Combined November and December Reports
Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire
Warwickshire were hoping to put behind them their opening day defeat in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships where they lost 23-13 away to reigning champions Yorkshire and a home tie against newly promoted Nottinghamshire was hopefully the game to do it, but the weekend didn’t get off to the best of starts as the ladies ‘B’ side quickly found themselves trailing 3-0.
Karen Staton (Nottinghamshire) after wining the opening leg against Angela Jones then found herself 2-1 down and could have lost the game in the fourth when Jones struggled to find her finishing doubles, but after securing that leg she then went on to win the decider with Jones left nursing 20. Margaret Bamford doubled the away team’s lead with her 3-1 win over Wendy Adams and the draw was secured when Nicola McNamara beat Denise Keyte 3-0.
Warwickshire’s lady of the match Helen Rigg beat namesake Helen Harvey 3-2 taking the deciding leg in 21 darts with top scores of 125 and 100 for a 14.69 average. Helen’s win was a brief respite as in the penultimate encounter Gina Guest beat Marian Conway 3-1 to give the visitors a winning 4-1 lead.
The result was taken to 4-2 as Nina Bolt (Warwickshire) accounted for Kaylea Riley in three straight legs.
The opening two games of the men’s ’B’ match both finished with a 4-2 result as Warwickshire’s Tom Martin and Tom Ryan in turn defeated Ricky Gray and Trev Ellis. Mick Pitchford took the lead three times against Peter Hughes before securing his very close 4-3 win but the home side’s two games buffer was quickly restored as Ian McFarlane for the second consecutive game took the match award. McFarlane lost the first leg to Darren Gilbert in 16 darts then went 2-1 up in 14 and 16 darts. Gilbert came back once more this time levelling at 2-2 in 18 darts only to see McFarlane clinch a 4-2 win in 17 and 22 darts giving him a 28.74 average.
James Hykin came up against Nottinghamshire’s man of the match Aden Kirk and lost the tie 4-0 but by the halfway stage the home team had opened up a 4-2 lead with a further 4-3 win from Luke Kennedy over Andy Kerr.
As the second half got underway Wes Deane reduced the deficit to 4-3 for the visitors when he won 4-1 against Rob Hawker but a 4-1 win from Mangal Singh against Karl Askew gave the hosts a two games breathing space once again.
Graham Hall (Warwickshire) with a 26.44 average had a higher average than his opponent Matt Padgett 25.46 but it was Padgett who got the all important 4-3 win. Anthony West made certain the home side couldn’t lose when he won 4-3 against Mark Wilson, Wilson fighting all the was as he came from 1-0 and 2-1 down to go 3-2 up before losing out in the last two legs.
Paul Woolf (Nottinghamshire) got off to a good start against Carl Green going two up in 18 and 17 darts before Green got his act together and reeled off four consecutive winning legs for his 4-2 win, then in the final game of the day Simon Power (Warwickshire) checked out on 101 to go one up against Robert Riley and althogh Riley won the second Power forged ahead again with a 106 game shot in the third and then went 3-1 up with an 18 darts leg in the fourth but despite having the chance to wrap up a win in the sixth he eventually lost by 4-3 to give a final score of 7-5 to the hosts.
The opening four games of the ladies ‘A’ match all went with the first throw advantage Sarah Brent putting Nottinghamshire one up when she beat Kerry Bambridge 3-0 and Natalie Gilbert cancelling out the visitors lead with her 3-0 win against Margaret Bamford. The away side went ahead again in the third when Tracey Johnson won againt Sue Gulliver, again the scorleine was 3-0.
Julie Pitchford (Nottinghamshire) took the first leg off Melanie Hill but the Warwickshire player fought back to clinch a 3-1 win and level at 2-2.
The sequence was broken and the homs side went ahead for the first time in game five and it was none other than Warwickshire’s Golden Girl Trina Gulliver who gave them the 3-2 lead when she beat Nicola McNamara 3-1, Trina’s 22.43 average also winning her the match award.
Going into the final game Warwickshire needed a win to seal their victory and it could well have been if Donna Pinch had had a little more luck on finishhing doubles, alas it was not to be and Kirsty Handford won the encounter 3-1 to put the final score at 3-3.
It was a good first half for the men’s ‘A’ as Jamie Hughes set them on their way with a 4-3 win over Neil Ward and Antony Allen beat Micky Stocks 4-1 to open a 2-0 lead. Peter McConville pulled one back for Nottinghamshire with his 4-0 win over Mark Strong only to see the home team reel off another couple of wins when Dean Stewart won 4-1 against Neil Lawton and Noel Grant beat Wayne Pepper 4-2.
The away team reduced the arrears to 4-2 at the break when Melvyn Hopkins got the better of Bob Nixon with a 4-1 result.
Steve Hine looked all set to increase Warwickshire’s lead when he kicked off his game against John Esam with a 117 checkout in 18 darts and followed that with 20 and 16 darts legs to go within an ace of victory. Esam then won three in a row to take the game to a decider which Hine won in 18 darts with Esam back on 100.
