2001-01-01

Fixture number three in the BDO Inter Counties Championships turned out to be a game of two halves for the West Midlands, men and women. As odd as that may sound, that is exactly how it turned out.
Playing hosts to Norfolk, this was a game West Midlands really needed to win. The ladies ‘B’ match began with neither side prepared to give anything away. With the darts June Sider won the opener against Janet Cox 3-2. Janet twice coming back to level terms. Sue Smith (West Midlands) stormed to a 2-0 lead against Collette Roger, only to see the Norfolk player cancel out her advantage. In a neck and neck decider Smith just got the verdict with a 22 outshot.
The visitors got their noses in front again when Ruth Catra beat Rose Sanders 3-1. But with the games still going with the first throw advantage, West Midlands award winner Claire Hobbs, despite being taken to a fifth and final leg defeated Janet Bell 3-2 with a 16.07 average. Norfolk then produced their lady of the match, Lisa Garman (19.33). Lisa recorded a straight 3-0 win over a below par Val Arnold who was unable to reach a finishing double in her three legs.
Still in with a chance of a draw West Midlands hopes rested on the shoulders of Brenda Phillips. She got off to a flying start as she won the first leg on double top. However, she was unable to maintain the momentum and her opponent, Thelma Gosling bounced back to snatch a 3-1 win and give her team a 4-2 success.
The West Midlands men’s ‘B’ team began the day in pole position in their table and with Norfolk at the other end of the table a convincing win was on the cards. That’s how the match started as the home side won the first three games in double quick time. Roger Kinsella had a 3-1 win over Steve Jolly. He was followed by two 3-0 wins from Mark Wellings and Steve Brindley over their respective counterparts Steve Daynes and Dean Brown. Brindley’s win coming in 18-19 and 19 darts to earn a match award with a 26.34 average.
Game number four saw the away side chalk up their first win. Kevin Pleasant was made to fight all the way for his win, after taking a 2-0 lead he was pegged back to 2-2 by Vic Lloyd and only won the fifth leg after lloyd had failed on his finishing doubles. Sharp finishing by Paul Nobbs against Jamie Parsons gave him a 3-0 win and brought Norfolk back into the match, trailing now by just one game at 3-2. Adrian Ling looked as though he would completely cancel out the home team’s lead when he won the opening two legs against Nick Walters. Nevertheless, Walters stuck to his task, won the next three legs, the game 3-2 and restored a two games buffer for his team.
Fred Parsons was unable to keep up with Billy Gallie and the latter won 3-1 reducing the arrears again for the visitors. Joe Biggs (West Midlands) had a comfortable 3-0 success against Doug Bobby and with a further 3-1 win from Ron Johnson against Nigel Kemp, the hosts were now within an ace of victory with a share of the spoils guaranteed. Danny Dagless delayed any celebrations as he got the better of a 3-2 result against Martin Tibbetts, but delay was all he did as Bill Hadley defeated Ian King to reach the magical seven winning legs his team needed for victory.
At 7-4 down Norfolk kept their best till last. Peter Wright kicked off his game with Frank Johnson with a fourteen darts leg. He won the second in eighteen and although he lost the third in fifteen, he won the next in sixteen for a 3-1 win and a great 30.78 average.
The ladies ‘A’, perched at the wrong end of the table, were always going to find it tough against opposition riding high in second place and that was exactly how the match went. Norfolk got off to a flying start with a 3-0 win by Sharon Shaw over Diane Tolley. From there on in it was all the away team as they went on to hand out a 6-0 whitewash, further wins being supplied by Stephanie Potter, Janice
Butters, Linda Simmons, Dawn Stanley and Lorna Sadgrove. On the West Midlands receiving end were Rose Mycock, Claire Downing, Angie Perry, Gill cook and Frances Allen.
For the West Midlands to gain their first win of the season, it now required a massive effort from the men’s ‘A’. In fact for overall victory nothing less than 10-2 would do. Nick Walters played his part with a 3-1 win against John Clayton, Nick clinching the win with a 105 finish. Norfolk moved up a gear with wins from Ron Mould, who beat Tom Aldridge 3-1 and Dave Lince with a similar success against Clive Frances. Jonathon Platt got the ball rolling again for the Midlanders when with a 3-2 result he accounted for Richard Palmer. Two more five legs wins from Gary Taylor and Mick James against respective counterparts Steve Bartrum and Billy Dixon saw the hosts with a 4-2 lead at the halfway mark and the overall win still on the cards.
Simon Bell dismissed that possibility as he defeated Paul Johnson 3-1 in the opening game of the second half, but restoring the two games cushion was man of the match Steve Penwright, who in 21-17 and 17 darts took out Michael Kemp, Penwright recording a 27.33 average in the process. Norfolk again bounced back, this time in the form of Michael Lewis, a 3-1 verdict against Steve Brindley.
