Fixture number four in the UKDA National League Elite Premier Division saw Warwickshire travel to the south-west to take on the local county Cornwall at the Mount Charles Social Club, Clifden Road, St. Austell, Cornwall, PL25 4NX and return having made it four wins in as many games.
Saturday could not have had a much better start for the ladies ‘B’ as they romped into a 5-0 lead all begun by lady of the match Wendy Adams. Playing against Catherine Rashleigh, Wendy won the first leg after both players had had throws at a finishing double she then won the following two legs giving her an award winning average of 16.34.
Lucy Keyte doubled Warwickshire’s lead when she beat Emma Dow 3-2, Lucy coming back from 2-1 down. Taking the score along to 3-0 was Melanie Jones who had a 3-1 win over Vicki Dennett, then chalking up the all-important fourth win was Caroline Pike who handed a straight 3-0 defeat to Tyrian Jesse.
Denise Keyte lost her first leg to Lynsey Hill and was pegged back to level terms in the fourth but won the decider to give her a 3-2 victory and her team a 5-0 lead.
The final game saw the home team get their one and only winner as Joe-Anne Symons won 3-0 against Marian Conway to give a final score of 5-1 to the away team.
The men’s ‘B’ were looking to make it three consecutive wins and like the ladies ‘B’ team their match got underway with the match award winner. Karl Reynolds was first on facing Cornwall’s Dan Jones. With two 17 darts legs and his opponent unable to reach a finishing double, Reynolds quickly went two up. The third leg could have gone to either player but once again it was the Warwickshire man who got the vital double two. To round off a superb 4-0 win he won the fourth leg in 18 darts giving him a 26.03 average.
Wayne Mynard with an opening 17 darts leg against Simon Rees looked as though he could be on his way to doubling the visitors lead but it was Rees who won the next four legs to level the score.
Darren Swords (Warwickshire) began with two winning 24 darts legs against David Copplestone but once again it was the Cornwall player who won four in a row to give the home side a 2-1 lead.
Warwickshire’s second win was another straight 4-0 success and was provided by Carl Green in his tie with Paul Ellis and although Martin Tonks twice took the lead against Josh Symons it was the hosts Symons who got the 4-2 verdict to see Cornwall lead 3-2.
Going into the halfway break the scores were levelled as Will Naylor beat Greg Hambly 4-2, Hambly winning the first and fourth legs.
As the second half got underway Mark Tomlinson (Warwickshire) went 1-0, 2-0 and 3-1 up in his game against Carl Jefferys, but with wins in the last three legs it was Jefferys who won 4-3. Another player to stage a fight back for Cornwall was Sam Hicks as he trailed 3-0 to Jason Prince and won 4-3 to give the home side a 5-3 lead.
Mark Carter reduced the arrears for the away team as he in double quick time, with a 4-0 result defeated Kevin Thompson and although Carter’s team mate Matty Washbrooke lost the first leg to Neil Dudbridge he went on to clinch a 4-1 win and take the running score to 5-5.
The penultimate encounter was a close affair with Dave Hill (Warwickshire) going 1-0 up and then his opponent Kyle Willmott opened up a 3-1 lead. In 14 and 18 darts Hill took the game to a decider but after missing his finishing double Willmott checked out on 98 to seal a 4-3 win.
The result was taken to 6-6 when in the final game Jack Wareing after leading 3-0 and then 3-2 won the sixth leg in 21 darts for a 4-2 win over Simon Furse.
The ladies ‘A’ side were defending a 100% win record from their opening three games but they didn’t have the best of starts as Sarah Gill (Cornwall) won 3-1 against Angela Jones. The lead was quickly reversed as lady of the match Tammy Montgomery handed a straight 3-0 defeat to Tracey Hancock, Tammy’s average 21.17 and following Tammy was Donna Pinch who also chalked up a 3-0 win when she beat Becky Curnow.
A 3-1 win by Teresa Brookshaw over Nina Bolt levelled the game and with the home team’s Jacqui Champion winning the first two legs against Sue Gulliver it looked as though Cornwall would go ahead for the first time since the opening game. However never-say-die Sue Gulliver stuck to her task and with wins in the last three legs earned herself a terrific 3-2 victory and at the same time take the result to the final encounter.
Anchor player for Warwickshire was Chloe McKivett and for Cornwall Pauline Mead. Chloe took a 2-0 lead only to see her opponent cancel out her advantage with wins in the third and fourth legs. The fifth and deciding leg was full of tension and could easily have gone to either player but it was Chloe McKivett who won the leg and the game 3-2 to take the final score to 4-2 and maintain the Warwickshire ladies ‘A’ teams 100% win record.
The men’s ‘A’ match saw all of the first half games go with the first throw advantage, Steve Hine first on for Warwickshire and giving them the early lead with his 4-2 win over Mike Jones. Gareth Griffiths was Cornwall’s man to level the score as he won 4-1 against Dave Honey.
Warwickshire went 2-1 up with a superb 4-1 win for their man of the match Gareth Braham who in 21,15,15 and 18 darts with a 30.70 average beat Simon Knowles.
For a second time the game was all square when Kevin Dunstan added his 4-3 win over Matty Washbrooke to the home team’s tally after Washbrooke had gone 1-0 and 3-1 up.
Noel Grant was the away team’s third winner as he went from 2-0 up to 3-2 down and then, go on to win 4-3 against Mike Beard.
Parity was once again restored in the sixth when Kevin Bray came from two down to Ian Shaw and go on to win 4-2.
The pattern continued as the second half began with Kevin Dowling (Warwickshire) beating Jez Camp 4-1, Dowling having outshots of 135 in the second and 101 in the fifth. The sequence was broken in the eighth when Jack Wareing won 4-2 against Matt Knowles to give Warwickshire a 5-3 lead.
Alas from 5-3 up the score moved along to 6-5 down as Neil Meneer won 4-0 against Dave Atkins, Martin Smith won 4-1 against Mark Strong and Rob Ruberry beat Mark Carter 4-1 to leave the onus on the last two players of the day to decide the final score.
Those last two players were Dennis Bryant (Cornwall) and Jamie Atkins (Warwickshire). Bryant won the first leg in 21 darts, Atkins replied with a 15 darts leg in the second. Bryant went ahead again in the third with a 23 darts leg only to see Jamie Atkins win the next three legs in 20,19 and 21 darts for a 4-3 win to give his team mates a share of the spoils in a 6-6 draw.
The overall result for the weekend was a 21-15 win for Warwickshire to keep them second in the division just four points behind leaders Lancashire who also won 21-15 playing at home against Hampshire.
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It was cheers al round for the Shropshire County Darts Organisation players, officials and supporters as in game four of the Windows for Darts Division Three UKDA National League they chalked up their first victory of the four games season so far.
