Derbyshire v County Durham
Following their 24-12 defeat away to Norfolk in their first game of the season in Division Three of the BDO Inter County Championships Derbyshire got their season underway in their second fixture when they played hosts to County Durham.
The ladies ‘B’ side lost their opener 4-2 but began with a win against County Durham when Louise Rawson, after taking the lead twice defeated Sandra Cairns 3-2 when she won the deciding leg. The away team’s response was swift as Ali Schofield won 3-0 against Jennifer McCormick and Lauren Stokoe, who after being pegged back to level terms twice had a 3-2 win over Sara-Jane Harrison.
Rosemary Mort restored parity when she handed out a straight 3-0 defeat to Cheryl Brough and a share of the spoils was ensured in the fifth when lady of the match Samantha Marshall, another straight 3-0 winner, accounted for Karol Dagga and lifted the award for her 18.56 average as she won the tie in 18 darts and after top scores of 100,121 and 100 she produced a fine 94 game shot to seal her win.
The final game went to County Durham’s Clare Stewart who won 3-0 against Marie Leahy to take the result to 3-3.
The men’s ‘B’ were looking to record their first win of the campaign and that is exactly what they did as Lee Cropper set them on their way with a 3-1 win over James McClurg and although John Elliott went down 3-0 to Paul Berriman, Lee Arkwright came from a 2-0 deficit against Ian Adamson to go on and win 3-2. Ryan O’Connor then made it 3-1 to the home side when he won 3-1 against Matthew Hodgson, O’Connor recording a 105 checkout in his 15 darts third leg.
Paul Knighton looked as though he would reduce the home team’s lead when he twice went ahead against Andrew Houghton but Houghton was resilient, sticking to the task in hand and going on to win 3-2 with a final 18 darts leg.
Dean Allsopp (Derbyshire) opened up a 2-0 lead against Stephen Mallams and had his chances to win the tie but it was Mallams who took the final three legs for his 3-2 win and take the running score to 4-2 in Derbyshire’s favour at the halfway stage.
County Durham reduced the arrears again as the second half got underway when Kevin Sanderson won 3-1 against Matt Faulkner but a similar 3-1 win in the very next game for Andy Cass over Tim Embling restored Derbyshire’s two games buffer. James Parkin in 23 and 21 darts went two up against Robert Howe and although Howe won the following two legs it was Parkin who got the decider in 17 darts with a 100 game shot leaving his opponent nursing 74. Parkin’s 3-2 win and 24.27 average not only earned him the home team’s match award but at the same time took the win beyond the visitors reach with the score at 6-3. The win was not long awaited as Dan Ford added his 3-1 success over Steve Jones to the hosts account.
Paul Webster (County Durham) won the first two legs against Stephen Paling, Paling won the next two but was unable to complete the win as Webster won the decider in 14 darts for a 3-2 victory.
The last game of the day went to Derbyshire’s Paul Williams as he came from 1-0 down to George Davison and go on to win 3-1 to give a final score of 8-4 to Derbyshire men’s ‘A’ team.
Derbyshire’s ladies ‘A’ side, like the ‘B’ lost their opener against Norfolk 4-2 and again like the ‘B’ against County Durham finished all square at 3-3 but they could so easily have won it.
Rebecca Hoyland after taking a 2-0 lead against Ali Schofield was pegged back to level terms in the fourth but a win in the fifth saw Rebecca win the tie 3-2. Jane Densley’s welcome return to Derbyshire was apparent again in the second encounter when she defeated Kelly-Louise Eddy in three straight legs and take the lady of the match award for her average of 22.10.
Jackie Sweet won the opening leg against Margaret Stewart but it was Stewart with a 3-1 win who put County Durham’s first stripe on the board.
Taking the home side into a 3-1 lead was Rachel Bird who won 3-1 against Jennifer Summerson and a win looked to be well on the cards as Terri Bellamy went two up against Laura Patton, however Patton won the last three legs after finishing doubles deserted Bellamy in the last two legs.
The result now hinged on the final game between Rachel Ayres (Derbyshire) and Cheryl Adamson. Adamson went 2-0 up and although Ayres won the third a win in the fourth secured a 3-1 win for the County Durham player and a share of the points for the visitors.
The opening game of the men’s ‘A’ match saw Gerry Hall open County Durham’s account with a 4-1 win over Benjamin Holmes. The away teams cheers were short lived as Gary Fenn with an impressive 4-0 win over Ryan Anderson in 17,16,17 and 19 darts and a 29.04 average cancelled out the visitors early lead. Following Gary Fenn was Richard Hanson who like Fenn was also in terrific form as he too handed out a 4-0 whitewash to his opponent Gary Miller. Hanson just getting the edge on Fenn for the match award as he chalked up winning legs of 16,17,18 and 16 darts with a 116 outshot in the third giving him a 29.91 average.
From 2-1 up the score was taken nicely along to 3-1 with a 4-2 win from Lee Stanley who again produced notable winning legs of 23,21,18 and 19 darts in a 4-2 win over Kevin Sanderson.
Game number five swayed one way then the other as Sean Lambert (Derbyshire) went 1-0 up against John Teal then Teal opened up a 2-1 lead. Lambert replied by winning the next two legs for a 3-2 advantage, but with wins in the last two legs it was Teal who got the close 4-3 result.
By the midway point it was all square at 3-3 with County Durham’s man of the match Robert Douthwaite (28.69) adding his 4-2 win over Steven Soar after Soar had won the first and third legs.
The away team were on their way to taking the lead for the first time in the game when Chris Kitch won the first two legs against Michael Ryall but Ryall bounced back in style to clinch a 4-2 win in 19,21,20 and 20 darts.
A straight 4-0 win for Henry Coates over Lee Wright took the home team into a 5-3 lead but with some costly missed finishes that advantage was turned around as their opponents then went within an ace of victory as they opened up a 6-5 lead. John Dalton began the trio of wins for the visitors as he beat Steve Thompson 4-1, then with 4-2 wins for Dean Scott and Eddie Mordica over respective counterparts Connor Hodgkinson and Ian Allcock the onus was put on the last two players of the weekend to decide the outcome of the game.
Lining up for Derbyshire was Nigel Daniels and for County Durham Martin Famer. The first two legs were shared, Famer coming back from one down. Daniels went ahead again in the third with a 17 darts leg and made it 3-1 with an 18 darts leg which included a superb 137 checkout. Famer won the fifth in 14 darts but a 16 darts leg for Daniels sealed a 4-2 win and took the final score to 6-6.
The overall result was an encouraging 20-16 win for Derbyshire and hopefully the start of more good results to come but despite the win they remain at the foot of the table on 35 points some seven short of Montgomery and Radnor just above them, however Derbyshire have only played two games and have a game in hand on the two teams above them.
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