With the game delicately poised at 4-3 in favour of the West Midlands, both teams had everything to play for. Paul Daniels (Norfolk) looked all set to square the match when he opened up a 2-0 lead over Colin “Zippy” Davies. Never say die Davies Kept his cool, clawed his way back and went on to win 3-2. Avtar Singh (West Midlands) lost his first leg to Allan Brown. However, it was the Midlands man who again fought back to clinch the win, this time 3-1 and at the same time secure his teams win at 7-4. The final game was a close 3-2 affair. Adrian Arnold with a 116 game shot won the first, Peter Taylor (Norfolk) the second. Taylor then took the lead with an 18 darts leg in the third only to see Arnold firstly cancel out his lead then win the decider to give his side an 8-4 win.
A good weekend for the men’s teams but obviously with a third of the season already completed West Midlands now need a couple of wins under their belts to avoid any end of season struggle against relegation.
———————————
The Birmingham “2000” Darts Open attracted many top players from across the length and breadth of the region and produced some top class quality darts, staged at the local Vauxhall Sports and Social Club, the first of the best of seven legs semi finals brought together Warwickshire team mates Kevin Dowling and Peter Rouse. It was a close tense encounter Dowling drawing first blood with a nineteen darts leg after he had begun with a score of 137. Rouse hit a maximum in the second leg, it gave him all the breathing space he needed for him to wrap up the leg with a 24 outshot.
With first throw plus 140and 2×100’s Dowling was down to double top, while his opponent was still back on 150. Dowling, with precision took a 2-1 lead as his sixteenth dart found double twenty. With the games still going in favour of the first thrower Rouse levelled again, on this occasion he registered a 36 finish in seventeen darts. The pattern was now broken as Rouse, against the throw advantage checked out on 72 in 21 darts after Dowling had failed on his doubles to take the lead.
Rouse now had the opportunity to go further ahead as he left himself on double nineteen after 15 darts. Dowling at this stage required 198. He scored 134 to leave 64. On his next visit to the oche Rouse failed to find the doubles and left 18. Not the story as far as Dowling was concerned, two darts were all he required to clinch the leg and force a seventh and deciding leg to be played. Rouse hit 2×100 and 134, Dowling 140 and a 100. But as is nearly always the case the vital first throw gave Dowling a chance at double fourteen with Rouse on double ten after he hit 134. Dowling moved into the final as he found his winning double with his first dart.
West Midlands Wayne Jones and Mick Bagley from Warwickshire contested the second semi final. As in the previous game the throw advantage again proved to be the deciding factor in the opening legs. Jones had his chance to win the first following scores of 140 and 131 but missed doubles ten and five. Bagley won the leg with double eight. 2×140 and a ton gave Jones the edge in the second, as he finished on 64 Bagley was way back on 206. Both players hit a couple of three figure scores in the third leg, Bagley taking it on 25 game shot. Bagley failed to hit a three figure score in the fourth leg while Jones hit three tons and levelled the match for the second time. The next leg could easily have been won by Bagley, but as always doubles are what count and Bagley missed, Jones didn’t. Double eleven with his sixteenth arrow put him within one leg of a place in the final.
With the final well in his sights Jones rose to the occasion with a super 13 darts leg. Scoring 140-100-121 and 124 he completed the match with double eight, leaving Bagley still requiring 266.
If the semi’s were good the final was tremendous. Chasing the top prize of £400 Bagley began the proceedings with a 16 darts leg, won on double sixteen. Jones went one better finishing the second leg in fifteen after top shots of 2×140 and 100. Then with scores of 140-180-100 and 69 he left double six, which he got with his next and thirteenth dart. Still in a high scoring mood Jones then started the fourth leg with 95-100-100-140 and 50. Two more darts were all he needed to win the leg a go within an ace of victory.
Despite not having reached a double in the previous three legs Bagley came back strongly with 95-180-125 and 85, to reach double sixteen in only a dozen darts. However, Jones in the meantime had not been dragging his feet with 140-140-60 and 40, to leave after the same twelve darts 121. Bagley was unable to reduce the arrears as he missed his chance and left double four. Jones welcomed his opportunity with open arms, taking full advantage as he finished the 121 for another fabulous fifteen darts leg, a 4-1 win, the title and an early Christmas present of £400.
———————————
Lea Hall RBL was the setting for the finals of the “Rememberance Day Poppy Appeal Trophy” promoted by Lea Hall RBL and the Sheldon and District League. In the first of “Round Robin” competition semi finalsThe Sportsman ‘A’ took on the Mackadown Alcs. The result was a resounding 8-1 victory for the Sportsman. D.Young, with a win against G.Perry, was the only player to offer any resistance on behalf of the Mackadown.
The second semi was a much close affair. E.B.A.H.A ‘A’ went into a 4-1 lead over Saltley Amateur Gardeners Flights thanks to wins from M.Birch (2) and A.Caddick (2), R.South winning for S.A.G. The last four games all went to the Gardeners. P.Stevens had two wins and the other two wins came from R.South and S.Winters.
The final went to the penultimate game before a decision was reached. The first four games were shared, P.Stevens and R.South chalking up Saltley’s wins, while A.Mountford and G.Perry replied for the Sportsman. A.Mountford gave Sportsman a 2-1 lead with his win over R.South before the Saltley team won three in a row. P.Stevens, R.South and P.Stevens again beating B.Stephens, G.Perry and A.Mountford to give their team the title. The final game saw B.Stephens win against S.Winters putting the final score at 5-4 to Saltley Amateur Gardeners Flights.
———————————