A rearranged away game against Glamorgan completed Warwickshire County Darts Organisation’s fixtures in the Elite Premier Division of the UKDA National League and what a climax it turned out to be. The ladies ‘B’ began the weekend with a 4-2 win with Chloe McKivett taking the lady of the match award for her 3-1 win over Nicky Biddick with a 17.92 average. The men’s ‘B’ had to be satisfied with sharing the honours as they finished all square at 6-6 after trailing in the early stages at 3-1. Man of the match for the ‘B’ team was Scott Hope, his 26.93 average and 4-3 result over Dai Powell earning him the award.
Sunday’s games began as Saturday’s ended with a draw as the ladies ‘A’ ended at 3-3 with Tammy Montgomery in superb form taking the match award with a tremendous 28.87 average as she beat Eve Watson 3-2 with winning legs of 14, 17 and 14 darts and top scores of 180,3×140,137 and 5×100.
A draw was now required from the men’s ‘A’ for an overall win for the weekend but there was much more at stake than that as a win would see them overtake Yorkshire and lift them into a final runners-up position.
At the halfway stage Warwickshire were trailing 4-2 and after eight games losing 5-3 before the tide changed with wins supplied by Matty Washbrooke, Wayne Mynard and Jamie Atkins to see Warwickshire take the lead for the first time in the game, 6-5 up with just one to play. That one remaining game was to decide Warwickshire’s final position in the division. Prakash Jiwa was Warwickshire’s anchor man and they could not have asked for a better man to end the game and the season as he stormed to a 4-1 victory over Shaun Dibbs for a 7-5 win, an overall 20-16 victory and a final total of 253 points to oust Yorkshire out of the runners-up spot as they had one point fewer 252. What a finale, what a fantastic end to the season with Warwickshire finishing in their highest ever position in a county league. Congratulations to all players, officials, helpers and supporters.
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More good news for Warwickshire was that of their Natalie Gilbert winning her first ever game for England as with a solid 64.41 average she defeated Lynsey Ward 3-0. Well done Natalie. The first of many more to come!!
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