Playing at home Shropshire took on Isle of Wight but the weekend did not get off to a great start as the ladies ‘B’ went down 5-1.
Isle of Wight’s Kelly Stroud and Lyn Marshall won the opening two games 3-0 against respective opponents Kirsty Jenks and Kimberley Hewitt. Deana Sheldon (Shropshire) won the first leg against Ann Llewellyn but then lost the next two. She drew level in the fourth only to see her opponent take the decider to put the away team 3-0 up.
It was game number four before the hosts got their first stripe on the board, the straight 3-0 win supplied by Kelly Haverson over Charlotte Collins and being as Kelly was Shropshire’s sole winner she took the match award for her 12.85 average.
The result was put beyond Shropshire’s reach in the fifth when Fiona Pickin beat Dianne Newton 3-1 and to round off the visitors 5-1 win Hope Webster won the final game against Lisa Rea 3-0.
The first five games of the men’s ‘B’ match all went against the first throw advantage, Jon Blakemore giving the home side the early lead with his 3-1 win in the opener over Tim O’Shea. Chris Hill took Gordy Crews the full five legs distance but it was Isle of Wight’s Crews who got the 3-2 result.
Shropshire went ahead for a second time in the third when Dan Downey won 3-1 against Kevin Pierson and although Downey’s team mate Melvyn Roberts opened up a 2-0 lead over Callum Francis, it was Francis that went on to win the tie 3-2 to level for a second time.
A third 3-1 win for Shropshire was supplied by Dave Dayton in the fifth games against Ian Hiscock and rounding off the half for the hosts and breaking the sequence was Nathan Storar whose straight 3-0 victory against Tony Parker gave his team a 4-2 lead.
As the second half got underway Shropshire’s lead was erased as Dan Cross beat Brian Hickman 3-1 and Philip Burt won 3-0 against Brett Cooper to see Isle of Wight draw level at 4-4.
Simon Mountford (Shropshire) went one up against Leo Hall in the ninth but then found himself trailing 2-1, however he recovered to take the following two legs in 13 and 15 darts to get not only a 3-2 win but also the man of the match award for his 26.26 average.
It was all level once again in the tenth when Chris Jafkins won 3-1 against Andi Chatter but it was the home team with just two to play who took the lead again thanks to a 3-0 win from Rob Pierce over Jim Stevens.
The final outcome was a 7-5 win for Shropshire as in the last game of the day Phil Clarke (Shropshire) came from 1-0 down against Paul Francis to win 3-1.
The ladies ‘A’ were seeking their first win of the campaign but it didn’t look as though this was going to be the day they got it when Brenda Dyer beat Jenna Ball 3-0 and Bonnie Bentley won 3-1 against Jayne Downey to give Isle of Wight a 2-0 lead.
The home team’s Sophie Fawcett had her lead cancelled out twice by Mandy Weldon before going on to win the fifth and final leg for her 3-2 win and at the same time stop the visitors charge.
Restoring parity was Shropshire’s lady of the match Becky Harris. Becky chalked up a convincing 3-0 win over Annie Weldon with her award winning average of 19.03.
After the straight win by Becky Harris Shropshire’s last two players Marie Riggs and Michele Pritchard emulated Becky’s result with wins in turn over Donna Hall and Angie Cotton to complete a fantastic fight back from 2-0 down to win 4-2.
With two draws and one defeat the men’s ‘A’, like the ladies ‘A’ were looking for their first win but once again it was Isle of Wight who got the better start as their Jason Collins came from 2-1 and 3-2 down against Richard Parker to go on and win 4-3. Fortunately for the home team the lead didn’t last long as Sam Aitkens, after losing the first leg to Mark Whates went on to win 4-1. Paul Bromley gave Shropshire the lead for the first time in the third but he didn’t have it all his own way as his opponent Lee Marsh won the first two legs and then drew level in the sixth to force a decider which Bromley won in 20 darts.
1-0 and 3-2 leads were not enough for Martin East to avoid a 4-3 defeat by Chris Jafkins or to stop the away team drawing level at 2-2 but it only took the next game to see the home side forge ahead again as Andy Vellender accounted for Greame Dutson with a 4-2 result.
By the midway point Shropshire had opened up a 4-2 lead as Ben Johnson after coming from 2-0 and 3-1 down won 4-3 against Jason Waites.
A 4-2 win from Andy Jervis over Michael White extend Shropshire’s lead to 5-2 as the second session got underway, that lead momentarily reduced as Pete Collins won 4-2 against Rob Thompson.
The hosts were assured of at least a share of the spoils in game number nine when Reece Cook-Lucas added his straight 4-0 win over Mark Breakspear to their tally and with Chris Williams following up with his 4-2 win over Darren Andrew the match was won.
The penultimate game of the day and the weekend produced the man of the match for Shropshire’s men’s ‘A’ team as Chris Fox, after losing the first leg in 21 darts to Dale Grove then went on to win 4-1 with wining legs in 19,17,17 and 17 darts to give him a 27.13 average.
The final score was taken to 9-3 in Shropshire’s favour when anchor man Martin Riggs won 4-2 against David Bourne.
The 9-3 win by the men’s ‘A’ took the overall score to 21-15 to Shropshire and saw them move up one place in the divisional table to a very respectable fourth position.
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Derbyshire’s fourth fixture of the season in the UKDA National League’s L-Style Division One was a home tie against bottom of the division Surrey and without a win since their opening fixture of the season when they won 20-16 at home against Nottinghamshire the hosts were hoping to get back to winning ways and they could not have asked for a better start. The ladies ‘B’ were in top form as they swept aside their counterparts by handing them a 6-0 whitewash. Emily Jones began the rout with her 3-1 success against Marie Barthrop. Emily was followed by four straight 3-0 wins supplied by Sammie Marshall, Jane Densley, Sara-Jane Harrison and Jenny McCormick who in turn accounted for Mel Jones, Debbie Webb, Mandy Pawley and Chris Jones. The lady of the match for the second successive ‘B’ game being Jane Densley who in 18,24 and 17 darts chalked up a 21.78 average.
Taking the result to 6-0 was Carol Western with her 3-1 victory over Tania Blake.
The men’s ‘B’ were without a win in their previous three games as they had recorded two draws and one defeat but the game got off to a good start as Mark Thompson and Darron Brown in turn defeated Paul Secular and John Chalkley, both with straight 3-0 scorelines.
Andy Bridgman pulled one back for Surrey as he won 3-0 against Jack Brooks and although Pete Hadfield twice took the lead against Dave Mann it was Mann who got the 3-2 result to restore parity at 2-2.
The away team looked as though they would take the lead for the first time in game five when Richard Cox opened up leads of 1-0 and 2-1 against Ben Holmes, however Holmes stuck to his task and went on to take the 3-2 result to restore Derbyshire’s lead.
