BICC Results & Preview by Alan Towe
Derbyshire v Suffolk
Derbyshire played their final home game of the season in division two of the BDO Inter County Championships against Suffolk in what could well be their penultimate game in the division as they are now some 20 points short of safety with only one remaining fixture an away game against middle of the table Staffordshire.
After a brilliant season in 2014 – 2015 when they won promotion from division two to division one everything since has been a downward trail as in their nine division one games they lost them all and after their return to the second division their record has not been much better as in eight of the scheduled nine games they have won one, drawn one and lost six.
It was vital that in the last home game they chalked up a win against Suffolk but it was never going to be from the word go as in Saturday’s ‘B’ games the ladies lost 4-2 with Samantha Marshall (17.24) their top player and the men’s ‘B’ team went down 7-5 with Ian Clarke (26.25) taking their match award.
Sunday got off to a brighter start with the ladies team recording their first win of the season a 4-2 result in which Louise Rawson (18.05) was lady of the match.
With just two draws and five defeats the men’s ‘A’ team again finished on the losing side of a 7-5 scoreline, taking the man of the match award for the second consecutive fixture and his fourth of the season was Gary Fenn with a 28.01 average.
Essex v Warwickshire Going into their penultimate fixture in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships Warwickshire were fifth in the table on 114 points, three short of Cambridgeshire in fourth place and six behind third placed Cheshire. Their last but one game was an away fixture against bottom of the table Essex who being fifteen points short of safety already looked doomed to relegation, but a big win for Warwickshire could lift them further up the table. The ladies ‘B’ team could not have wished for a better start than what was given them by Nina Bolt as she not only beat her counterpart Nicky Bradley 3-1 but also won her first lady of the match award for the season with her 18.54 average. Chloe MvKivett (Warwickshire) twice trailed against Pauline Donat but fought back and went on to win 3-2. Third on for Warwickshire was Donna Pinch she like her team mate McKivett also lost the first leg in her game with Dawn Kennedy and despite reversing the lead and going 2-1 up was taken to a decider by Kennedy before winning 3-2. As early as the fourth game the match was won as Angela Jones defeated Lynn Kelly in what was the third successive 3-2 scoreline. Angela won the first two legs only to see her opponent take the following two, but a win in the fifth gave her a 3-2 win and opened up a 4-0 lead. Steph Hewson was the first winner for Essex, winning 3-1 against Wendy Adams and with a 3-0 win for Karen Breen against Marian Conway in the last game the final score was 4-2 to Warwickshire. Warwickshire’s Ian Shaw looked to be in trouble in the first game of the men’s ‘B’ match as he went 3-0 down to Mick McCombe but he held his nerve and went on to win the tie 4-3. The away team‘s lead was short lived as Craig Vickers beat Simon Fairbrother 4-2, Richie Howson and Matthew Garrett in turn won 4-1 against Anthony West and Thomas Ryan and taking the score to 4-1 was Lennie Holmes with his 4-1 win over Tommy McGlone. Graham Hall made the score a little more respectable by the midway point when he won 4-2 against Malcolm Clark. As the second half got underway Carl Green reduced the deficit even further to 4-3 with his close 4-3 win against Eddie Gosling but despite winning the first leg against John Costigan with a 111 finish, James Hykin lost the tie 4-1. Mangal Singh went from 1-0 down to 2-1 up against Andy Kateley before losing 4-2 to put the home team 6-3 up. Tommy Wilson looked all set to chalk up the all important seventh win for Essex when he opened up leads of 1-0 and 3-1 against Charlie Symons but the away player took the last three legs in 20, 23 and 18 darts for a 4-3 win. Mark Carter was in fine form for Warwickshire taking the ‘B’ team’s match award with his 27.39 average as he beat Bryan Margerison 4-1 clinching his win in the fifth with a tremendous 160 game shot to keep hopes alive of what appeared at one stage an unattainable draw. Anchor man for Warwickshire was Mark Strong who in 18 and 21 darts won the first two legs against Shaun Walsh, unfortunately despite throws for finishing doubles in two of the final four legs Strong was unable to consolidate his lead and eventually lost 4-2 to give the home side a 7-5 victory. Warwickshire’s women’s ‘A’ team have not won a game since January 2016 and once again the doubts must have set in as early as the first game when their star player Trina Gulliver, after going 2-0 up against Stacey Ellis lost 3-2. However despite the early setback Melanie Hill and Sue Gulliver registered 3-1 wins over respective opponents Rebecca Farmer and Wendy Reader to go 2-1 up. A 3-0 win over Kerry Bambridge by Sue Baker restored parity for the hosts but only for a short time as Natalie Gilbert defeated Leanne Peetoom by the same 3-0 margin to win her second successive match award with a 21.78 