Warwickshire began their 2023-2024 campaign in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division of the UKDA National League with an away fixture against Cornwall and lost 20-16, the new 2024-2025 season opener was a home tie for Warwickshire, once again against Cornwall and once again the result was 20-16.
Denise Keyte won the opening game of the season for the ladies ‘B’ with a 3-1 win over Sarah Gill only to see Jacqui Champion (Cornwall) cancel out her win when she won 3-1 against Kat Spanswick. Nina Bolt with a lady of the match performance beat Emma Dow 3-1 with a 17.94 average to restore Warwickshire’s lead but yet again it was cancelled out as Debbie Crocker beat Chloe McKivett-Saunders 3-2. For the first time in the game the visitors went ahead in the fifth when Courtney Hancock won 3-0 against Caroline Pike and with a further 3-0 win for Sarah Brown over Donna Pinch Cornwall ladies ‘B’ had won 4-2.
As with the ladies ‘B’, Warwickshire won the first of the men’s ‘B’ games when Mark Faulkner won 4-3 against Tex Thomas and once again as per the ladies, the lead was short lived as Kev Dunstan beat Jnr Joyce 4-3. Cornwall went 2-1 up in the third when Kevin Bray won 4-3 against Adam Hancock after Hancock had gone 3-1 up. Parity was restored in the fourth, Karl Reynolds making it two each when he accounted for Joseph Yendle with a 4-2 result. By the midway point the away side were 4-2 up after their man of the match Rob Jane (31.81) won 4-0 against William Naylor and Paul Ellis beat Martin Tonks 4-3 after Tonks had won the opening three legs.
Cornwall extended their lead to 5-2 as the second half got underway, Matthew Hawke winning 4-2 against Dave Hill, and with a 4-0 win for their Andrew Cook over Noah Rose a draw was guaranteed for the away side. Leigh Dells (Warwickshire) took the lead three times against Josh Symons but with wins in the last two legs Symons sealed not only a 4-3 win for himself but also put the result beyond the home team’s reach as Cornwall were now leading 7-2. Samuel Price came from 2-0 down against Neil Meneer to lead 3-2 but it was Meneer who got the 4-3 result to increase Cornwall’s advantage, then with a further 4-1 success for Aaron Rowe over Carl Green their lead was stretched to 9-2. The final game of the day went to Warwickshire as their man of the match Ian McFarlane won 4-1 against Simon Rees with a 26.08 average to put the final score at 9-3 to Cornwall.
As Sunday’s games began Cornwall were in a healthy 13-5 lead but although their ladies ‘B’ had won 4-2 the previous day it was now the turn of Warwickshire’s ladies ‘A’ to win by the same margin. Wendy Adams got the first stripe on the board when she won the opening game against Chrissie Kinnaird 3-1. Marian Conway doubled the hosts lead when she won 3-0 against Sarah Brown. Teresa Brookshaw had a 3-1 win over Kirsty Hinchliffe to give the away team their first winner only to see Warwickshire’s two games buffer restored when Natalie Gilbert beat Pauline Mead 3-1 in the fourth. With a further straight 3-0 win for Hannah Meek over Laura Shepherd Warwickshire were in an unbeatable 4-1 lead. Hannah Meek had winning legs of 16, 15 and 28 darts to earn her the team’s match award for her 25.47 average. The last game went to Cornwall when their Tracey Hancock won 3-2 against Courtney Hine to give a final result of 4-2 to the home side.
For a Warwickshire victory a huge win was required from the men’s ‘A’ and the first half of their game looked as though they would get something from the fixture as they stormed into a 5-1 lead at the break. After losing the opener when John Mann beat Gareth Braham 4-1 and taking the home side up to the halfway stage were Steve Hine, Jamie Hughes, Kevin Dowling, Jamie Atkins and Nigel Heydon who in turn won against Matt Knowles (4-2), Neil Meneer (4-0), Greg Hambly (4-3), Jamie Kay (4-2) and Gareth Griffiths (4-3).
Scott Hill reduced the arrears as the second half began winning 4-3 against Jack Wareing but a straight 4-0 win for Matty Washbrooke over Simon Knowles guaranteed at the worst a draw for the men’s ‘A’ side. A 4-3 win for Mike Jones against Wayne Mynard only delayed the final outcome as Warwickshire’s man of the match Danny Lauby beat Rob Ruberry 4-1 with a 30.43 average to put the home team into a winning 7-7-3 lead. Cornwall’s man of the match Lee Hellings (27.78) won 4-1 against Sam Whittaker after Whittaker had won the first leg with a superb 157 outshot and with a similar 4-1 win for Jack Nankervis against Noel Grant the result was a 7-5 win for Warwickshire.
The overall 20-16 score for the weekend once again going to Cornwall for a second successive season leaving Warwickshire sixth in the division and Cornwall fifth.
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