Despite Owen Thomas (Derbyshire) going 1-0 and 2-1 up against Daryl Reino it was the latter who won the game 3-2 to make it honours even at the halfway stage.
The second half began well for the home side as Dan Ford won 3-0 against Andy Nye, Chris Grogan came from 1-0 and 2-1 down against Alex Chubb to win 3-2 and Derbyshire’s man of the match Will North beat Paul Tudor 3-1 with winning legs of 16,17 and 17 darts to give him an average of 27.17.
With a 6-3 lead, a win looked to be well on the cards for the home team but that wasn’t quite how it turned out as Surrey’s tenth player Matt Carter won 3-0 against Mick Smith, Martin Carnell beat Andy Houghton 3-1 and in the final game of the day Tony Hammond took the result to 6-6 with his 3-1 win over Paul Bettney.
The ladies ‘A’ are enjoying a good start to their campaign with two wins and a draw in the first three games. After losing the first leg to Angela Frewin, Rebecca Hoyland came fighting back to clinch a 3-1 win to give first blood to Derbyshire.
On at number two for the home team was the ever-reliable Jane Densley who with a straight 3-0 result and a 23.12 average beat Kirsty Chubb to double Derbyshire’s lead to guarantee her, her second ‘A’ match award of the season.
Taking the score along to 3-0 was Jo Oldershaw who like opener Rebecca Hoyland came from one down to go on and beat Wendy Reinstadtler 3-1.
It was game four before Surrey got a stripe on the board, Jen Payne supplying the win with her 3-1 success against Rachel Ayres. However, another Derbyshire Rachel, this time Rachel Bird added her 3-1 win over Hannah Tomkins to the hosts tally to put them into an unassailable 4-1 lead.
The final score was taken to 4-2 to Derbyshire when Teri Kidwell (Surrey) won 3-1 against Jackie Sweet.
Derbyshire men’s ‘A’ man of the match was found in the very first game as Pete Burgoyne after trailing 1-0 and 3-1 to Steve Lovett, went on to win 4-3 with winning legs of 15,16,17 and 18 darts to give him a 27.39 average. Pete’s lead was quickly cancelled out as George Munt beat Paul Redfern 4-1. James Parkin gave Derbyshire the lead for a second time in game three when he added his 4-2 win over Darren Bryant only to see Surrey go into the lead with a 4-2 win from Dave Webb against Lee Stanley and a 4-1 victory for Tyler Radlett over Matt Faulkner. However, it was all square by the midway point as Nigel Daniels won the final game of the half against Neville Wright 4-3.
Gary Trodd had a 4-3 win over Ian Allcock as the second half got underway to put Surrey’s noses in front once again and although the 4-1 win by Henry Coates over John Power made it 4-4 that was to be the last winner that Derbyshire would have.
Surrey’s Gary Creamer beat Keith Lodge 4-1, Kirk De Ruyter won 4-2 against Sean Lambert, Darryl Pilgrim won 4-1 against Gary Fenn and rounding off an 8-4 win for Surrey was Paul Croucher who accounted for Paul Williams with a 4-2 scoreline.
Despite the men’s team failing to record a win, thanks to the ladies the overall result was a 20-16 victory for Derbyshire to see them move up the divisional table one place to fifth just two points behind three teams just above them Suffolk, Worcestershire and Gwynedd but 25 points short of leaders Cleveland.
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West Midlands fourth fixture in the UKDA National League AON Championship Division was a home game against Buckinghamshire and with the respective teams lying in ninth and tenth places in the division a draw is what would really have been expected. And that is exactly how it turned out.
Both ladies teams finished all square at 3-3 with Jacqueline Maiden (20.50) taking the ‘A’ team’s award and another Jacqueline, this time Jacqueline Simmons (14.92) receiving the ‘B’ award.
There were mixed fortunes for the men as the ‘B’ won 7-5 and the ‘A’ lost 7-5. John Morris with a super 30.10 average collected the ‘A’ man of the match award while Richard Platt with his 27.42 average was the ‘B’ team’s top man.
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In the Darts for Windows Division Three of the UKDA National League leaders Black Country’s fourth encounter was an away game against Wirral. With wins in all of their opening three games and with their hosts some six places below them with a massive 45 points deficit, nothing but a win was expected from the away team.
The weekend’s games saw both the ladies ‘A’ and ‘B’ draw 3-3. The ‘B’ lady of the match was shared by Heather Wright and Lacey Hughes who both chalked up a 17.08 average while Chez Allcock took the ‘A’ award for her 20.14 average.
For the men there were big wins as the ‘B’ side win 9-3 with Liam Kelly the man of the match with a 28.75 average and the ‘A’ team’s best player in their 8-4 victory was Ben Hollowood who had a 26.98 average.
The overall result for the weekend was a 23-13 win for Black Country which keeps them in pole position in the division but they had their lead cut from five to four points as second in the table Gloucestershire won their home game against Pembrokeshire 24-12.
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Little change at the top of the Elite Premier Division of the UKDA National League with the top three teams Lancashire, Warwickshire and Yorkshire all winning, Lancashire’s 23-13 win at Devon puts them on 104 points, seven ahead of Warwickshire who won their home tie with London 20-16. Yorkshire also played at home and had a close 19-17 win over Glamorgan to take their points tally to 109, fourteen short of Warwickshire.
In the AON Championship Division despite a 19-17 win at Sussex, Staffordshire have been ousted from pole position by Gwent who with 114 points go one point ahead of the former leaders following their 23-13 win over Berkshire. Kent takeover third place from Dorset after they beat them 25-11.
There was a top of the table clash in the L-Style Division One with leaders Cleveland travelling to take on second placed Gwynedd, the result a close 19-17 win for Cleveland to keep them top of the table on 126 points, twenty more than Worcestershire who have replaced Gwynedd in second place after they won their home tie with Suffolk 22-14.
County Durham continue to lead the Top Gun Promotions Division Two table, a 26-10 home win over Middlesex taking their points tally to 122. Bedfordshire drop from second to fifth in the table after going down 24-12 at Leicestershire who are third on 107 points. Cumbria were the division’s biggest winners handing out a massive 30-6 defeat to Montgomery and Radnor to take them into second place and with 117 points are just five short of top team County Durham.
Black Country, leaders of the Darts for Windows Division Three, after four consecutive wins dropped their first points of the season as they were somewhat surprisingly held to an 18-18 draw by Salopian who are some 42 points short of their opponents and placed fifth in the table. Nevertheless Black Country remain top of the table on 121 points, Gloucestershire lose second place due to them having a bye and are replaced by Northumberland whose 26-10 win at Isle of Wight gives them a total of 111 points, ten short of the leaders.
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Warwickshire County Darts Organisation finished 2021 in the Elite Premier Division of the UKDA National League with a home win over London making it five games played and five wins.