average. Despite their brave efforts the ‘A’ team were yet again going to be left without a win as their final player, Nina Bolt was unable to match her result from the previous day and lost 3-0 to Donna Gleed to see the final score end at three each. Essex took the first game of the men’s ‘A’ match as Daniel Day beat Nigel Heydon 4-1 before Mark Westgarth went one better for Warwickshire with a straight 4-0 win over Robert Turner to square the match. Simon Power (Warwickshire) trailed 3-0 to Darren Peetoom and fought back bravely to 3-3 but was unable to consolidate as Peetoom took the deciding leg in 13 darts. William Naylor, like Power also trailed 3-0 in his tie with Steve Johnson, he managed to come back to 3-2 but them lost 4-2 to see Essex open up a 3-1 lead. Jamie Hughes who won five of Warwickshire men’s ‘A’ match awards last season had not won one in the current campaign but that was all about to change as he handed out a straight 4-0 defeat to Paul Marsh and took the award with a 29.91 average winning his four legs in 21,16,13 and 17 darts which included 3x180 and 177. By the end of the first half the scores were level, Rob Hawker adding his 4-2 win over Phil Halls to the visitors tally but it was Essex who went ahead again for a third time in the seventh as Wayne Bloomfield gave Noel Grant no chance whatsoever. After losing the first leg Bloomfield then chalked up winning legs of 13,12,18 and 16 darts for superb 32.05 average. From 4-3 down Warwickshire then raced to a match winning lead of 7-4 all begun by Dean Stewart who won 4-3 against Barry Lynn in what was something of a seesaw game, Lynn won the first leg then Stewart took the next three, Lynne fought back to level terms but it was Stewart who won the decider in 18 darts. Antony Allen added a 4-1 win over Tony Osborne, then Tom Aldridge beat Paul Barham 4-0 and with a 4-1 success from Anthony West against Alan Collins it was game over. The last game of the weekend saw Wayne Gleed (Essex) beat Richard Foster 4-0, but the result was 7-5 to Warwickshire and more importantly the overall 19-17 result was also in favour of Warwickshire which took them two places up the table to third, two points ahead of both Cambridgeshire and Cheshire with a final home tie against Devon. Full Results:Essex v Warwickshire (17-19):(Essex names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Daniel Day 4 Nigel Heydon 1, Robert Turner 0 Mark Westgarth 4, Darren Peetoom 4 Simon Power 3, Steve Johnson 4 William Naylor 2, Paul Marsh 0 Jamie Hughes 4, Phil Halls 2 Rob Hawker 4, Wayne Bloomfield 4 Noel Grant 1, Barry Lynn 3 Dean Stewart 4, Tony Osborne 1 Antony Allen 4, Paul Barham 0 Tom Aldridge 4, Alan Collins 1 Anthony West 4, Wayne Gleed 4 Richard Foster 0, Men’s ‘B’:- Mick McCombe 3 Ian Shaw 4, Craig Vickers 4 Simon Fairbrother 2, Richie Howson 4 Anthony West 1, Matthew Garrett 4 Tom Ryan 1, Lennie Holmes 4 Tom McGlone 1, Malcolm Clark 2 Graham Hall 4, Eddie Gosling 3 Carl Green 4, John Costigan 4 James Hykin 1, Andy Kateley 4 Mangal Singh 2, Tommy Wilson 3 Charlie Symons 4, Bryan Margerison 1 Mark Carter 4, Shaun Walsh 4 Mark Strong 2, Women’s ‘A’:- Stacey Ellis 3 Trina Gulliver 2, Rebecca Farmer 1 Melanie Hill 3, Wendy Reader 1 Sue Gulliver 3, Sue Baker 3 Kerry Bambridge 0, Leanne Peetoom 0 Natalie Gilbert 3, Donna Gleed 3 Nina Bolt 0, Women’s ‘B’:- Nicky Bradley 1 Nina Bolt 3, Pauline Donat 2 Chloe McKivett 3, Dawn Kennedy 2 Donna Pinch 3, Lynn Kelly 2 Angela Jones 3, Steph Hewson 3 Wendy Adams 1, Karen Breen 3 Marian Conway 0.
The Warwickshire Super League staged their Super League Mixed Pairs Knockout at the Bishopsgate Club, Foleshill Road, Coventry, CV1 4JJ which attracted eighteen pairs all doing battle for share of a fantastic total payout of £300. The outcome resulted in Donna Pinch and Antony Allen regaining their title as Mixed Pairs Champions of Warwickshire after defeating Marian Conway and Noel Grant in the final.
Isle of Wight v Shropshire Shropshire’s penultmaye encounter in division four of the BDO Inter County Championships was an away fixture against bottom of the table Isle of Wight and with Shropshire just above their hosts in the table it was always going to be a must win game for the away side if they were to have any chance of moving away from the foot of the table. Saturday’s ladies game could not have gone much better as Caron Minton got them on their way with a 3-2 win over Lorraine Barrett and was followed by Sue Lane who won her tie with Judi Angus 3-1. The score was taken along to 3-0 when Kirsty Jenks beat Val Emm 3-2 before the home team chalked up their first and only winner of the game when Cloey Alcroft defeated Cally Jones in a close 3-2 encounter. The match winning fourth game was chalked up in the fifth when Sharon Harris won 3-1 against Angie Cotton, Sharon at the same time winning the match award for her 13.77 average. The result was taken to 5-1 for Shropshire with a final 3-2 victory for Caroline Powell over Jackie Gardener to record the ‘B’ side best win of the season. The men’s ‘B’ team were fresh from their 8-4 win over Breconshire and should have been full of confidence for what was a vital game but a win was never on the cards as the hosts went 2-0 up with a 3-0 success for