Richard Foster with a straight 4-0 win over Simon Birkett moved the running score along to 6-2 before Tom Allies added his similar 4-0 win against Tom Aldrdige to Nottinghamshire’s tally.
6-3 up and three to play that was how Warwickshire were placed but not for long as Mark Westgarth and Mark Carter in turn recorded 4-2 wins against Aden Kirk and Paul Harvey to give Warwickshire a winning 8-3 lead.
With the game already won the home team finished the weekend in style as Ted Evetts produced a man of the match performance against Andy McCracken. Evetts with scores of 100,180,57and 139 then checked out on 25 for a 15 darts leg, he then went two up with another 15 darts leg hitting 99,140,92 and 100 before finishing on 70. After adding a further 20 darts leg Evetts rounded off his 4-0 win in 14 darts with scores of 100,100,90 and 140 and then had a game shot of 71 giving him a superb average of 31.31.
With the men’s ‘A’ winning 9-3 the overall result for the weekend was 21-15 to Warwickshire lifting them off the foot of the table and up four places to sixth.
Full Results (Warwickshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Jamie Hughes 4 Neil Ward 3, Antony Allen 4 Micky Stocks 1, Mark Strong 0 Peter McConville 4, Dean Stewart 4 Neil Lawton 1, Noel Grant 4 Wayne Pepper 2, Bob Nixon 1 Melvyn Hopkins 4, Steve Hine 4 John Esam 3, Richard Foster 4 Simon Birkett 0, Tom Aldridge 0 Tom Allies 4, Mark Westgarth 4 Aden Kirk 2, Mark Carter 4 Paul Harvey 2, Ted Evetts 4 Andy McCracken 0, Men’s ‘B’:- Tom Martin 4 Ricky Gray 2, Tom Ryan 4 Trev Ellis 2, Peter Hughes 3 Mick Pitchford 4, Ian McFarlane 4 Darren Gilbert 2, James Hykin 0 Aden Kirk 4, Luke Kennedy 4 Andy Kerr 3, Rob Hawker 1 Wes Deane 4, Mangal Singh 4 Karl Askew 1, Graham Hall 3 Matt Padgett 4, Anthony West 4 Mark Wilson 3, Karl Green 4 Paul Woolf 2, Simon Power 3 Robert Riley 4, Women’s ‘A’:- Kerry Bambridge 0 Sarah Brent 3, Natalie Gilbert 3 Margaret Bamford 0, Sue Gulliver 0 Tracey Johnson 3, Melanie Hill 3 Julie Pitchford 1, Trina Gulliver 3 Nicola McNamara 1, Donna Pinch 1 Kirsty Handford 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Angela Jones 2 Karen Staton 3, Wendy Adams 1 Margaret Bamford 3, Denis Keyte 0 Nicola McNamara 3, Helen Rigg 3 Helen Harvey 2, Marian Conway 1 Gina Giest 3, Nina Bolt 3 Kaylea Riley 0.
———————————
December
Warwickshire completed the first third of their premier division season in the BDO Inter County Championships with an away fixture against Cheshire and the weekend got off to a good start as the ladies ‘B’ took a 2-0 lead when Denise Keyte, after trailing 2-0 to Lynn Marsden went on to win 3-2 and Helen Rigg added her 3-1 win over Tessa Yates to the tally.
Cheshire pulled one back in the third when Loll Abley beat Nina Bolt 3-1 but a draw was assured in the fourth when Marian Conway (16,20) with a lady of the match performance against Diane Kindred won 3-1 taking the running score to the same 3-1 in Warwickshire’s favour.
Andrea Hunt reduced the arrears for the hosts with her 3-0 win against Wendy Adams and with a 3-1 win for Irene Billington over Angela Jones the final score was 3-3.
The men’s ‘B’ match was definitely a game of two halves as in the opening six encounters Warwickshire stormed into a 6-0 lead. Simon Power got the away team off to the best possible start with a man of the match display against Frazer Hill, Power winning 4-0 in 20,13,15 and 18 darts for a tremendous 30.36 average. Graham Hall doubled the lead with a 4-2 win over John Speed who had come from two down to level terms before losing, Hall having checked out on 161 in the first leg. Taking the score to 3-0 was Matt Edgar, a 4-1 success against Matt Hunt, Edgar recording a 130 fnish in the third leg.
Rob Hawker (Warwickshire) was pushed all the way by Shaun Walshe but with a 112 checkout in the seventh leg clinched a 4-3 win. After a 4-1 win by James Hykin against Gary Bayliss Ian McFarlane took the visitors into their 6-0 lead at the halfway mark when he beat Tony Richardson 4-2, Richardson having won the first two legs.
The first game of the second hafl was a nail biter as Bobby Baynham (Cheshire) won the first two legs, Anthony West won the third only to see Baynham go 3-1 up in the fourth. The fifth leg saw West produce a super 150 finish then with a 14 darts leg in the sixth he drew level and went on to win the tie 4-3 with a tremendous 160 outshot to ensure victory for Warwickshire with a 7-0 lead.
