West Midlands v Essex
Without a win in their opening three fixtures in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships West Midlands were desperate to get their season underway and a home tie against bottom of the table and newly promoted Essex was hopefully going to be the ideal game to kick start their season.
With a draw, a win and just one defeat in their first three games the ladies ‘B’ are not having too bad a season so far, however it was a case of first blood going to the visitors as Nicky Bewick got the match underway with a 3-2 win against Heather Wright after Heather had come from one down to lead 2-1.
In the second game Jacqueline Maiden not only beat Tracey Newman 3-2 after her opponent had gone 1-0 and 2-1 up, she also took the ‘B’ team’s match award for her 17.98 average.
Essex took the lead again in the third when Sharon Wakeling won 3-1 against Kath Jenkins only to see Shellbie Simmons wipe out their advantage for a second time when she beat Leanne Peetoom 3-1.
For the first time in the match West Midlands took the lead in the fifth a straight 3-0 win for Shannon Hall over Sandra McElroy putting them 3-2 up with just one to play.
Last on for the home team was Sophie Singh and for Essex Ann Farmer. Farmer opened up with what appeared to be a winning 2-0 lead but Singh was not to be outdone as she fought back and went on to win 3-2 to give her team a 4-2 victory their second win of the campaign’s four games so far.
Since their opening day win against Northamptonshire the men’s ‘B’ have since lost their games against Warwickshire and Hampshire, however Mark Craddock got them off to a good start against Essex when he chalked up a 4-1 win over Michael Hancocks. The home team’s lead lasted until the next game in which Joe Russell levelled for Essex when he beat Trevor Brennan 4-1.
With the first two games shared the West Midlands then strung together five consecutive wins all started by Matthew Tedstone who was pushed all the way by Simon Monk as Monk won the first and Tedstone the next two, Monk then won two in a row to take the game to a deciding leg which Tedstone won on double one.
Reece Colley had a 4-2 win over Michael McCombe in the fourth game and was followed by man of the match Paul Wells who won the opening two legs against Matthew Garrett in 21 and 18 darts. Garrett’s response was immediate as he turned the game around with three winning legs in 20,18 and 17 darts. Wells levelled the game in the sixth when he checked out in 19 darts and then went on to clinch a 4-3 win in 18 darts with his opponent left stranded on 154. Wells took the match award with a 25.79 average.
At the break the hosts were 5-1 up as John Morris added his 4-3 win over Steve Woodside who had won the first two legs of the encounter.
A draw was guaranteed as early as the seventh game when Matthew Dicken beat Tony Osborne 4-3, Dicken winning the first leg with a 155 game shot, however victory was delayed for the home side when Bryan Margerison won the eighth against Stephen Jones 4-2 but confirmed in the ninth when Avtar Singh won 4-2 against Danny McIntyre.
With the result out of their reach Essex then had their best run of the match as Richie Howson beat Owen Maiden 4-2 and rounding off a 7-5 result in West Midlands favour, the visitors Alan Collins and Robert Turner beat respective opponents Jonathan Platt and Shane Price 4-3.
The ladies ‘A’ are not enjoying the best of starts to the season with one 3-3 draw plus two 5-1 defeats and once again it didn’t look good as they lost the opening three games.
First on for the Midlanders was Cheryl Alcock who with a 100 game shot in the first leg and double two in the second went two up against Donna Gleed, but then those all-important finishing doubles deserted Cheryl and her rival won the last three legs.
The second game saw Lisa Badger (West Midlands) go one down to Wendy Reader and then 2-1 up after she recorded a magnificent 158 finish in the second and checked out on 14 in the third but like Alcock she couldn’t find the elusive doubles in the last two legs and went down 3-2.
Pauline Donat (Essex) won the first two legs against Debbie Loon and although Loon won the next two the decider went to the Essex player to put the visitors 3-0 up.
Gemma Barrett (West Midlands) took the first leg against Karen Breen but then lost the next two. It was now time for the away team player to fail on finishing doubles as Breen missed hers and Gemma Barrett put hers away for a 3-2 win and the match award for her 14.87 average.
Essex won the game in the fifth when Sue Baker beat Sarah Roberts 3-0 to give them a 4-1 lead, that lead taken to a 5-1 result when Stacey Ellis beat Kat McLean 3-1 in the final game after McLean had won the first leg.