Darren Andrews against Rob Henderson and a 3-2 win for Will Kerley over Rob Truimper. Nathan Storar momentarilly stopped the Isle of Wight charge when he accounted for Andy Kerley with a 3-1 scoreline but the home teams two games buffer was restored when Dale Grove won 3-2 against Trevor Smith. Shropshire’s second winner came in the form of Peter Eley who was in fine form beating Eddie Mitchell 3-1 and clinching his first man of the match award for the season with a 25.27 average. By the halfway stage the home team had a 4-2 lead, Graeme Dutton adding his straight 3-0 win over Rob Harris to the tally and then with two wins in the opening two games of the second half supplied by John Gibson and Greg Hailes who in turn won 3-2 and 3-0 against Sean Flynn and Dan Boot Isle of Wight could not lose the game as they were then 6-2 up. It was down to another Shropshire Eley this time Tim to once again reduce the arrears, Tim winning 3-1 againt Josh Rudd only to see Mark Whates add his 3-0 win over Royston Minton to put the game beyond the visitors reach at 7-3. The last two games both finished with 3-1 results both of them going to Isle of Wight and supplied by Gordon Penn and Brian Meszynski at the expense of Martin Riggs and Neil Powell to take the final score to 9-3 in favour of the home side. Sunday, like the previous day got off to a good start and again it was the ladies who supplied the goods. Julie Griffiths opened up with a 3-1 win over Shirley Smith and although her lead was cancelled out by Maria Agozzino who beat Michel Pritcard by the same 3-1 scoreline and the home side taking the lead with a close 3-2 win for Brenda Dyer over Becky Harris, it was Shropshire who romped to a 4-2 win when they won the last three games. Kat McLean began the trio of wins when she won 3-0 against Dawn Basill. Marie Riggs followed McLean and continued what is turning out to be a great personal season for her as she defeated Lorraine Woodrow 3-1, her 18.35 average giving her her fifth consecutive match award for the season. The 4-2 win was achieved when Sophie Fawcett won the final game against Alison Baxter 3-2. With the score at 12-12 after three of the results were in the men’s ‘A’ requied any sort of win for an overall vctory for the weekend and Neville Quinton gave them the ideal start when he opened up with a 4-2 success over Michael Wilkes, however two in a row for the home team from Liam Ridout and Sean Morrissey over John Cooper and Clive Lucking gave Isle of Wight a 2-1 lead. The match was squared when Matt Williams won for Shropshire against Gordon Crews only to see Isle of Wight take two in a row for a second time, on this occasion it was Kevin Woodward and Eddie White with respective 4-2 and 4-1 wins over Andi Chatter and Brian Hickman. Going into the second half 4-2 down Scott Meyrick reduced Shropshire’s arrears to 4-3 with his 4-3 win over David Witts before, for a third time the hosts chalked up another two consecutive wins. Alex Hall got the better of Danny James with a 4-2 result and Kirk Bain then added his 4-1 win against Simon Pritchard to take their team’s lead to an unassailable 6-3. Game number ten went the full seven legs distance with Kevin Harris (Shropshire) just getting the edge on Mark Edwards to keep the visitors in the game. The penultimate game saw Richard Parker beat his namesake Tony Parker to take the score to 6-5 and then in the final game Shropshire produced their player of the match in Derek Coulson who with another 4-1 scoreline accounted for Simon Smith, his average of 24.02 earning him his second man of the match award for the season. So the final overall score for the weekend was all square at 18-18 and leaves the situation as it was prior to the fixture with Isle of Wight bottom and Shropshire next to bottom, now with just one remaining fixture that looks how the two teams are likely to finish the season as Pembrokeshire, the next team above Shropshire are some 22 points to the good. Full Results:Isle of Wight v Shropshire (18-18): (Isle of Wight names First):Men’s ‘A’:- Michael Wilkes 2 Neville Quinton 4, Liam Ridout 4 John Cooper 3, Sean Morrissey 4 Clive Lucking 0, Gordon Crews 1 Matt Williams 4, Kevin Woodward 4 Andi Chatter 2, Eddie White 4 Brian Hickman 1, David Witts 3 Scott Meyrick 4, Alex Hall 4 Danny James 2, Kirk Bain 4 Simon Pritchard 1, Mark Edwards 3 Kevin Harris 4, Tony Parker 1 Richard Parker 4, Simon Smith 1 Derek Coulson 4, Men’s ‘B’:- Darren Andrews 3 Rob Henderson 0, Will Kerley 3 Rob Trumper 2, Andy Kerley 1 Nathan Storar 3, Dale Grove 3 Trevor Smith 2, Eddie Mitchell 1 Peter Eley 3, Graeme Dutton 3 Rob Harris 0, John Gibson 3 Sean Flynn 2, Greg Hailes 3 Dan Boot 0, Josh Rudd 1 Tim Eley 3, Mark Whates 3 Royston Minton 0, Gordon Penn 3 Martin Riggs 1, Brian Meszynski 3 Neil Powell 1, Women’s ‘A’:- Shirley Smith 1 Julie Griffiths 3, Maria Agozzino 3 Michele Pritchard 1, Brenda Dyer 3 Becky Harris 2, Dawn Basill 0 Kat McLean 3, Lorraine Woodrow 1 Marie Riggs 3, Alison Baxter 2 Sophie Fawcett 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Lorraine Barrett 2 Caron Minton 3, Judi Angus 1 Sue Lane 3, Val Emm 2 Kirsty Jenks 3, Cloey Alcroft 3 Cally Jones 2, Angie Cotton 1 Sharon Harris 3, Jackie Gardener 2 Caroline Powell 3.