Saturday’s games were a day of mixed fortunes as the ladies ‘B’ suffered a 4-2 defeat. Carly Townsend got the ball rolling for London when she won 3-0 against Denise Keyte. A 3-1 success for Joanne Deamer over Lucy Keyte doubled the visitors lead and although Caroline Pike (Warwickshire) pushed her opponent Dee Belcher all the way to a deciding leg it was the London player who got the 3-2 verdict. By the fourth game the away team had confirmed their victory as Tammy Mackenzie added her 3-1 result over Nina Bolt to give her team an unassailable 4-0 lead.
It was game number five before Warwickshire gained their first win which was provided by Marian Conway. Marian won 3-1 against Nicola Watling, her 18.02 average earning her the lady of the match award.
Making the result a little more respectable was Melanie Jones who in the final game beat Nikki Patter 3-1 after Patter had won the opening leg.
The first leg of the men’s ‘B’ game went to London’s Michael Barnard but it was his counterpart Wayne Mynard who won the next four legs for a 4-1 win. Carl Green (Warwickshire) had his lead cancelled out twice by Alex Harris but with wins in the fifth and sixth legs won the tie 4-2.
London’s first winner was John Hind in the third game, Hind winning 4-0 against Martin Tonks. Dave Hill restored the home side’s two games buffer when he accounted for Matt Winzar with a 4-1 scoreline and with Mark Tomlinson twice coming from behind against Matt Edes and going on to win 4-3 the hosts were 4-1 to the good.
The half ended with a second win for the away team as Scott Artiss won 4-2 against Darren Swords.
It was first blood to Warwickshire as the second half got underway, Will Naylor handing out a 4-0 whitewash to Gregg De Ruyter and with Tom Martin winning 4-3 against Danny Faulkner Warwickshire men’s ‘B’ were guaranteed at the worst a draw.
Wayne Brovan added a third win to London’s tally when he beat Dave Honey 4-1 but it was match won in the tenth when Warwickshire’s man of the match Matty Washbrooke made short work of his opponent John Loeber beating him 4-0 in 17,16,25 and 17 darts with a 26.72 average.
The last two games of the day were shared as Dean Coughlan (London) won 4-1 against Mark Carter and Karl Reynolds (Warwickshire) beat Danny Brown by the same 4-1 scoreline to give a final score of 8-4 to Warwickshire.
The ladies ‘A’ team are enjoying a fantastic start to the new campaign as they opened the season with a 5-1 win against Yorkshire and then won the next three fixtures against Essex, Cheshire and Cornwall 4-2 and it was not long before they made it five straight wins in their game against London as Sue Gulliver opened up with a 3-0 win over Tammy Mackenzie, Sue checking out on 116 in the second leg. Donna Pinch came from 1-0 down against Debra Watling to win 3-1, Chloe Mckivett beat Mandy Solomons by the same 3-1 scoreline and chalking up the all-important fourth win was Natalie Gilbert with her 3-0 success over Steph Stutley.
Warwickshire’s fifth win was added in style by lady of the match Tammy Montgomery as she defeated Joanne Deamer in straight legs in 17,22 and 23 darts giving her a superb 24.24 average.
The final game went to London, Juliane Birchill winning 3-2 against Angela Jones after Jones had twice taken the lead. The final score, an impressive 5-1 win for Warwickshire.
With three draws and a win in their first four fixtures the men’s ‘A’ team went into their game against London undefeated, unfortunately that was about to change.
Steve Hine was the home side’s first player, he won 4-3 against Ben West in a game that saw Hine open up a 2-0 lead, was then pegged back to 2-2, went 3-2 up and then 3-3 before winning the decider in 19 darts.
From 1-0 up the home team then found themselves trailing 2-1 as Lewis McGurn beat Gareth Braham 4-0 and Lee Cocks won 4-2 against Prakash Jiwa.
The running score was levelled in the fourth when the host’s man of the match Jamie Hughes handed Graham Rackstraw a 4-0 defeat. Jamie was in terrific form with winning legs of 19,13,15 and 17 darts to give him a tremendous 31.31 average.
By the midway point of the match the score was 4-2 to London as Daniel Day won 4-2 against Ian McFarlane after McFarlane had gone 2-0 up and Nigel Fisher beat Noel Grant 4-3, Grant cancelling Fisher’s lead three times before losing the decider.
The visitors went further ahead as the second half began, Matt Wood winning 4-1 against Ian Shaw to give them a 5-2 lead.
A 4-1 win for Jack Wareing over Nick Cocks kept Warwickshire in the game and with a straight 4-0 win for Kevin Dowling over Ben Cheeseman hopes were raised as the home side now only trailed by 5-4 with three to play.
A 4-2 win from Christopher Holt over Mark Strong put London in an unbeatable 6-4 position, their win confirmed in the penultimate game when Steven Beasley won 4-2 against Steve Giddings. The last game of the weekend went to Warwickshire’s Jamie Atkins, his 4-0 success against Will Blackwell taking the final score to 7-5 in London’s favour and ending Warwickshire’s unbeaten run.
Despite the men’s ‘A’ team defeat the overall score for the weekend was 20-16 to Warwickshire which keeps them in second place in the divisional table but whereas they were four points behind leaders Lancashire prior to the fifth fixture, a 23-13 win for Lancashire away to Devon leaves them seven points adrift of the leaders but 14 ahead of third placed Yorkshire.
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Derbyshire’s fifth fixture in the L-Style Division One of the UKDA National League was an away game against Somerset, a middle of the table encounter with the hosts in sixth place and their visitors fifth with just one point separating them.
The ladies ‘B’ match advantage swung one way and then the other as Somerset’s Kay Bissett gave them the early lead with her 3-1 win over Carol Western. Emily Jones came from 1-0 and 2-1 down against Val Griffiths to win 3-2 and level the score and with Derbyshire’s lady of the match Rose Mort handing her opponent Lea Ford a 3-0 defeat with a 19.27 average, the away team had opened up a 2-1 lead.
From 2-1 up the pendulum then swung in the opposite direction as Somerset’s Mary Read beat Katrina McAleney 3-1 and Kara Gunter won 3-0 against Jenny McCormick.
The result now hinged on the last two players, Derbyshire’s Sammie Marshall earned her team a share of the spoils as she won 3-0 against Maz Bissett to give a result of 3-3.
Derbyshire’s Josh Gould twice came from behind against Rob Lovell before going on to win 3-2 in the first of the men’s ‘B’ encounters. Game number two was the complete opposite as Mark Thompson (Derbyshire) took the lead against Barry Mattock and then lost 3-2, Mattock having outshots of 102 and 124 in the second and third legs. Ben Holmes restored the away team’s lead when he won 3-2 against Gordon Fitzpatrick and with man of the match Gary Fenn beating Steve Hoddinott 3-0 in 18,20 and 18 darts with a 26.84 average Derbyshire were 3-1 up.
