.
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The bank holiday knockout held at the Laurels, Cradley Heath was won by Jess Archer. Archer won the high scoring final against Greg Billingham 5-4
Losing semi finalists were P.Hadley and R.Reed.
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Well done to Small Heath Darts League’s Bordesley Labour Club who held a fund raiser for “Help The Heroes” and raised a fantastic amount of £1,400.
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Well done to Bordesley Labour Club who held a fund raiser for “Help The Heroes” and raised a fantastic amount of £,1400.
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