Middlesex v Shropshire This coming weekend Shropshire will complete their fixture card in division four of the BDO Inter County Championships with an away game against Middlesex. With the home side riding high in fourth position and their visitors lying next to bottom 22 points adrift of Pembrokeshire the team directly above them and 28 ahead of bottom of the table Isle of Wight it looks as though Shropshire will finish the season in their current position in a season which has seen them win just one game, draw one and lose six. Lining up for the final game will be, Men’s ‘A’:- Andi Chatter, John Cooper, Derek Coulson, Kevin Harris, Brian Hickman, Danny James, Clive Lucking, Scott Meyrick, Richard Parker, Simon Pritchard, Neville Quinton, Matt Williams, Men’s ‘B’:- Dan Boot, Pete Eley, Tim Eley, Sean Flynn, Rob Harris, Rob Henderson, Royston Minton, Neil Powell, Martin Riggs, Trevor Smith, Nathan Storar, Rob Trumper, Reserves:- Eddie Austin, Paul Bromley, Andre Knox, Arthur Smart, Women’s ‘A’:- Sophie Fawcett, Julie Griffiths, Becky Harris, Kat Mclean, Michele Pritchard, Marie Riggs, Women’s ‘B’:- Sharon Harris, Kirsty Jenks, Cal Jones, Sue Lane, Caron Minton, Caroline Powell, Reserves:- Stephanie Clarke, Carla Crook.
Staffordshire v Derbyshire A short journey to take on Staffordshire this coming weekend will see Derbyshire complete what has been their second successive miserable season in the BDO Inter County Championships in which they have won just one of their last seventeen games Currently twenty points short of safety at the foot of the division two table Derbyshire look destined for relegation for a second successive season going from the first division to the third in two short seasons. Derbyshire’s fall is unbelievable as in their promotion season in 2014-2015 from division two to division one they won six of their nine games, drew one and lost two by the narrowest of margins, 19-17, but since then luck has deserted them and they must now look forward with confidence to a quick return to the second division Selected to play as the curtain comes down on the season are, Men’s ‘A’:- Andy Baker, Pete Burgoyne, Nigel Daniels, Tim Daniels, Gary Fenn, Adam Fern, Richard Hanson, Sean Lambert, Brian Snell, Steve Soar, Lee Stanley, Rob Wood, Men’s ‘B’:- Ian Allcock, Adrian Asprey, Paul Baker, Ian Clarke, Henry Coates, Tony Cresswell, Lee Cummins, John Elliott, Andy Gillott, Richard Hughes, Scott Parkin, Darran Sinfield, Reserves:- Loz Barnes, Alan Clegg, John Clifford, Keith Cooper, David Fritchley, Ben Holmes, Wayne Howe, Colin Rich, Peter Slater, Ash Weaver, Women’s ‘A’:- Kera Astle, Terri Bellamy, Dee Fenn, Jennifer McCormick, Louise Rawson, Jackie Sweet, Women’s ‘B’:- Rachel Ayres, Dawn Buckley, Kerri Buckley, Kelly Dean, Rebecca Hoyland, Sammi Marshall, Reserves:- Amy Clifton, Michelle Cunningham, Zena Grand, Sara-Jane Harrison, Lauren Jackson, Emily Jones, Janice Pearce, Alison Shilton.
Warwickshire v Devon This coming weekend Warwickshire will complete their programme in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships with a home tie against Devon and a decent win would see them equal their highest finish in the premier table since gaining promotion in the season 2008-2009 which was a lofty third place in the 2013-2014 campaign. Lining up for Warwickshire in this final game of the season will be Men’s ‘A’:- Mark Westgarth, Jamie Hughes, Dean Stewart, Antony Allen, Tom Aldridge, Anthony West, Nigel Heydon, William Naylor, Noel Grant, Ted Evetts, Bob Nixon, Simon Power, Men’s ‘B’:- Richard Foster, Ian Shaw, Graham Hall, Carl Green, Charlie Symons, Mark Carter, Matt Edgar, Simon Fairbrother, Tommy Ryan, James Hykin, Pete Hughes, Luke Kennedy, Reserves:- Rob Hawker, Mark Strong, Mangal Singh, Tommy McGlone, Andrew Foulkes, Tom Martin, Women’s ‘A’:- Trina Gulliver, Sue Gulliver, Natalie Gilbert, Melanie Hill, Chloe McKevitt, Caroline Pike, Women’s ‘B’:- Nina Bolt, Donna Pinch, Angela Jones, Wendy Adams, Lisa Deslandes, Kerry Bambridge, Reserves:- Helen Rigg, Denise Keyte, Marian Conway.
West Midlands v London The West Midlands will be playing their final game of the season in division one of the BDO Inter County Championships this coming weekend and it will be the most crucial game they have played all season as their opponents are London. As the two teams go into battle the divisional table sees West Midlands second with 179 points and their opponents third on 178, the outcome of the fixture will almost certainly decide who will gain promotion to the premier division with current leaders Hampshire. Fourth in the table Oxfordshire are just nine points behind West Midlands but have a tough away game against Dorset who are fifth in the table on 168 points, just two short of their opponents, so it does appear that the winners of the West Midlands versus London clash will be the team to play in the premier division next season. Selected to play in this vital fixture are, Men’s ‘A’:- Gavin Baker, Scott Baker, Shaun Carroll, Mark Craddock, Nick Fullwell, Ian Jones, Ash Khayatt, Danny Nicholls, Jonathan Platt, Gary Watts, Men’s ‘B’:- Michael Baker, Danny Coyle, Matthew Dicken, Sam Guest, Mark Hampton, Dean Mills, John Morris, Neil Pointon, Paul Price, Mark Rollason, Robert Smith, Paul Wells, Reserves:- Mark Dyke, Michael Hoult, John Mycock, Richard Platt, Dave Redding, Dave Robbins, Jack Routledge, Avtar Singh, Lewis Venes, Mark Watkiss, Women’s ‘A’:- Lisa Astbury, Gemma Barrett, Kath Jenkins, Debbie Loon, Sarah Roberts, Sophie Singh, Women’s ‘B’:- Elizabeth Arnold, Shannon Hall, Claire Hobbs, Jacqueline Maiden, Shellbie Simmons, Heather Wright, Reserves:- Kim Fellows, Kirsty Shaughnessy , Wendy Waine, Samantha Maiden.
