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.