Warwickshire v Cheshire
With two defeats in their opening two games in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships Warwickshire were badly in need of a win to get their season started and in their home fixture with Cheshire that is exactly what the got.
Saturdays ladies game got off to a win with Angela Jones recording a clear cut 3-0 victory over Gill O’Shea the same margin by which Bev Martin (Cheshire) defeated Kerry Bambridge to level the game. Warwickshire then went ahead for a second time, this time thanks to a lady of the match performance from Lisa Whitmore who after going one down to Jill Jodrill bounced back to take the next three legs for a 3-1 win with a 19.30 average.
Taking the lead to 3-1 was Melanie Hill who after going 2-0 up against Loll Abley was pulled back to 2-2 but went on to win 3-2. Marian Conway (Warwickshire) twice came from behind against Dawn Williams but in the end it was Williams who got the 3-2 verdict with Conway struggling on her finishing doubles.
The final ladies game saw another Warwickshire player struggle on doubles, this time it was Kat Spanswick and as a result lost 3-0 to Lyn Marsden to put the final score all square at 3-3.
The men’s ‘B’ were still looking for their first win of the campaign Ian Shaw getting them off to a good start when he beat Colin Latham 4-1 and although Jeff Fisher wiped out Shaw’s win when he beat Carl Green 4-1 it was Warwickshire who forged ahead again when Simon Power got the better of Mark Jodrill with a 4-1 result the same margin by which Tom Martin beat John Glover to extend Warwickshire’s lead to 3-1.
Chris Ware was the man reducing the arrears for Cheshire in the fifth game when he won 4-1 against Dan Green but by the midway point of the game the home team were 4-2 up as Luke Kennedy rounded off the half with a 4-1 win over Ricky Shelmerdine.
The second half began with Cheshire’s third win Mark Graham having a 4-0 success in his game with Antony Allen but with a 4-1 win from Tom McGlone over Ian Walker followed by a 4-2 victory from Matthew Edgar against Dave Bird Warwickshire were in an unassailable 6-3 position. Edgar went 3-0 up against Bird in 16, 15 and 13 darts and despite his opponent taking the next two legs found the winner in the sixth when he checked out in 14 darts which included his third maximum of the game and gave him a fantastic award winning average of 32.58.
At number ten for Cheshire was Stuart Kellett who gave his opponent Paul Deslandes very little chance as he won 4-1 and took his teams match award with a 28.66 average. The setback was soon forgotten as in the penultimate tie Tommy Ryan after trailing 1-0 and 3-1 fought back to beat Joe Rowland 4-3 and chalk up the match winning seventh game.
The final game of the day was touch and go all the way with the advantage going one way and then the other Chris Gallagher (Warwickshire) won the first Paul McCrevey took the next two. Gallagher then won the fourth in 15 darts and went ahead for a second time in eleven darts hitting 140, 140, 171 and with his next two darts finishing on 50. McCrevey in 19 darts took the game to a decider which Gallagher won in a similar 19 darts for a 4-3 win and a team win of 8-4.
With two defeats in their opening two games the ladies ‘A’ were anxious to get something out of their fixture but it didn’t start too well as Jane Stubbs (Cheshire) won the opener against Denise Keyte3-0 and despite taking a 1-0 lead Donna Pinch lost 3-1 to Andrea Hunt to give Cheshire a 2-0 lead.
The ever reliable Trina Gulliver was on at number three and as is usually the case she chalked up a Warwickshire win, this time it was a 3-0 success against Ros Davies and what has become something of the “Norm” for Warwickshire ladies ‘A’ Trina took the match award with her 22.43 average.
A 3-1 win over Wendy Adams by Emma Pearce put Cheshire 3-1 up and although Sue Gulliver was pegged back to 2-2 by Bev Martin after leading 2-0 Sue went on to win 3-2 and keep the home side in the match.
In the last of the ladies games Mandy Smith (Cheshire) went 1-0 and then 2-1 up against Natalie Gilbert but it was the tenacity of the Warwickshire player that saw her win the fourth to level and then with a tremndous 137 game shot win the fifth and claim a 3-2 victory and put the final score all level at three each.