by Alan Towe Website: www.alantowedarts.co.uk
Essex v Warwickshire Going into their penultimate fixture in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships Warwickshire were fifth in the table on 114 points, three short of Cambridgeshire in fourth place and six behind third placed Cheshire. Their last but one game was an away fixture against bottom of the table Essex who being fifteen points short of safety already looked doomed to relegation, but a big win for Warwickshire could lift them further up the table. The ladies ‘B’ team could not have wished for a better start than what was given them by Nina Bolt as she not only beat her counterpart Nicky Bradley 3-1 but also won her first lady of the match award for the season with her 18.54 average. Chloe MvKivett (Warwickshire) twice trailed against Pauline Donat but fought back and went on to win 3-2. Third on for Warwickshire was Donna Pinch she like her team mate McKivett also lost the first leg in her game with Dawn Kennedy and despite reversing the lead and going 2-1 up was taken to a decider by Kennedy before winning 3-2. As early as the fourth game the match was won as Angela Jones defeated Lynn Kelly in what was the third successive 3-2 scoreline. Angela won the first two legs only to see her opponent take the following two, but a win in the fifth gave her a 3-2 win and opened up a 4-0 lead. Steph Hewson was the first winner for Essex, winning 3-1 against Wendy Adams and with a 3-0 win for Karen Breen against Marian Conway in the last game the final score was 4-2 to Warwickshire. Warwickshire’s Ian Shaw looked to be in trouble in the first game of the men’s ‘B’ match as he went 3-0 down to Mick McCombe but he held his nerve and went on to win the tie 4-3. The away team‘s lead was short lived as Craig Vickers beat Simon Fairbrother 4-2, Richie Howson and Matthew Garrett in turn won 4-1 against Anthony West and Thomas Ryan and taking the score to 4-1 was Lennie Holmes with his 4-1 win over Tommy McGlone. Graham Hall made the score a little more respectable by the midway point when he won 4-2 against Malcolm Clark. As the second half got underway Carl Green reduced the deficit even further to 4-3 with his close 4-3 win against Eddie Gosling but despite winning the first leg against John Costigan with a 111 finish, James Hykin lost the tie 4-1. Mangal Singh went from 1-0 down to 2-1 up against Andy Kateley before losing 4-2 to put the home team 6-3 up. Tommy Wilson looked all set to chalk up the all important seventh win for Essex when he opened up leads of 1-0 and 3-1 against Charlie Symons but the away player took the last three legs in 20, 23 and 18 darts for a 4-3 win. Mark Carter was in fine form for Warwickshire taking the ‘B’ team’s match award with his 27.39 average as he beat Bryan Margerison 4-1 clinching his win in the fifth with a tremendous 160 game shot to keep hopes alive of what appeared at one stage an unattainable draw. Anchor man for Warwickshire was Mark Strong who in 18 and 21 darts won the first two legs against Shaun Walsh, unfortunately despite throws for finishing doubles in two of the final four legs Strong was unable to consolidate his lead and eventually lost 4-2 to give the home side a 7-5 victory. Warwickshire’s women’s ‘A’ team have not won a game since January 2016 and once again the doubts must have set in as early as the first game when their star player Trina Gulliver, after going 2-0 up against Stacey Ellis lost 3-2. However despite the early setback Melanie Hill and Sue Gulliver registered 3-1 wins over respective opponents Rebecca Farmer and Wendy Reader to go 2-1 up. A 3-0 win over Kerry Bambridge by Sue Baker restored parity for the hosts but only for a short time as Natalie Gilbert defeated Leanne Peetoom by the same 3-0 margin to win her second successive match award with a 21.78 average. Despite their brave efforts the ‘A’ team were yet again going to be left without a win as their final player, Nina Bolt was unable to match her result from the previous day and lost 3-0 to Donna Gleed to see the final score end at three each. Essex took the first game of the men’s ‘A’ match as Daniel Day beat Nigel Heydon 4-1 before Mark Westgarth went one better for Warwickshire with a straight 4-0 win over Robert Turner to square the match. Simon Power (Warwickshire) trailed 3-0 to Darren Peetoom and fought back bravely to 3-3 but was unable to consolidate as Peetoom took the deciding leg in 13 darts. William Naylor, like Power also trailed 3-0 in his tie with Steve Johnson, he managed to come back to 3-2 but them lost 4-2 to see Essex open up a 3-1 lead. Jamie Hughes who won five of Warwickshire men’s ‘A’ match awards last season had not won one in the current campaign but that was all about to change as he handed out a straight 4-0 defeat to Paul Marsh and took the award with a 29.91 average winning his four legs in 21,16,13 and 17 darts which included 3x180 and 177. By the end of the first half the scores were level, Rob Hawker adding his 4-2 win over Phil Halls to the visitors tally but it was Essex who went ahead again for a third time in the seventh as Wayne Bloomfield gave Noel Grant no chance whatsoever. After losing