Shropshire v Bedfordshire
Despite home advantage Shropshire had a tough task in their division four game in the BDO Inter County Championships when they took on high riding Bedfordshire but nevertheless the weekend could not have begun any better for the ladies as Caroline Powell opened up for the ‘B’ team with a 3-2 win over Jo Dilley, Caroline winning the first two legs and Dilley the next two but it was the home team’s Powell who won the decider.
Angela Moyce levelled for Bedfordshire with a 3-1 success against Leanne Quinton but from there on in it was good news all the way for the hosts. Sophie Fawcett lost the first two legs to Charlotte Tyler but hung on in there and came up with a superb 3-2 win. Lynne Watton followed Fawcett and took the running score along to 3-1 with a 3-1 win against Donna Hutt.
The match was won in the fifth when Kirsty Jenks, in similar fashion to her team mate Sophie Fawcett trailed 2-0 to her opponent Becky Minney but again like Fawcett she went on to seal a great 3-2 victory.
With a 4-1 lead Shropshire kept their best player on the day till last as fourteen years old Grace Angell who was making her county debut produced a 3-1 win against Irene Maddy and earned the match award with her 15.56 average. The 5-1 win was the ‘B’ teams first win in their five games season so far.
The men’s ‘B’ also got off to a winning start as Louis Burley took the team’s match award when he beat Michael Battams 3-1 and a 23.88 average, Clive Lucking handed out a straight 3-0 defeat to Bobby Lee to make it 2-0 but then the visitors took control as Shaun Copperwheat and Mark Kingdon both won 3-1 against respective opponents Martin Angell and Andre Knox, Paddy Clowery beat Brian Hickman 3-2 and Martyn Moore won 3-0 against Philip Austin.
Bedfordshire then took their lead from 4-2 to a winning 7-2 with three 3-2 wins from Darren Battams, Paul Riley and Dean Taylor who in turn accounted for Nathan Storar, Martin Riggs and Matt Williams all seven losers having missed vital finishing doubles that could have reversed that scoreline.
And that trend continued as Jacob Perrins lost 3-0 to Peter Dilley and Robert Harris went down 3-1 to Michael Dexter both players having throws for finishing doubles and failing which proved to be so costly.
The final game of the day went to Shropshire as Eddie Austin had a straight 3-0 win over Frank Raleigh to put the final score at 9-3 to Bedfordshire.
Stephanie Clarke got the ladies ‘A’ match off to a winning start as she won 3-1 against Maria Goddard, for the third time this season and the second consecutive game Stephanie winning the lady of the match award as she averaged 17.37. The game was squared as Bedfordshire’s Maria Perrin won 3-0 against Michele Pritchard only to see the home team forge ahead again in the third when Marie Riggs won 3-2 against Lisa Perkins after twice being pegged back to level terms.
For a second time Shropshire lost the lead this time it was Kerry King’s 3-1 win over Julie Griffiths that restored parity. The pattern of the game continued as players with the first throw advantage carried on losing throughout the game and in the penultimate encounter for a third time Shropshire took the lead as Mandy Morgan won 3-1 against Sue Smith, however taking the result to a 3-3 draw was Louisa Taylor (Bedfordshire) with her 3-2 win against Katharine McLean who had come from 2-0 down to 2-2 before losing the final leg.
Danny James was on first for the men’s ‘A’ and he certainly produced the goods as he accounted for Richard Wood with a 4-1 scoreline, Wood levelling in the second but James with winning legs of 18,17 and 18 darts wrapped up not only his win but also the match award with his 24.46 average. Andrew Chatter made it 2-0 when he beat Peter Dilley again the margin was 4-1.
After such a good start by the home team it then went downhill for the rest of the first half. Steven Spring put Bedfordshire’s first stripe up when he won 4-2 against Neil Christopher Powell, David Broome levelled at two each with a 4-3 win over Peter Eley after Eley had come from 1-0 down to lead 3-1, then taking the score to 3-2 in the visitors favour was Trevor Ellacott who had a 4-1 success in his game with Derek Coulson and at the halfway mark the away team were 4-2 up with a further 4-2 win from Carl Yeowell over John Cornmell.
The first three games of the second half all went against the first throw advantage John Cooper pulling one back for Shropshire when he won 4-3 against Kelvin Maddy. Mick Reed was Bedfordshire’s man of the match beating Ian Pallett 4-0 with a 29.47 average to restore his teams two games buffer.
Neville Quinton was the next man to reduce the arrears for Shropshire as he won 4-1 against Lloyd Wintle but the away team then went within an ace of victory when Mat Caste beat Kevin Harris 4-3 with two more games still to play.
Roger Taylor (Shropshire) got off to a fine start in the penultimate encounter against Jim Simpson racing to a 3-0 lead, however Simpson won the fourth and fifth going out on 127 in the fifth but it was all in vain as Taylor sealed a 4-2 win in the sixth leg to keep the hosts still in with a chance of a draw.
A 6-6 draw is how the game ended as Shropshire’s anchor man Richard Parker chalked up a straight 4-0 win over Paul Warwick in the final game of the weekend.
The men’s ‘A’ draw was not quite enough to avoid an overall 19-17 defeat but with a little more luck for both the men and women with finishing doubles and the result could easily have been reversed or even better.
Now Shropshire have four games remaining to lift them away from the foot of the table they are 15 points above the bottom two teams Isle of Wight and West of England but only eight behind fourth placed Breconshire so they still have plenty to play for.
Full Results:(Shropshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Danny James 4 Richard Wood 1, Andrew Chatter 4 Peter Dilley 1, Neil Christopher Powell 2 Steven Spring 4, Peter Eley 3 David Broome 4, Derek Coulson 1 Trevor Ellacott 4, John Cornmell 2 Carl Yeowell 4, John Cooper 4 Kelvin Maddy 3, Ian Pallett 0 Micky reed 4, Neville Quinton 4 Lloyd Wintle 1, Kevin Harris 3 Mat Caste 4, Roger Taylor 4 Jim Simpson 2, Richard Parker 4 Paul Warwick 0, Men’s ‘B’:- Louis Burley 3 Michael Battams 1, Clive Lucking 3 Bobby Lee 0, Martin Angell 1 Shaun Copperwheat 3, Andre Knox 1 Mark Kingdon 3, Brian Hickman 2 Paddy Clowery 3, Philip Austin 0 Martyn Moore 3, Nathan Storar 2 Darren Battams 3, Martin Riggs 2 Paul Riley 3, Matt Williams 2 Dean Taylor 3, Jacob Perrins 0 Peter Dilley 3, Robert Harris 1 Michael Dexter 3, Eddie Austin 3 Frank Raleigh 0, Women’s ‘A’:- Stephanie Clarke 3 Maria Goddard 1, Michele Pritchard 0 Maria Perrin 3, Marie Riggs 3 Lisa Perkins 2, Julie Griffiths 1 Kerry King 3, Mandy Morgan 3 Sue Smith 1, Katharine McLean 2 Louisa Taylor 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Caroline Powell 3 Jo Dilley 2, Leanne Quinton 1 Angela Moyce 3, Sophie Fawcett 3 Charlotte Tyler 2. Lynne Watton 3 Donna Hutt 1, Kirsty Jenks 3 Becky Minney 2, Grace Angell 3 Irene Maddy 1.