At this point it all went downhill for the away team as Cheshire’s Simon Preston and Tony Martin in turn won 4-0 against Peter Hughes and Ian Shaw, Rob Arrowsmith beat Carl Green 4-3 and Mark Graham won 4-1 against Tom Ryan, then taking the final score to 7-5 to Warwickshire was Cheshire’s Mark Jodrill who beat Tom Martin 4-0.
The opening game of the ladies ‘A’ produced a clash of the Titans as the home tea’s Anastasia Dobromyslova took on Warwicjkshire’s Golden Girl Trina Gulliver. Dobromyslova went 2-0 and although Gulliver reduced the arrears to 2-1 a win in the fourth gave the home player the 3-1 victory. Cheshire went 2-0 up when Gil O’Shea after losing the first leg to Melanie Hill went on to win 3-1.
Sue Gulliver was Warwickshire’s first winner beating Dawn Williams in straight legs Sue’s 3-0 win followed by a similar success for lady of the match Kerry Bambridge who defeated Ros Davies and took the award with a 19.52 average.
Jane Densley put Cheshire within an ace of victory when she won 3-1 against Natalie Gilbert but the hosts were unable to add to that as the final game went to Donna Pinch whose 3-0 win over Mandy Smith made it all square at 3-3.
So close was the men’s ‘A’ game that in the first ten games the deciding factor was the first throw advantage. The first win of the tie went to Warwickshire when Tom Adridge beat Patrick Lynskey 4-1 then Cheshire levelling through Mal Barrow who won 4-3 against Simon Fairbrother. Ted Evetts was the away team’s second winner a straight 4-0 win over Paul Phillips followed by a similar 4-0 win by the home team’’s Dave Bird againts Richard Foster.
Warwickshire took the lead again in the fifth when Mark Westgarth defeated Nathan Aspinall 4-1 checking out in 17,21,15 and 14 darts giving him a superb man of the match average of 30.42.
By the midway point it was all square at 3-3 when David Smith-Hayes added his 4-0 win against Mark Carter to Cheshire’s score.
The pattern continued in the second half with the away team taking the lead for a fourth time when Dean Stewart won 4-2 against Bryn Buckley only to see Peter Boughey beat Antony Allen 4-1 to level at 4-4.
Jamie Hughes went 1-0 up and 2-1 down to Danny Ayres before going on to win 4-2 to give Warwickshire the advantage for a fifth time but yet again a 4-3 win for Cheshire from Carl Dennel against Bob Nixon levelled the game.
The match appeared to be cotinuing in the same vein when Mark Strong (Warwickshire) won the opening three legs against Michael Haynes but it was Haynes who got the 4-3 verdict to break the mould in the penultimate encounter.
After such a close game it was perhaps fitting that the result should be a draw and that was how it turned out when Noel Grant won 4-0 against Andy Cope to give a 6-6 result.
The overall 19-17 result went to Warwickshire and saw them move up two places in the table to fourth on 59 points just three short of third placed Nottinghamshire.
Full Results:Men’s:Men’s ‘A’:- Patrick Lynskey 1 Tom Aldridge 4, Mal Barrow 4 Simon Fairbrother 3, Paul Phillips 0 Ted Evetts 4, Dave Bird 4 Richard Foster 0, Nathan Aspinall 1 Mark Westgarth 4, David Smith-Hayes 4 Mark Carter 0, Bryn Buckley 2 Dean Stewart 4, Peter Boughey 4 Antony Allen 1, Danny Ayres 2 Jamie Hughes 4, Carl Dennel 4 Bob Nixon 3, Michael Haynes 4 Mark Strong 3, Andy Cope 0 Noel Grant 4, Men’s ‘B’:- Frazer Hill 0 Simon Power 4, John Speed 2 Graham Hall 4, Matt Hunt 1 Matt Edgar 4, Shaun Walshe 3 Rob Hawker 4, Gary Bayliss 1 James Hykin 4, Tony Richardson 2 Ian McFarlane 4, Bobby Baynham 3 Anthony West 4, Simon Preston 4 Peter Hughes 0, Tony Martin 4 Ian Shaw 0, Rob Arrowsmith 4 Carl Green 3, Mark Graham 4 Tom Ryan 1, Mark Jodrill 4 Tom Martin 0, Women’s ‘A’:- Anastasia Dobromyslova 3 Trina Gulliver 1, Gill O’Shea 3 Melanie Hill 1, Dawn Williams 0 Sue Gulliver 3, Ros Davies 0 Kerry Bambridge 3, Jane Densley 3 Natalie Gilbert 1, Mandy Smith 0 Donna Pinch 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Lynn Marsden 2 Denise Keyte 3, Tessa Yates 1 Helen Rigg 3, Loll Abley 3 Nina Bolt 1, Diane Kindred 1 Marian Conway 3, Andrea Hunt 3 Wendy Adams 0, Irene Billington 3 Angela Jones 1.
———————————