2004-02-01

West Midlands latest BDO Inter Counties Championship fixture, a home tie against Montgomeryshire and Radnor turned out to be a huge success, with the hosts recording their finest win of the campaign so far. Following a close 19-17 away defeat at Nottinghamshire, West Midlands were eager to return to winning ways and this was just the tonic they needed.
The weekend began with the ladies ‘B’ side match. Teresa Johnston gave the hosts the best possible start with a straight 3-0 win over Ivy Annereau. The lead was short lived as Susan James, after trailing 1-0 to Sherry Hubbard fought back to claim a 3-1 victory.
At number three was West Midlands kingpin, Teresa Johnson. Teresa had won all three of the previous lady of the match awards, and number four was to be no different. She was pushed the full five legs distance by Val Bellerby before sealing her win. Not once did she trail as she won the first, third and final legs for a 3-2 success with an award winning 15.72 average. Assuring the home side of at the worst a share of the spoils was Debbie Hackett. Debbie took on Hazel Charnock and her 3-1 win gave her team a 3-1 lead.
The final two games were very similar insomuch as they both went the five legs distance and the 3-2 results both went in favour of the visitors. Sara Jukes and Jenny Aston (West Midlands) played in turn against Chris Hilditch and Wendy Webb. The away players both won the first, third and fifth legs to put the final score at 3-3 to rescue a share of the points for Montgomeryshire and Radnor.
The men’s ‘B’ were looking to extend their promising start of a draw and two wins. As in the ladies game the opening encounter went in favour of the Midlanders. Mervyn Field chalked up an impressive 3-0 win against his counterpart Alan Ward to ensure his side got off on a winning note. However, Steve R. Evans twice came from behind in his tussle with Frank Johnson to win 3-2 and cancel Field’s win. Jamie Parsons (27.83) quickly restored West Midlands advantage when he defeated Terry Williams 3-0 and earn himself the man of the match award in the process. Taking the score along to 3-1 was Viv Gould, with a fine 3-1 win over Robert Banks. Fred Parsons looked all set to increase the margin as he opened up a 2-0 lead over Mick Wall, but Wall took advantage of Fred’s missed doubles and ran out a 3-2 winner. The last game of the half swung one way and then the other as Eric Jones (Montgomeryshire and Radnor) won the first leg, only to see Gary Taylor take the next two. Jones then replied by winning the last two legs to win 3-2 and put the running score at three each.
For the first time in the match the away team went into the lead in game seven. Opening the half Steve Rowlands, with a 3-1 result accounted for Eddie Price. Nevertheless, the cheers were short lived as Avtar Singh beat Michael Waring 3-1 and Ade Arnold, with a similar margin took out Stephen Bates to put the West Midlands noses in front at 5-4.
Tony Rimmer (Montgomeryshire and Radnor), came from behind twice to beat Alan Cockayne 3-2 and then Joe Biggs (West Midlands), after losing the first two legs to Richie Banks won 3-2 to leave the result hinging on the final game between Lee Jones (West Midlands) and Don Jacques. Jacques won the first two legs with his opponent unable to reach a double. Jones won the third, but again in the fourth he was left nursing 139 as Jacques went out on double top to put the final score all square at 6-6.
So both teams went into Sunday’s games on a level playing field as the overall scoreline was 9-9 with everything to play for. Janet Hubbard opened up for the home team and despite losing the first leg to Lesley Holt went on to win 3-1. Angie Perry made it 2-0 and on a personal note made it three lady of the match awards in four outings when she beat Jan Ashton 3-1 and averaged 19.48. Claire Hobbs moved the score nicely along to 3-0 with her straight legs win over Nora Gough. Confidence was now riding high as Kath Jenkins, Claire Downing and Sue Smith in turn recorded 3-1 wins over respective opponents Tracy Evans, Sandra Jacks and Clare Bywater to give the home side a resounding 6-0 victory, their first win since the opening day of the season and more importantly leaving the men’s ‘A’ side requiring just four winners for an overall victory.
The men’s ‘A’ form had been a little erratic as in their previous three games they had won one, drawn one and lost one. As in all of the weekend’s games first blood went to the West Midlands. Opener Paddy Johnson defeated Scott Docherty 3-1 and with a 3-2 win from team mate Lol Frazer over Neil Astley, the Midlanders were halfway towards their required number of wins for an overall success.
Montgomeryshire and Radnor opened their account in the third game, Craig Pryce won the first two legs against Ian Hartland. Hartland pulled back to level terms, but then lost out in the decider as Pryce found a winner in double sixteen. Dave Evans added another notch to West Midlands tally Handing out a 3-1 defeat to Steve Alker and with a further 3-1 success supplied by Chris Hickman against Darryl Sheldon, West Midlands were assured a weekend win. Moving into the break Mick James made the score 5-1 when he registered his straight legs win over Stephen Bates.
West Midlands men’s ‘A’ team were now chasing for their second win of the campaign. Martin Tibbetts eased them nearer that situation when opened their account in the second spell with his 3-1 victory against Andy MacDonald. Long serving West Midlands man Ian Jones was the player to notch up the all important seventh win. It was a drawn out affair in which Jones took the lead twice against Roger Williams before he won the deciding leg for a 3-2 win and an unassailable 7-1 lead.
With the men recording their win, the squad their win, Darren Williams then chalked up his personal win, an award winning performance against John Roberts. Williams took the opening leg in eighteen darts with a great 126 checkout. He then followed that with a sixteen darts game and sealed his 3-0 victory with another eighteen darts game to average 28.90.
The visitors appeared to be on their way to a second win when Paul Grimes went two up against Richard Foster, but Foster was having nothing of it and roared back to a fabulous 3-2 win, which included 17 and 21 darts legs before a cracking 15 darts winner with a 105 game shot. Montgomeryshire and Radnor did get their second stripe in the penultimate game. Dave Williams, despite being pegged back to level terms in the second leg by John Pountney went on to win 3-1. This however, was only a minor setback as Peter Wyse wrapped up the proceedings with a 3-2 win over Andy Waters to give the home team a comfortable 10-2 victory. More important was the overall 25-11 success which puts the West Midlands third in the promotion table on 86 points and well in touch with leaders County Durham, who have 98 points, twp more than second placed Cornwall.
West Midlands next match is vital to their promotion hopes, an away game against Clwyd, who are just one point adrift of them. A win for both teams is a MUST!!!