Despite taking the lead twice Derbyshire had to settle for 3-3 at the halfway stage as Somerset’s Lee Burnham (28.75) beat Mick Smith 3-1 and Dean Lewer won 3-2 against Lee Stanley after Stanley had gone 2-0 up.
The hosts took the lead for the first time in game seven when Adrian Wood won 3-2 against Andy Houghton and forged further ahead in the eighth when Mat Prosser won 3-1 against Dan Ford. Chris Grogan momentarily reduced the arrears when he handed a 3-0 defeat to Martyn Loaring only to see Adam McNally beat Paul Bettney 3-2 to give Somerset a 6-4 lead.
Michael Ryall kept Derbyshire in the match when in the penultimate game he won 3-1 against Andy Darbon and although in the last game of the day Derbyshire’s Tim Rippon took a 2-1 lead after trailing 1-0 to Jodie Matthews it was Matthews who got the 3-2 verdict to give the home side a 7-5 victory.
Sunday’s ladies game began with a win for the home side as Becky Taylor won 3-0 against Rachel Ayres, however their lead lasted only to the very next game as the ever-reliable Jane Densley won 3-1 against Donna Gullock to level the score.
Game number three saw a very in-form Jackie Sweet step up to the oche for Derbyshire and although her opening leg against Karen Littler took 25 darts the next two legs were sublime. Jackie with three scores of 100 won the second leg in 17 and then rounded off a superb win with a magnificent 12 darts leg hitting scores of 125,180 and 81 before checking out on 115, giving her an outstanding average of 27.83 to take the lady of the match award and give her team a 2-1 lead.
Rachel Bird (Derbyshire) came back to level terms at 2-2 after trailing 2-0 to Kate Hulme but then lost out in the decider.
Rebecca Hoyland and Jo Oldershaw completed Derbyshire’s ladies ‘A’ programme, both ladies won with straight 3-0 results in turn against Sally Smith and Sally Dart, chalking up respective respectable averages of 19.03 and 22.10 to give the away team a 4-2 win.
Derbyshire men’s ‘A’ team were coming off the back of two successive 8-4 defeats and were eager not to make it three, but they didn’t have the best of starts as Justin Hood beat Nigel Daniels 4-0 and Neil Raikes won 4-2 against Sean Lambert to give Somerset a 2-0 lead.
It took a 4-2 win from Matt Faulkner to stop the home team’s charge as he defeated Tony Snook and with a comfortable 4-0 win from Ben Holmes over Mervyn Adams, parity was restored. However by the midway point Somerset had once again opened up a two games lead as Russell Lippett won 4-3 against James Parkin and Sam Hoddinott beat Chris Grogan 4-0.
Somerset’s advantage was reduced as the second half kicked off, Paul Williams adding his 4-2 win over Dave Winter to Derbyshire’s tally.
By the ninth game the hosts were assured of at least a share of the spoils as Mike Harper handed Ian Allcock a 4-0 defeat and Jerry Abbott, with the same scoreline accounted for David Fritchley.
Ryan Palmer (Somerset) opened leads of 1-0 and 2-1 against Pete Burgoyne but Burgoyne held fast adding to his 15 darts win in the second leg games of 18,13 and 14 darts legs to seal a 4-2 win and clinch the man of the match award for his 31.07 average. In his six legs Burgoyne hit 3×180, 4×140, 138, 2×121 and 4×100, top scoring by anyone’s standards!!
Keeping a draw within sight Henry Coates began his game against Dave Russell with a 15 darts leg including a 114 game shot. Coates then won the second in 21 darts and although he lost the third he rounded off a 4-1 win in 17 and 19 darts.
It appeared all was lost when Leigh Taylor (Somerset) went 1-0 and 2-1 up against Michael Ryall in the final game of the weekend, however Ryall levelled in 20 darts in the fourth and then with two more 20 darts legs won the game 4-2 to take the final score to 6-6.
The draw has seen Derbyshire move up the divisional table from fifth to third place on 98 points, eight short of second placed Worcestershire but 28 adrift of leaders Cleveland.
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Following three consecutive defeats in the Darts for Windows Division Three of the National League Shropshire ended their drought with a 21-15 win over Isle of Wight, they were hoping to add to that in their next fixture an away game against Pembrokeshire.
The ladies ‘B’ went one down when Eirwan Lewis beat Hannah Bradbury 3-2 after Bradbury had actually forged leads of 1-0 and 2-1. Jane Downey (Shropshire) was quick to cancel out Pembrokeshire’s lead as she accounted for Natalie Alker with a straight 3-0 win.
Julie Gore restored the home team’s advantage when she won 3-1 against Sandra Beardsmore and with a 3-0 success for Jess Rees over Sophie Powers the home team were within an ace of victory.
Dianne Newton looked all set to reduce the arrears when she opened up a 2-0 lead over Sophie Davies but it was the hosts Davies who won the next three legs for a personal 3-2 win and at the same time a guaranteed win for her team who now held an unassailable 4-1 lead.
The final game of the ladies ‘B’ match produced Shropshire’s lady of the match as Kelly Haverson handed Tracy Hopton a straight 3-0 defeat and took the match award with a 16.34 average.
The first four games of the men’s ‘B’ match all went with the first throw advantage, Phil Clarke giving Shropshire the early lead as he beat Lee Wiltshire 3-1, Wiltshire having won the first leg with a 106 game shot. Mark Allchin (Pembrokeshire) went one up then 2- 1down to Nathan Storar but recovered to win the final two legs and the game 3-2. Shropshire went ahead for a second time when Robert Pierce won 3-0 against Martin Jones, Pierce recording winning legs of 17,23 and 19 darts to give him not only a very creditable average of 25.47 but also the man of the match award.
For a second time the home team drew level, this time it was Kane Powell with a 3-1 win over Dan Downey who restored parity and then for the first time in the game Pembrokeshire took the lead as Ben Farr beat Josh Pickett 3-0. Nevertheless at the end of the first half the scores were level at three each as Chris Hill (Shropshire) closed the half with a 3-1 success against Jay Picton.
The second half began well for the visitors as Jon Blakemore won 3-1 against Ken Mathais and Steve Lynch came from two down against Ryan Jones to win 3-2. Luke Wildman added his 3-1 win over John Phillips to Shropshire’s account and with a further 3-0 win for Brett Cooper against Gareth Powell the away side had won the game with two to play as they held a 7-3 lead.
The home side made things a little more respectable as the final two games went in their favour, Roger James winning 3-2 against Brian Hickman and Steve Alker beating Rob Pitt, again 3-2 to give a final score of 7-5 to Shropshire.
What a start the ladies ‘A’ team had as they stormed to an unbeatable 4-0 lead all begun by Marie Riggs who followed up her tremendous 137 outshot in the opening leg and went on to win 3-0 against Tina Phillips. Marie’s fine performance also won her the lady of the match award for her 19.03 average.
