2000-01-01

With two successive defeats in as many fixtures so far in division two of the BDO Inter Counties Championships, West Midlands were looking to open their account and chalk up some points and what better way than in their tie against Cheshire, their second away game in three.
The ladies ‘B’ team got the proceedings underway. Having already suffered two defeats another away game was going to be tough and that is exactly how it turned out to be. Sue Smith was first on going down 3-1 to Lorraine Able. Following Sue was Claire Downing, who in just three legs, lost to Karen Atkinson. Rose Sanders began well taking the first two legs off Linda Sullivan but from there on in finishing doubles deserted Rose and her opponent went on to win 3-2, giving the hosts a 3-0 lead. Victory was not long awaited as Andrea Hunt defeated Teresa Johnston by the odd leg. Teresa won the first, Andrea the next two. The West Midlands player then squared the game only to see the home player check out on 32 leaving her without a throw for 62.
With the scoreline standing at an unbeatable 4-0 to Cheshire, the visitors recorded their first and only winner. Gill Cook (19-03) did not allow her counterpart Julie Ball a chance at a finish in the first two legs as she produced outshots of 54 and 85. The third leg saw Gill miss her doubles and give Ball throws to steal the leg. However, it was Gill with double four that eventually wrapped up the leg and the game to win 3-0. The last game was a clear-cut 3-0 success for Cally Roberts over Jean Denton to put the final score at 5-1 to Cheshire.
The men’s ‘B’, after a curtain raising win over Cornwall lost their last game against Suffolk and were hoping to return to winning ways. The first half did not suggest that was about to happen. Alan Cockayne and Martin Tibbetts both lost in three straight legs to respective opponents Mark Tirrell and John Brameld. On at number three was West Midlands newcomer Mark Wellings from Bloxwich. Wellings who faced up to Cheshire’s Colin Latham got off to a good start. He won the opening leg in 21 darts and followed that with a 17 darts win to put him within a leg of victory. Latham then stepped up a gear winning the next two legs in 15 and 16 darts to force a decider. The last leg was nip and tuck all the way, Wellings threw first and hit top shots of 100 and 140 to Latham’s 2×140. However the first throw advantage gave the Midlands man a chance at a 91 outshot, which he accepted with open arms, clinching a 3-2 win in eighteen darts, Latham left without a throw for 75. Wellings average 28.52, which at the end of the day was enough to earn him the match award.
From a high spot it was then depression time. William Hadley lost 3-0 to Terry Sheen, Steve Penwright went down by the odd leg to Chris Beeston, after twice getting his nose in front. Then to complete the first half Peter Evans was another three legs loser to Mark Jodrill, to give the home team a 5-1 lead with only six to play.
Frank Johnson reduced the arrears marginally when with a 3-2 result he accounted for Steve Hassall, who at one stage was 2-1 up. Steve Brindley and Ron Johnson were unable to make their mark on the match, they in turn were beaten 3-1 by Steve Atkinson and Peter May, to put Cheshire 7-2 up.
Chris Everill (Cheshire) won the opener against Joe Biggs, but the latter bounced back to seal a 3-1 victory. Then for the first and only time in the match West Midlands won two in a row. Rob Arrowsmith (Cheshire) took Alan Bradburn the full distance. However the West Midlands man won the first, checked out on 130 in the third and completed his win with a maximum and a 60 game shot in the fifth. The last encounter was another five legs affair Dave Newton lining up for the home team and Vic Lloyd for the visitors. Newton twice went ahead but in the deciding leg required a 92 finish to win the game as Lloyd was down to 54. The final scoreline, 8-4 to Cheshire, giving them an overall lead of 13-5.
Sunday was another day and another story, although it did not begin that way. Mary Ede won the first game against Penny Hooley with Penny failing to reach a finishing double in any of the legs. Diane Tolley cancelled out Ede’s win when she won a close tussle with Joanne Prince 3-1, the same margin by which Frances Allen defeated Diane Clarke, after Clarke had won the first leg. Janet Cox came up against an in form Jane Stubbs (23.12) and as a result of her 3-0 defeat surrendering West Midlands lead. A lady of the match performance from Angie Perry quickly restored the away teams superiority, Angie beating Gill Ball 3-1.
Everything now depended on the last remaining game between Jill Jodrill (Cheshire) and Dawn Holdcroft. Dawn’s scoring power 2×140 and 4×100, compared with Jill’s 140, was the difference and deciding factor between the two players as Dawn raced to a 3-0 win giving her team mates a valuable 4-2 victory.
With only the men’s ‘A’ match to play Cheshire were now requiring just four more games for an overall win, the West Midlands hopes of getting anything from the match looking very remote. Despite this the underdogs got off to a fighting start. Tony Walker and Ian Jones (man of the match 31.98) chalked up 3-0 wins over Ian White and Brian Amison, Jones recording finishes of 106, 80 and 95. Ade Arnold took full advantage of the lack of finishing power by Brian Frost to win 3-1 and increase the away teams lead to 3-0. Gary Taylor came back from 2-0 down to level terms against Mick Haynes only to lose out in the fifth leg as Haynes recorded the hosts first win.
It appeared the good start was in vain as the following two games both went Cheshire’s way. Andy Sugarman beat Adrian Hammersley 3-1 and Andy Boulton just edged out Steve Parkes 3-2 to make it all square at 3-3 by the halfway stage.
The second half was all one way traffic, all in West Midlands favour. Paul Johnson began the run with a 3-1 win over Mike Curzon including a tremendous 141 checkout. Mick James needed only three legs to take out George McCormick while in four legs Colin Davies got the better of Tony O’Shea. With a 6-3 lead only one more game was required for a second successive men’s win. It came in the very next game. David Robbins was taken all the way by Steve Roberts but ended as a 3-2 winner. Tom Aldridge beat Peter Boughey 3-1, putting the onus on anchorman Avtar Singh to win against Phil Merryweather and in the process earn an overall draw. The game could have swung either way, Merryweather won the first, Singh the next two. A win for the home player in the fourth took the game to its bitter end. For West Midlands it turned out to be a sweet end as Singh after scores of 100-1140-100 and 92 found double eight to give not only a 9-3 win but also an overall 18-18 draw, something no one would have believed possible at the beginning of Sunday’s play. Well done West Midlands, now let’s see more of the same spirit.