the first leg Bloomfield then chalked up winning legs of 13,12,18 and 16 darts for superb 32.05 average. From 4-3 down Warwickshire then raced to a match winning lead of 7-4 all begun by Dean Stewart who won 4-3 against Barry Lynn in what was something of a seesaw game, Lynn won the first leg then Stewart took the next three, Lynne fought back to level terms but it was Stewart who won the decider in 18 darts. Antony Allen added a 4-1 win over Tony Osborne, then Tom Aldridge beat Paul Barham 4-0 and with a 4-1 success from Anthony West against Alan Collins it was game over. The last game of the weekend saw Wayne Gleed (Essex) beat Richard Foster 4-0, but the result was 7-5 to Warwickshire and more importantly the overall 19-17 result was also in favour of Warwickshire which took them two places up the table to third, two points ahead of both Cambridgeshire and Cheshire with a final home tie against Devon. Full Results:Essex v Warwickshire (17-19):(Essex names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Daniel Day 4 Nigel Heydon 1, Robert Turner 0 Mark Westgarth 4, Darren Peetoom 4 Simon Power 3, Steve Johnson 4 William Naylor 2, Paul Marsh 0 Jamie Hughes 4, Phil Halls 2 Rob Hawker 4, Wayne Bloomfield 4 Noel Grant 1, Barry Lynn 3 Dean Stewart 4, Tony Osborne 1 Antony Allen 4, Paul Barham 0 Tom Aldridge 4, Alan Collins 1 Anthony West 4, Wayne Gleed 4 Richard Foster 0, Men’s ‘B’:- Mick McCombe 3 Ian Shaw 4, Craig Vickers 4 Simon Fairbrother 2, Richie Howson 4 Anthony West 1, Matthew Garrett 4 Tom Ryan 1, Lennie Holmes 4 Tom McGlone 1, Malcolm Clark 2 Graham Hall 4, Eddie Gosling 3 Carl Green 4, John Costigan 4 James Hykin 1, Andy Kateley 4 Mangal Singh 2, Tommy Wilson 3 Charlie Symons 4, Bryan Margerison 1 Mark Carter 4, Shaun Walsh 4 Mark Strong 2, Women’s ‘A’:- Stacey Ellis 3 Trina Gulliver 2, Rebecca Farmer 1 Melanie Hill 3, Wendy Reader 1 Sue Gulliver 3, Sue Baker 3 Kerry Bambridge 0, Leanne Peetoom 0 Natalie Gilbert 3, Donna Gleed 3 Nina Bolt 0, Women’s ‘B’:- Nicky Bradley 1 Nina Bolt 3, Pauline Donat 2 Chloe McKivett 3, Dawn Kennedy 2 Donna Pinch 3, Lynn Kelly 2 Angela Jones 3, Steph Hewson 3 Wendy Adams 1, Karen Breen 3 Marian Conway 0.
The Warwickshire Super League staged their Super League Mixed Pairs Knockout at the Bishopsgate Club, Foleshill Road, Coventry, CV1 4JJ which attracted eighteen pairs all doing battle for share of a fantastic total payout of £300. The outcome resulted in Donna Pinch and Antony Allen regaining their title as Mixed Pairs Champions of Warwickshire after defeating Marian Conway and Noel Grant in the final.
Isle of Wight v Shropshire Shropshire’s penultmaye encounter in division four of the BDO Inter County Championships was an away fixture against bottom of the table Isle of Wight and with Shropshire just above their hosts in the table it was always going to be a must win game for the away side if they were to have any chance of moving away from the foot of the table. Saturday’s ladies game could not have gone much better as Caron Minton got them on their way with a 3-2 win over Lorraine Barrett and was followed by Sue Lane who won her tie with Judi Angus 3-1. The score was taken along to 3-0 when Kirsty Jenks beat Val Emm 3-2 before the home team chalked up their first and only winner of the game when Cloey Alcroft defeated Cally Jones in a close 3-2 encounter. The match winning fourth game was chalked up in the fifth when Sharon Harris won 3-1 against Angie Cotton, Sharon at the same time winning the match award for her 13.77 average. The result was taken to 5-1 for Shropshire with a final 3-2 victory for Caroline Powell over Jackie Gardener to record the ‘B’ side best win of the season. The men’s ‘B’ team were fresh from their 8-4 win over Breconshire and should have been full of confidence for what was a vital game but a win was never on the cards as the hosts went 2-0 up with a 3-0 success for Darren Andrews against Rob Henderson and a 3-2 win for Will Kerley over Rob Truimper. Nathan Storar momentarilly stopped the Isle of Wight charge when he accounted for Andy Kerley with a 3-1 scoreline but the home teams two games buffer was restored when Dale Grove won 3-2 against Trevor Smith. Shropshire’s second winner came in the form of Peter Eley who was in fine form beating Eddie Mitchell 3-1 and clinching his first man of the match award for the season with a 25.27 average. By the halfway stage the home team had a 4-2 lead, Graeme Dutton adding his straight 3-0 win over Rob Harris to the tally and then with two wins in the opening two games of the second half supplied by John Gibson and Greg Hailes who in turn won 3-2 and 3-0 against Sean Flynn and Dan Boot Isle of Wight could not lose the game as they were then 6-2 up. It was down to another Shropshire Eley this time Tim to once again reduce the arrears, Tim winning 3-1 againt Josh Rudd only to see Mark Whates add his 3-0 win over Royston Minton to put the game beyond the visitors reach at 7-3. The last two games both finished with 3-1 results both of them going to Isle of Wight and supplied by Gordon Penn and Brian Meszynski at the expense of Martin Riggs and Neil Powell to take the final score to 9-3 in favour of the