Warwickshire County Darts Organisation didn’t have the wining start to the new season in the UKDA National League’s Cosmo Darts Premier Division that they would have hoped for as they finished on the wrong side of a 20-16 scoreline playing away against Cornwall at the Indian Queens WMC, St Columb Major, St Austell, TR9 6QN. The weekend didn’t get off to the best of starts with the ladies ‘B’ losing 4-2 after opener Kirsty Hinchcliffe gave them a 1-0 lead when she beat Laura Shepherd 3-1 and in the process won the lady of the match award for her 17.94 average, and although Caroline Pike made it 2-0 with her 3-0 win over Debbie Crocker it was the home side that won the following four games.
The men’s ‘B’ also went 1-0 up when their Sam Whittaker beat Aaron Rowe 4-1 but had to wait until the sixth game before they got their second winner in the form of Will Naylor who also won 4-1 against Tex Thomas. Samuel Price beat Jamie Kay 4-0 to reduce the arrears to 4-3 and with a similar 4-3 win over Fred Goldsmith Scott Hope made it 5-4. The final score was 7-5 to the hosts with Warwickshire’s man of the match Karl Reynolds adding his 4-2 win over Lee Hellings in the final game, Reynolds clinching the match award for his 26.20 average.
The ladies ‘A’, like their ‘B’ side also lost 4-2, and again like the ‘B’ team won the opener as Donna Pinch beat Tyrian Jesse 3-1. The only other winner was Wendy Adams who was on at number three and had a straight 3-0 win over Sarah Brown, Wendy taking the team’s match award for her 17.28 average.
The men’s ‘A’ went one down but recovered well to take the following six games with wins from Steve Hine, Jamie Atkins, Matty Washbrooke, Wayne Mynard, Gareth Braham and Nigel Heydon. With a 6-2 lead the all-important seventh win was added in the ninth by Mark McGeeney who was making a welcome return to Warwickshire after an eleven year absence, his 4-1 win over Jez Campe and his 29.18 average making him the man of the match. The final score was 7-5 to Warwickshire but the overall result of 20-16 for the weekend went to Cornwall.
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