The men’s ‘A’ got off to a cracking start with Mark Westgarth (Warwickshire) engaged in a titanic tussle with Matthew Hunt. Hunt won the first leg in 19 darts, Westgarth the second in 22. Hunt went ahead again in 26 darts only to see the Warwickshire man draw level again in 17 darts. Then for the first time Westgarth went ahead with another 17 darts leg and despite being taken to a decider when Hunt won the penultimate leg Westgarh won the seventh in 20 darts for a 4-3 win.
No such problems for Dean Stewart as he rattled off a 4-0 win over Mark Graham to put the hosts two up and at the same time win the man of the match award for his 30.36 average which was made up of winning legs in 14, 16, 18 and 18 darts.
Mark Carter like Wesgarth in the opening game was made to fight all the way for his 4-3 win as John Speed went 2-0 up, Carter squared at 2-2, Speed took a 3-2 lead and Carter won the last two legs in 18 and 26 darts to give his team a 3-0 lead.
Jamie Hughes who has been in top form so far this season with two match awards already under his belt didn’t disappoint again as he took the score along to 4-0 with a 4-1 win against Malcolm Barrow, Hughes having a 28.57 average.
It was the fifth game before Cheshire recorded their first win Andy Cope getting the 4-2 result against Mark Strong, but a 4-3 win from Tom Aldridge over Peter Boughey took the running score nicely along to 5-1 by the halfway point.
The second half got underway with Ian McFarlane going 3-0 up against Tony O’Shea, O’Shea fighting back to take the next four legs in 19, 15, 16 and 17 darts for a 4-3 win. Noel Grant put the hosts within one game of victory when he beat Chris Ware 4-3, Grant having to come back from 3-1 down. Then in the very next game a win was assured as Bob Nixon beat Bryn Suckley 4-2 to take the score to 7-2.
With just three to play Cheshire then had their best run of the game Patrick Lynskey went 1-0 and 2-1 down to Jamie Atkins but went on to win 4-2 and Michael Haynes won 4-1 against Richard Foster before William Naylor put the final score at 8-4 to Warwickshire when he beat Dave Bird in four straight legs with a 27.83 average.
So it was third time lucky for Warwickshire as they chalked up their first win of the campaign so far, the win has seen them shoot up the table five places from next to bottom to fourth.
Full Results:Warwickshire v Cheshire 22-14:(Warwickshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Mark Westgarth 4 Matthew Hunt 3, Dean Stewart 4 Mark Graham 0, Mark Carter 4 John Speed 3, Jamie Hughes 4 Malcolm Barrow 1, Mark Strong 2 Andy Cope 4, Tom Aldrdige 4 Peter Boughey 3, Ian McFarlane 2 Tony O’Shea 4, Noel Grant 4 Chris Ware 3, Bob Nixon 4 Bryn Suckley 2, Jamie Atkins 2 Patrick Lynskey 4, Richard Foster 1 Michael Haynes 4, William Naylor 4 Dave Bird 0, Men’s ‘B’:- Ian Shaw 4 Colin Latham 1, Carl Green 1 Jeff Fisher 4, Simon Power 4 Mark Jodrill 1, Tom Martin 4 John Glover 1, Dan Green 1 Chris Ware 4, Luke Kennedy 4 Ricky Shelmerdine 1, Antony Allen 0 Mark Graham 4, Tom McGlone 4 Ian Walker 1, Matthew Edgar 4 Dave Bird 2, Paul Deslandes 1 Stuart Kellett 4, Tommy Ryan 4 Joe Rowland 3, Chris Gallagher 4 Paul McCrevey 3, Women’s ‘A’:- Denise Keyte 0 Jane Stubbs 3, Donna Pinch 1 Andrea Hunt 3, Trina Gulliver 3 Ros Davies 0, Wendy Adams 1 Emma Pearce 3, Sue Gulliver 3 Bev Martin 2, Natalie Gilbert 3 Mandy Smith 2, Women’s ‘B’:- Angela Jones 3 Gill O’Shea 0, Kerry Bambridge 0 Bev Martin 3, Lisa Whitmore 3 Jill Jodrill 1, Melanie Hill 3 Loll Abley 2, Marian Conway 2 Dawn Williams 3, Kat Spanswick 0 Lyn Marsden 3.