home side. Sunday, like the previous day got off to a good start and again it was the ladies who supplied the goods. Julie Griffiths opened up with a 3-1 win over Shirley Smith and although her lead was cancelled out by Maria Agozzino who beat Michel Pritcard by the same 3-1 scoreline and the home side taking the lead with a close 3-2 win for Brenda Dyer over Becky Harris, it was Shropshire who romped to a 4-2 win when they won the last three games. Kat McLean began the trio of wins when she won 3-0 against Dawn Basill. Marie Riggs followed McLean and continued what is turning out to be a great personal season for her as she defeated Lorraine Woodrow 3-1, her 18.35 average giving her her fifth consecutive match award for the season. The 4-2 win was achieved when Sophie Fawcett won the final game against Alison Baxter 3-2. With the score at 12-12 after three of the results were in the men’s ‘A’ requied any sort of win for an overall vctory for the weekend and Neville Quinton gave them the ideal start when he opened up with a 4-2 success over Michael Wilkes, however two in a row for the home team from Liam Ridout and Sean Morrissey over John Cooper and Clive Lucking gave Isle of Wight a 2-1 lead. The match was squared when Matt Williams won for Shropshire against Gordon Crews only to see Isle of Wight take two in a row for a second time, on this occasion it was Kevin Woodward and Eddie White with respective 4-2 and 4-1 wins over Andi Chatter and Brian Hickman. Going into the second half 4-2 down Scott Meyrick reduced Shropshire’s arrears to 4-3 with his 4-3 win over David Witts before, for a third time the hosts chalked up another two consecutive wins. Alex Hall got the better of Danny James with a 4-2 result and Kirk Bain then added his 4-1 win against Simon Pritchard to take their team’s lead to an unassailable 6-3. Game number ten went the full seven legs distance with Kevin Harris (Shropshire) just getting the edge on Mark Edwards to keep the visitors in the game. The penultimate game saw Richard Parker beat his namesake Tony Parker to take the score to 6-5 and then in the final game Shropshire produced their player of the match in Derek Coulson who with another 4-1 scoreline accounted for Simon Smith, his average of 24.02 earning him his second man of the match award for the season. So the final overall score for the weekend was all square at 18-18 and leaves the situation as it was prior to the fixture with Isle of Wight bottom and Shropshire next to bottom, now with just one remaining fixture that looks how the two teams are likely to finish the season as Pembrokeshire, the next team above Shropshire are some 22 points to the good. Full Results:Isle of Wight v Shropshire (18-18): (Isle of Wight names First):Men’s ‘A’:- Michael Wilkes 2 Neville Quinton 4, Liam Ridout 4 John Cooper 3, Sean Morrissey 4 Clive Lucking 0, Gordon Crews 1 Matt Williams 4, Kevin Woodward 4 Andi Chatter 2, Eddie White 4 Brian Hickman 1, David Witts 3 Scott Meyrick 4, Alex Hall 4 Danny James 2, Kirk Bain 4 Simon Pritchard 1, Mark Edwards 3 Kevin Harris 4, Tony Parker 1 Richard Parker 4, Simon Smith 1 Derek Coulson 4, Men’s ‘B’:- Darren Andrews 3 Rob Henderson 0, Will Kerley 3 Rob Trumper 2, Andy Kerley 1 Nathan Storar 3, Dale Grove 3 Trevor Smith 2, Eddie Mitchell 1 Peter Eley 3, Graeme Dutton 3 Rob Harris 0, John Gibson 3 Sean Flynn 2, Greg Hailes 3 Dan Boot 0, Josh Rudd 1 Tim Eley 3, Mark Whates 3 Royston Minton 0, Gordon Penn 3 Martin Riggs 1, Brian Meszynski 3 Neil Powell 1, Women’s ‘A’:- Shirley Smith 1 Julie Griffiths 3, Maria Agozzino 3 Michele Pritchard 1, Brenda Dyer 3 Becky Harris 2, Dawn Basill 0 Kat McLean 3, Lorraine Woodrow 1 Marie Riggs 3, Alison Baxter 2 Sophie Fawcett 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Lorraine Barrett 2 Caron Minton 3, Judi Angus 1 Sue Lane 3, Val Emm 2 Kirsty Jenks 3, Cloey Alcroft 3 Cally Jones 2, Angie Cotton 1 Sharon Harris 3, Jackie Gardener 2 Caroline Powell 3.
Middlesex v Shropshire This coming weekend Shropshire will complete their fixture card in division four of the BDO Inter County Championships with an away game against Middlesex. With the home side riding high in fourth position and their visitors lying next to bottom 22 points adrift of Pembrokeshire the team directly above them and 28 ahead of bottom of the table Isle of Wight it looks as though Shropshire will finish the season in their current position in a season which has seen them win just one game, draw one and lose six. Lining up for the final game will be, Men’s ‘A’:- Andi Chatter, John Cooper, Derek Coulson, Kevin Harris, Brian Hickman, Danny James, Clive Lucking, Scott Meyrick, Richard Parker, Simon Pritchard, Neville Quinton, Matt Williams, Men’s ‘B’:- Dan Boot, Pete Eley, Tim Eley, Sean Flynn, Rob Harris, Rob Henderson, Royston Minton, Neil Powell, Martin Riggs, Trevor Smith, Nathan Storar, Rob Trumper, Reserves:- Eddie Austin, Paul Bromley, Andre Knox, Arthur Smart, Women’s ‘A’:- Sophie Fawcett, Julie Griffiths, Becky Harris, Kat Mclean, Michele Pritchard, Marie Riggs, Women’s ‘B’:- Sharon Harris, Kirsty Jenks, Cal Jones, Sue Lane, Caron Minton, Caroline Powell, Reserves:- Stephanie Clarke, Carla Crook.