Doubling Shropshire’s lead was Michele Pritchard who with a 3-1 scoreline accounted for Rhian Evans. Taking the score nicely along to 3-0 was Sophie Fawcett who won the first leg against Liz Williams and then trailed 2-1 but went on to win 3-2. A 3-1 win from Jenna-Louise Ball over Sue Phillips was the match winner and although Pemrokeshire’s Anharad Bessant won 3-1 against Becky Harris and Tracey Hawkins-Greene beat Dean Sheldon 3-0 the all import 4-2 result went to Shropshire.
Once again it was Shropshire who had the better start as the men’s ‘A’ match got underway, Reece Cook-Lucas kicking the game off with a straight 4-0 win over Peter Wilcox and then Chris Hill won 4-2 against Steve Castle. Andrew Smith pulled one back for the home team in the third game as he fought back from 1-0 and 3-2 down against Andy Vellender to go on and win 4-3.
Man of the match for Shropshire, Andy Jervis was on at number four he won the opening leg against Kieran Harris in 20 darts and then fell 2-1 behind as Harris checked out in 13 and 18 darts. A superb 154 finish saw Jervis clinch the fourth leg in 15 darts and then go on to win 4-2 with further winning legs in 18 and 17 darts to give him an award winning average of 27.56.
Despite Shropshire taking 2-0 and 3-1 leads by the midway point it was all square as Nathan Burdett won 4-0 against Sam Aitkens and Jason Davies beat Rob Thompson 4-3 after Thompson had cancelled out his lead three times.
A 4-2 win from Martin Riggs against Chris Webber in the opening game of the second half saw Shropshire take the lead for a third time and with a straight 4-0 win for Richard Parker over Jeff Maynard they were 5-3 up.
From 5-3 to 5-5, that is how it went as Steve Alker beat Paul Bromley 4-0 and Lee Morgan won 4-3 against Chris Fox. Assuring the visitors of a share of the points was Dave Bayton in the penultimate game against Gareth John as he won 4-1 but taking the final score to 6-6 was Steve Smith who won 4-2 against Robert Pierce.
The overall result for the weekend was 19-17 to Shropshire which leaves them fourth in the divisional table and only four points short of third placed Gloucestershire who they play in their next fixture.
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With four wins from four games in their inaugural season in county darts Black Country could not have wished or even dreamt of a better start to their campaign in the Darts for Windows Division Three of the National League, they are riding high at the top of the table after those four fixtures but only with a slender four points advantage over second placed Gloucestershire.
Fixture number five for Black Country was a home tie with fellow newcomers to the county scene Salopian. The two men’s matches finished all square at 6-6 with the ‘A’ team awards going to Reece Colley 32.85 (Black Country) and Daniel Astbury 28.63 (Salopian) while the ‘B’ man of the match awards went to Richard Bowen 29.47 (Black Country) and Paul Rowley 25.05 (Salopian).
The result for both ladies games was 4-2 with Salopian winning the ‘A’ encounter and Black Country the ‘B’. Top players for the ‘A’ were Chez Allcock 22.43 (Black Country and Steph Clarke 19.78 (Salopian) and the respective ‘B’ awards went to Lacey Hughes 18.11 and Julie Griffiths 15.95.
The result sees Black Country hold on to pole position but now with a ten points lead over second placed Northumberland who have taken over the number two spot from Gloucestershire as they had a bye.
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With just the one win from their opening four games in the AON Championship Division of the National League West Midlands had an opportunity to add to that when in their fifth fixture they travelled to take on bottom of the division Oxfordshire.
Unfortunately that was not quite how it turned out as they returned on the wrong side of a 20-16 scoreline which left them ninth in the table with all three teams below them having a game in hand.
Both men’s teams had a 7-5 result with the ‘B’ losing 7-5 and the ‘A’ winning 7-5. For the ladies the ‘A’ team finished all square at 3-3 whole the ‘B’ team suffered a huge 5-1 defeat.
Taking the respective ‘A’ and ‘B’ men’s match awards were Shaun Carroll (29.36) and Richard Platt (29.75) and for the ladies it was Gemma Barrett (21.47) and Shellbie Simmons (19.42).
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In the sixth fixtures of the UKDA National League Lancashire as a result of their 25-11 win over Lincolnshire and Warwickshire’s away game against Glamorgan cancelled have stretched their lead at the top of the Elite Premier Division to a huge 24 points. Yorkshire had a 22-14 win at Northamptonshire which sees them take over from Warwickshire in second place on 134 points giving them an eleven points advantage over Warwickshire who have dropped to third place.
A 22-14 home win for Cornwall over Essex has seen them move away from the relegation zone, moving up from next to bottom three places to a more secure eighth position.
In the AON Championship Division there was a top of the table clash as leaders Gwent travelled to take on second placed Staffordshire. The result was an 18-18 draw which saw both teams drop one place with Kent taking over pole position following their 21-15 win over Oxfordshire who as a result drop to the foot of the table. Oxfordshire replace Cambridgeshire whose 20-16 win at Buckinghamshire has seen them move up to tenth in the table with West Midlands, who didn’t play their game with Hertfordshire, drop to a next to bottom position, they have 83 points leaving them just one point short of Cambridgeshire.
With their fixture against Clwyd cancelled Cleveland still hold on to pole position in the L-Style Division one table with an eight points lead over Suffolk whose 20-16 home win over Merseyside has seen them move up the table three places to second place.
Surrey’s 19-17 win at home over Somerset has taken them from the bottom of the table to a lofty fourth place however there are no fewer than five teams below them with a game in hand. Clwyd are one of those teams and they have taken over from Surrey at the bottom of the table.
Despite losing 20-16 at Bedfordshire, Cumbria have moved into the top spot in the Top Gun Promotions Division Two table, former leaders County Durham had their away fixture against bottom of the division Montgomery and Radnor cancelled and drop to second in the table eleven points behind Cumbria.
Black Country have been ousted from their number one spot in the Darts for Windows Division Three table after having a bye in match number six, their replacements at the top of the table are Gloucestershire who had a 21-15 win at Shropshire to give them a total of 122 points, only one more than Black Country but from the same number of five games.
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Coming off the back of two consecutive wins in the Darts for Windows Division Three of the UKDA National League, Shropshire’s sixth game of the season was a home tie with Gloucestershire. Prior to the fixture Gloucestershire were third in the table, played four games and were on 98 points, while Shropshire were placed fourth played five games and had 94 points, just four short of their opponents
Saturday’s ‘B’ games did not go well for the hosts as the ladies fell to a 4-2 defeat after taking a 2-0 lead. Annmarie Scott was on first for Shropshire and after losing the first leg to Natalie Comben went on to win 3-1. Kelly Haverson twice came from behind against Sharon McNulty to win the tie 3-2 and earn her team’s match award for her 14.89 average.
