Alan Towe’s The Line On Darts –Warwickshire v Cornwall

After a 20-16 defeat at Yorkshire in the opening game of the season in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships, Warwickshire bounced back in the best possible way with a 22-14 home success against Cornwall. However, there was little joy for the ladies, who in the first fixture recorded a 3-3 draw for the ‘A’ side and a 5-1 win for the ‘B’. Against Cornwall both teams finished on the wrong side of 4-2 results. In the ‘B’ game Wendy Adams got them off on the right foot when she opened with a lady of the match performance against Jacqui Champion. Wendy beat her counterpart 3-1 with a 17.66 average. Cornwall then took the following four games through Tyrian Jesse, Anna Johnson, Sarah Gill and Tracey Hancock and although Edwina Holdsworth won the final game against Sandra Allen 3-2, twice coming from behind, it was the away team who got the 4-2 verdict.

Carla Ruberry put the visitors one up in the ‘A’ encounter when she beat Denise Keyte 4-2 and although Sue Gulliver squared the match when she beat Nikki Riddick in three straight legs, it was not until the final game that Warwickshire chalked up their other winner.

Nikki Furse, Sue Shepherd and Katherine Gill took Cornwall’s score up to 4-1 before Trina Gulliver won the last game against Teresa Brookshaw 3-1. Trina had finishes of 114, 86 and 40 in her winning legs and her 23.02 average gave her the lady of the match award.

The men were in tremendous form. Saturday saw them storm into a commanding 6-0 lead thanks to Ted Evetts, Tom McGlone, Dane Vickers, Matthew Edgar, Luke Kennedy and Antony Allen. Matthew Edgar, on at number four against Dean Taskis, with no fewer than thirteen scores of a ton or more and games of 2x20,16 and 13 darts, beat Taskis 4-1, his superb 29.63 average earning him the ‘B’ team’s match award.

Mike Pascoe was Cornwall’s first winner, on at number seven, which was certainly lucky for him, beat Mark Archer 4-3 in a very close game.

Prakash Jiwa put up the all important seventh winning game with a 4-1 success over Darryl Baker and although Richard Craddock pulled another one back for the visitors when he won 4-1 against Simon Power, the last three games all went to the hosts. Registering those final three wins were, Carl Green, Michael Spencer and William Naylor to give a final score of 10-2 to Warwickshire.

The ‘A’ team did not have quite such a good start as their ‘B’, but nevertheless at the halfway point they still held a 5-1 lead.

Jamie Atkins was first on and won 4-2 against Mike Jones. Atkins was followed by the ‘A’ team’s man of the match Dean Stewart, who came back from 2-0 down to Jez Campe to lead 3-2 and although Campe, with a 130 checkout took the game to a decider it was Stewart who won that final leg in 13 darts for a tremendous 4-3 victory and a 28.76 average.

Game number three went to Cornwall, Matthew Knowles winning 4-3 against Dave Harris. However, it turned out to be a minor setback as Richard Foster, Tom Aldridge and Mark Strong moved the running score along to 5-1 to the home side.

The second half did not begin so well as Brian Jones and Jon Dower reduced Warwickshire’s lead to 5-3. A 4-2 win by Mark Carter over Neil Meneer extended the lead to 6-3 before Kevin Mitchell (Cornwall) handed out a rare 4-0 defeat to Jamie Hughes to keep his side in the match at 6-4.

Any thoughts of a draw were erased for Cornwall as Rob Hawker and Mark Westgarth in turn defeated Kevin Bray and Simon Knowles to give the ‘A’ team an 8-4 win and an overall 22-14 victory for the weekend.

Full Results:Premier:Division:Warwickshire v Cornwall (22-14):(Warwickshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- James Atkins 4 Mike Jones 2, Dean Stewart 4 Jez Campe 3, Dave Harris 3 Matthew Knowles 4, Richard Foster 4 John Mann 1, Tom Aldridge 4 David Mills 2, Mark Strong 4 Neil Dudbridge 2, Noel Grant 2 Brian Jones 4, Ian McFarlane 4 Jon Dower 3, Mark Carter 4 Neil Meneer 2, Jamie Hughes 0 Kevin Mitchell 4, Rob Hawker 1 Kevin Bray 4, Mark Westgarth 4 Simon Knowles 3, Men’s ‘B’:- Ted Evetts 4 Kevin Dunstan 2, Tom McGlone 4 Jerry Booker 1, Dane Vickers 4 Jerry Cox 1, Matthew Edgar 4 Dean Taskis 1, Luke Kennedy 4 Gareth Griffiths 1, Antony Allen 4 Terry Webber 3, Mark Archer 3 Mike Pascoe 4, Prakash Jiwa 4 Darryl Baker 1, Simon Power 1 Richard Craddock 4, Carl Green 4 Andrew Dunstan 3, Michael Spencer 4 Greg Hambly 3, William Naylor 4 Malcolm Johns 0, Women’s ‘A’:- Denise Keyte 2 Carla Ruberry 3, Sue Gulliver 3 Nikki Biddick 0, Donna Pinch 0 Nikki Furse 3, Kat Spanswick 0 Sue Shepherd 3, Natalie Gilbert 1 Katherine Gill 3, Trina Gulliver 3 Teresa Brookshaw 1, Women’s ‘B’:- Wendy Adams 3 Jacqui Champion 1, Marion Conway 0 Tyrian Jesse 3, Lisa Whitmore 1 Anna Johnson 3, Nina Bolt 1 Sarah Gill 3, Caroline Pike 1 Tracey Hancock 3, Edwina Holdsworth 3 Sandra Allen 2.