Staffordshire v Derbyshire A short journey to take on Staffordshire this coming weekend will see Derbyshire complete what has been their second successive miserable season in the BDO Inter County Championships in which they have won just one of their last seventeen games Currently twenty points short of safety at the foot of the division two table Derbyshire look destined for relegation for a second successive season going from the first division to the third in two short seasons. Derbyshire’s fall is unbelievable as in their promotion season in 2014-2015 from division two to division one they won six of their nine games, drew one and lost two by the narrowest of margins, 19-17, but since then luck has deserted them and they must now look forward with confidence to a quick return to the second division Selected to play as the curtain comes down on the season are, Men’s ‘A’:- Andy Baker, Pete Burgoyne, Nigel Daniels, Tim Daniels, Gary Fenn, Adam Fern, Richard Hanson, Sean Lambert, Brian Snell, Steve Soar, Lee Stanley, Rob Wood, Men’s ‘B’:- Ian Allcock, Adrian Asprey, Paul Baker, Ian Clarke, Henry Coates, Tony Cresswell, Lee Cummins, John Elliott, Andy Gillott, Richard Hughes, Scott Parkin, Darran Sinfield, Reserves:- Loz Barnes, Alan Clegg, John Clifford, Keith Cooper, David Fritchley, Ben Holmes, Wayne Howe, Colin Rich, Peter Slater, Ash Weaver, Women’s ‘A’:- Kera Astle, Terri Bellamy, Dee Fenn, Jennifer McCormick, Louise Rawson, Jackie Sweet, Women’s ‘B’:- Rachel Ayres, Dawn Buckley, Kerri Buckley, Kelly Dean, Rebecca Hoyland, Sammi Marshall, Reserves:- Amy Clifton, Michelle Cunningham, Zena Grand, Sara-Jane Harrison, Lauren Jackson, Emily Jones, Janice Pearce, Alison Shilton.
Warwickshire v Devon This coming weekend Warwickshire will complete their programme in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships with a home tie against Devon and a decent win would see them equal their highest finish in the premier table since gaining promotion in the season 2008-2009 which was a lofty third place in the 2013-2014 campaign. Lining up for Warwickshire in this final game of the season will be Men’s ‘A’:- Mark Westgarth, Jamie Hughes, Dean Stewart, Antony Allen, Tom Aldridge, Anthony West, Nigel Heydon, William Naylor, Noel Grant, Ted Evetts, Bob Nixon, Simon Power, Men’s ‘B’:- Richard Foster, Ian Shaw, Graham Hall, Carl Green, Charlie Symons, Mark Carter, Matt Edgar, Simon Fairbrother, Tommy Ryan, James Hykin, Pete Hughes, Luke Kennedy, Reserves:- Rob Hawker, Mark Strong, Mangal Singh, Tommy McGlone, Andrew Foulkes, Tom Martin, Women’s ‘A’:- Trina Gulliver, Sue Gulliver, Natalie Gilbert, Melanie Hill, Chloe McKevitt, Caroline Pike, Women’s ‘B’:- Nina Bolt, Donna Pinch, Angela Jones, Wendy Adams, Lisa Deslandes, Kerry Bambridge, Reserves:- Helen Rigg, Denise Keyte, Marian Conway.
West Midlands v London The West Midlands will be playing their final game of the season in division one of the BDO Inter County Championships this coming weekend and it will be the most crucial game they have played all season as their opponents are London. As the two teams go into battle the divisional table sees West Midlands second with 179 points and their opponents third on 178, the outcome of the fixture will almost certainly decide who will gain promotion to the premier division with current leaders Hampshire. Fourth in the table Oxfordshire are just nine points behind West Midlands but have a tough away game against Dorset who are fifth in the table on 168 points, just two short of their opponents, so it does appear that the winners of the West Midlands versus London clash will be the team to play in the premier division next season. Selected to play in this vital fixture are, Men’s ‘A’:- Gavin Baker, Scott Baker, Shaun Carroll, Mark Craddock, Nick Fullwell, Ian Jones, Ash Khayatt, Danny Nicholls, Jonathan Platt, Gary Watts, Men’s ‘B’:- Michael Baker, Danny Coyle, Matthew Dicken, Sam Guest, Mark Hampton, Dean Mills, John Morris, Neil Pointon, Paul Price, Mark Rollason, Robert Smith, Paul Wells, Reserves:- Mark Dyke, Michael Hoult, John Mycock, Richard Platt, Dave Redding, Dave Robbins, Jack Routledge, Avtar Singh, Lewis Venes, Mark Watkiss, Women’s ‘A’:- Lisa Astbury, Gemma Barrett, Kath Jenkins, Debbie Loon, Sarah Roberts, Sophie Singh, Women’s ‘B’:- Elizabeth Arnold, Shannon Hall, Claire Hobbs, Jacqueline Maiden, Shellbie Simmons, Heather Wright, Reserves:- Kim Fellows, Kirsty Shaughnessy , Wendy Waine, Samantha Maiden.
by Alan Towe Website: www.alantowedarts.co.uk