From there on in it all went a little pear-shaped for the home side as Sandra Beardsmore lost 3-0 to Sharon Brewer, Jayne Downey after opening up a 2-0 lead over Sam Higgins lost 3-2, Hannah Bradbury drew level at 2-2 after trailing 2-0 to Heather Grindle and then lost the decider and Deana Sheldon, who had an almost identical game as team mate Bradbury and lost by the same 3-2 margin to Lindsay Hawkins to give Gloucestershire the 4-2 win.
Although the ladies ‘B’ had a good start the men’s ‘B’ didn’t as Jon Blakemore lost 3-2 to Darren Mitchell and Steve Lynch went down 3-0 to Andy Reid. John Speed with a 3-1 success against Sam Brough pulled one back for Shropshire only to see Wes Cole restore the visitors two games buffer when he beat Phil Clarke 3-1.
A man of the match performance from Josh Pickett reduced the arrears for a second time for Shropshire as he after losing the opening leg to Andy Hammond went on to win 3-1 with an award winning average of 23.34.
By the break Gloucestershire were 4-2 up as the half ended with a 3-2 win for Dean Terry who went on to win after trailing 2-0 to Dan Downey.
Things got worse as the second half kicked off, Mark Turley beat Dean Stokes 3-0 and with a 3-1 win for Rob Long over Luke Wildman the away side were within an ace of victory.
Andi Chatter (Shropshire) was in fine form as he won in three straight legs against Ian Beasley to keep his side in the game but a similar 3-0 win for Ashley Hurrell over Nathan Storar gave Gloucestershire the vital seventh win and the match as they were now 7-3 up.
Melvyn Roberts made the scoreline a little more respectable for the home team as he won 3-1 against Dean Thomas but the final 8-4 result went to Gloucestershire when their last player Paul Lane won 3-1 against Brett Cooper.
The highlight of the weekend for Shropshire was provided by their ladies ‘A’ team who got off to a great start when lady of the match Jenna Ball despite being taken the full five legs distance by Jane Price won 3-2 with a 19.11 average.
Sophie Powers doubled the lead for the home side as she won 3-2 against Tracey Dix after Dix had won the first two legs. Putting a win out of the reach of Gloucestershire was Marie Riggs who handed out a straight 3-0 defeat to Chris Marsh before the visitors got their first stripe on the board. Providing the away team with their first win was Maria Lock who won 3-0 against Sophie Fawcett. However Sophie’s defeat turned out to be just a minor setback as Becky Harris came from one down against Kirsty Dixon to win 3-1 and Michele Pritchard won the final game against Carol Smith 3-2 to give Shropshire a resounding 5-1 victory.
Martin Riggs gave the men’s ‘A’ the perfect start when he accounted for Matt Kenny with a 4-1 result, Kenny having won the opening leg. The lead however was short lived as Mark Blandford won 4-1 against Andy Vellender to restore parity. Paul Bromley (Shropshire) took the lead no less than three times against Harry Williams but lost the last two legs and the game 4-3. It was Shropshire’s turn to draw level in the fourth as Reece Cook-Lucas beat Mark Wellington 4-2 but the visitors regained the advantage in the fifth when Kieran Smith after opening a commanding 3-0 lead was pegged back to level terms and then won the decider against Richard Parker.
To round off the first half of the match Simon Pritchard starred for Shropshire as he began with an 18 darts winner against Rob Comben and although Comben won the second Pritchard went ahead again in the third with another 18 darts leg including a superb 110 game shot. Both of the following two legs were close games but it was Simon Pritchard in 20 and 22 darts who won both to give him a 4-1 victory and the match award for his 25.05 average.
From a 3-3 scoreline at the midway point Gloucestershire moved into an unbeatable 6-3 lead as James Hurrell won 4-0 against Simon Mountford, Hurrell having 126 and 100 outshots in his first two legs, Terry Jenkins beat Chris Hill 4-1 and Graham Jenkins won 4-3 against Chris Fox.
Andy Jervis momentarily put a stop to the Gloucestershire onslaught when he won 4-2 against Steve Handley but with wins in the final two games provided by Joe Griffiths and Mark Johncock against Robert Pierce (4-1) and Sam Aitkens (4-3) the away team won the game, like their ‘B’ side 8-4.
The overall score for the weekend was 21-15 to Gloucestershire to see them replace Black Country at the top of the divisional table on 122 points, while Shropshire held on to their fourth place with 109 points but they have now played six fixtures which is more than any other team in the division.
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Fixtures for games seven in the UKDA National League matched the top two teams in the Elite Premier Division with leaders Lancashire travelling to take on second in the table Yorkshire. In the men’s ‘A’ game there was an 8-4 win for Lancashire with the ‘B’ side losing 7-5. The ladies ‘A’ match finished all square at three each with the 4-2 result for the ‘B’ game going in favour of Yorkshire to see the two teams share the honours in an overall 18-18 draw. The result sees Lancashire hold on to pole position with 177 points still some 24 ahead of their opponents but the draw has seen third placed Warwickshire close the gap on the top two as they chalked up a 24-12 home win over Northamptonshire to reduce the arrears on the leaders to 27 points and just three behind Yorkshire, the bonus for Warwickshire is the fact that they have a game in hand on both Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Kent consolidated their number one position in the AON Championship Division, with a 25-11 home win over West Midlands they were the division’s biggest winners stretching their lead at the top from one to seven points. After playing their rearranged fixture with Berkshire Sussex despite losing 19-17 followed up with a 23-13 home success over Buckinghamshire to see them move up into second place behind Kent. Gwent drop one place to third after only managing an 18-18 home draw with Humberside who are some five places and 21 points behind them.
Although Cleveland had a 21-15 win at Worcestershire in the L-Style Division One they have had their lead at the top of the table cut from eight to just three points as their nearest rivals Suffolk, who were the division’s biggest winners with a 26-10 home win over Nottinghamshire. A 23-13 win for Merseyside over Somerset has seen the former overtake their opponents and move up into third place on 128 points, one more than their Somerset.
No change in the top three places of the Top Gun Promotions Division Two although top team Cumbria have had their advantage reduced to just four points as in their seventh fixture they lost 20-16 playing away against second in the table County Durham who could move into the top spot when they play their rearranged fixture away to Montgomery and Radnor who are currently bottom of the division.
After dropping to second place in the Darts for Windows Division Three table for just one fixture Black Country are back at the top of the table after winning 23-13 at Breconshire. They replace Gloucestershire in pole position after they finished their home tie with Northumberland all square at 18-18. Gloucestershire with 141 points are six shy of Black Country while Northumberland are replaced in third place by Salopian who move up from fifth on 139 points following their massive 30-6 win away to Isle of Wight.