The men’s ‘A’ team could not have wished for a better opener than Nick Fullwell who romped to a 4-0 win over Wayne Gleed, Fullwell rounding off his win with a 101 finish in the fourth leg. Taking the score along to 2-0 was Gavin Baker, a 4-2 success against Craig Vickers before Andrew Kateley opened Essex’s account with a 4-1 win over Ian Jones.
At number four for the home team was Shaun Carroll who was in top form as he went two up against John Costigan with two fifteen darts legs in which he hit 3×140 and a 180. Costigan’s reply were 15 and 18 darts legs to square the game but he was still way back on 216 when Carroll checked out in 21 darts in the fifth and left nursing double twenty when Carroll won the game 4-2 with a 78 game shot in 18 darts earning him the match award for a splendid 29.58 average.
A 4-1 win for Wayne Bloomfield over Gareth Watts and a 4-2 success for Steve Johnson against Glen McGrandle after he had trailed 2-1 saw the score all level at the midway point at 3-3.
The hosts forged ahead again as the second half got underway, Neil Pointon winning in straight legs against Paul Marsh. However Essex were making a real fight of it and drew level in the eighth when Daniel Day beat Matthew Coleman 4-0 and then went 5-4 up in the ninth with a close 4-3 win for Phil Halls over Kevin Bambrick.
With only three to play and trailing Scott Baker levelled the score with his 4-1 win over Jamie Peetoom and the hosts then went 6-5 up when Adam Edgar beat Darren Peetoom 4-2.
The last game of the weekend would decide the outcome of the men’s ‘A’ match and the overall result for the fixture. Lining up for what was a vital game was Daniel Nicholls for West Midlands and for Essex Phillip Brewster. Brewster won the first leg after Nicholls had missed his doubles however Nicholls made no mistakes in the next two legs as he won them in 14 and 21 darts. Brewster came back with a sixteen darts win in the fourth but the 7-5 result went to West Midlands when Nicholls won the next two legs in 20 and 15 darts for a personal 4-2 win.
The overall result, 19-17 to West Midlands, easing the pressure and moving them up just one place in the table but away from the relegation zone, eleven points to the good on their opponents who are now next to bottom of the table and 17 better off than Lincolnshire who have taken over the bottom spot but have a game in hand on the three teams above them.
Full Results:Premier Division:West Midlands v Essex (19-17):West Midlands names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Nick Fullwell 4 Wayne Gleed 0, Gavin Baker 4 Craig Vickers 2, Ian Jones 1 Andrew Kateley 4, Shaun Carroll 4 John Costigan 2, Gareth Watts 1 Wayne Bloomfield 4, Glen McGrandle 2 Steve Johnson 4, Neil Pointon 4 Paul Marsh 0, Matthew Coleman 0 Daniel Day 4, Kevin Bambrick 3 Phil Halls 4, Scott Baker 4 Jamie Peetoom 1, Adam Edgar 4 Darren Peetoom 2, Daniel Nicholls 4 Phillip Brewster 2, Men’s ‘B’:- Mark Craddock 4 Michael Hancocks 1, Trevor Brennan 1 Joe Russell 4, Matthew Tedstone 4 Simon Monk 3, Reece Colley 4 Michael McCombe 2, Paul Wells 4 Matthew Garrett 3, John Morris 4 Steve Woodside 3, Matthew Dicken 4 Tony Osborne 3, Stephen Jones 2 Bryan Marherison 4, Avtar Singh 4 Danny McIntyre 2, Owen Maiden 2 Richie Howson 4, Jonathan Platt 3 Alan Collins 4, Shane Price 3 Robert Turner 4, Women’s ‘A’:- Cheryl Alcock 2 Donna Gleed 3, Lisa Badger 2 Wendy Reader 3, Debbie Loon 2 Pauline Donat 3, Gemma Barrett 3 Karen Breen 2, Sarah Roberts 0 Sue Baker 3, Kat McLean 1 Stacey Ellis 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Heather Wright 2 Nicky Bewick 3, Jacqueline Maiden 3 Tracey Newman 2, Kath Jenkins 1 Sharon Wakeling 3, Shellbie Simmons 3 Leanne Peetoom 1, Shannon Hall 3 Sandra McElroy 0, Sophie Singh 3 Ann Farmer 2.
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