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With the majority of the UKDA National League Elite Premier Division teams playing their seventh fixture of the season Warwickshire, who have an outstanding game with Glamorgan, were playing their sixth a home tie against bottom of the division Northamptonshire.
Saturday’s ‘B’ games got off to a fine start as Caroline Pike began the women’s tie with a straight 3-0 win over Gail Fullthorpe. Jackie White looked all set to cancel out Caroline’s win when she opened up a 2-0 lead over Nina Bolt, however Nina stuck to her task and fought back magnificently to turn around a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 victory and double the home side’s lead before Northamptonshire got their first winner in the third when Rebecca Rose beat Denise Keyte 3-0.
Karen Sheridan made Marian Conway fight all the way for her 3-2 win as the Northamptonshire player won the first leg and then forced a decider when she won the fourth. The final leg was never in doubt as Marian Conway won it with her opponent way back requiring 125 when she finished on 49.
With both players having a throw at a finishing double it was Amy Chappell (Northamptonshire) who got it before Melanie Jones in their first leg. That however was the only time Chappell was to throw for a finishing double as Melanie Jones then romped to not only a 3-1 win and her team’s unassailable 4-1 lead but also earn herself the lady of the match award for her 18.53.
The final game went to the away side as Heidi Garrard won 3-1 against Sue Maclennan to give a final 4-2 result in Warwickshire’s favour.
The results for first five games of the men’s ‘B’ game all went against the first throw advantage as Martin Tonks gave the hosts first blood when he beat Stuart Gilmour 4-1, Leigh Peters then beat Scott Hope 4-2 to level the game at one each. Carl Green gave the home team the lead for a second time when he beat Dean Joseph 4-2, only to see Kyran Johnson win 4-1 against Dave Honey to square the game at 2-2.
For a third time it was Warwickshire who went ahead and this time it was man of the match Adam Hancock who provided the win when he, in 21,20,21 and 19 darts beat Danny Goddard 4-0 with a great 24.74 average.
Going into the halfway point the sequence was broken, Mark Martin ending the half with a 4-3 win over Paul Shepherd to give the hosts a 4-2 lead.
Luke Smith reduced the arrears for Northamptonshire as the second half got underway with his 4-0 success over Darren Swords and with Smith’s team mate Chuck Scott going 3-0 up against Karl Reynolds it looked as though parity would be restored for third time. It was not to be as Reynolds with an 18 darts leg began to claw his way back into the game. He then checked out on 103 to win the fifth and with further wins in the last two legs completed a tremendous fight back to win 4-3.
By the ninth game Warwickshire were in an unbeatable position as Wayne Mynard won 4-2 against Jamie Elliott and although Chris Shipley kept the away team in the game with a 4-1 success over Will Naylor the win was wrapped up in the penultimate encounter when Mark Tomlinson beat Jamie Preston 4-3.
The final score was taken to 8-4 when in the last game of the day Carl Winters won 4-2 against Joe Judkins.
Like the women’s ‘B’ the women’s ‘A’ also kicked off their game with a 3-0 win and for the ‘A’ side it was Natalie Gilbert who not only handed a whitewash to her opponent Sara Rose but also won the lady of the match award for her superb 23.86 average which included winning legs of 19,22 and 22 darts.
Doubling the home team’s lead was Tammy Montgomery, Tammy chalking up a 3-1 victory over Angela Barrow before Northamptonshire got their first stripe on the board provided by Carrie Wright for her 3-2 win over Donna Pinch after Donna had twice taken the lead.
Sue Gulliver dropped the first leg against Jo Johnson but never-say-die Sue bounced back to win the next three legs for a 3-1 win to put her team within an ace of victory.
That victory was not long awaited as Angela Jones made short work of her opponent Debbie Dexter with a 3-0 win and with the same scoreline Chloe McKivett beat Kaye Mason to earn Warwickshire a convincing 5-1 win.
First on for Warwickshire men’s ‘A’ was Prakash Jiwa who after going one up in 20 darts then went 2-1 down as his opponent Colin Gray checked out the second and third legs in 14 and 16 darts. Jiwa replied with a second 20 darts leg and went ahead in 21. He then completed his 4-2 win in 15 darts.
From one up to 3-1 down, that’s how the hosts then faired as Northamptonshire’s Chris Jones, Ben Goodger and Tony Littleton in turn defeated Jamie Atkins (4-3), Tom Martin (4-0) and Jack Wareing (4-2). However by the end of the first half the scores were level at 3-3 as Kevin Dowling won 4-2 against Jason Lovell and Steve Hine beat Darren Williamson by the same 4-2 margin.
For the second time in the game Warwickshire went ahead, Gareth Braham beginning the second half in style as he beat Phil Coward 4-2. Braham went 2-0 up in 17 and 15 darts checking out on 120 in the second leg. Coward fought back to level terms in 21 and 17 darts. With 12 and 16 darts games in the next two legs Braham sealed a 4-2 victory and at the same time earned himself the man of the match award for his fantastic 30.31 average.
From 4-3 up Warwickshire for a second time found themselves trailing as Michael Feasey beat Mark Strong 4-2 and Liam Fox won 4-3 against Ian Mcfarlane after Mcfarlane had come from 1-0 down to lead 3-1.
Noel Grant lost the first leg against Josh Richardson but the home player went on to clinch a 4-1 win and with Matty Washbrooke also coming back from 1-0 and 3-2 down against John Regan and going on to win 4-3 Warwickshire were now in a position where they could not lose the game.
The final game of the weekend saw Steve Giddings (Warwickshire) beat Martin Biggs 4-1 giving a 7-5 win for the men’s ‘A’ and an overall 24-12 victory for the weekend.
The win made it six straight successes for Warwickshire and with the two teams above them Lancashire and Yorkshire playing against each and finishing all square at 18-18 Warwickshire are 27 points adrift of leaders Lancashire and just three behind second placed Yorkshire, however they have a game in hand and a big win in that game and who knows they could go top!!
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Neil Pritchard
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January was a sad month for me as one of my oldest and dearest friends Matt Kelly passed away. Matt was one of the finest darts players to come out of Tipton and was a long-time darts comrade of mine. He was a regular in my Mitchells and Butlers Highgate Best (later Tennents Lager) exhibition team and played county, super league, local league and took part many competitions throughout the country and in addition also played in numerous American competitions.
I personally have to thank Matt for getting me back into playing darts once again as in the early seventies I was going through my second bout of the dreaded Dartitus. After not playing darts for some time and possibly having resigned myself into not playing again Matt came to see me and following a few lengthy conversations he got me to give it a try. I agreed, it worked and I played on for around another thirty years despite having another spell with not being able to let go of my darts.
I offer my sincere condolences to Matt’s family, he will be sorely missed.
Rest in Peace my dear friend, many thanks for all the great times and happy hours we spent on the dartboard together.
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