Alan Towe's The Line On Darts - Midlands Round Up
Since losing their opening fixture of the season away to current leaders Hampshire in division one of the BDO Inter County Championships West Midlands have not looked back as they have chalked up three successive wins the latest of which being at home to Cornwall and for the first time since March 2014 when they won their home tie with Northamptonshire 25-11 all four teams won.
The ladies ‘B’ were looking to make it a trio of wins and helping them on the way were Heather Wright and Shannon Hall who in turn defeated Tanya Edwards and Becky Curnow 3-1.
Samantha Maiden (West Midlands) won the opening leg against Natasha Hancock before Hancock went 2-1 up and although the home player won the fourth it was Hancock who got the 3-2 result.
West Midlands two games buffer was restored in the fourth when Shellbie Simmons won 3-1 against Tyrian Jesse but despite the lead a 3-0 defeat for Claire Hobbs by Jacqui Champion meant that the hosts were made to wait until the final game to seal a 4-2 victory as their lady of the match Jacqueline Maiden accounted for Emma Dow with a 3- 1result and an award winning average of 18.90.
After losing the first game when Paul Price (West Midlands) finished on the wrong side of a 3-0 result to Fred Goldsmith a 3-0 win from John Mycock against Graeme Webster including a superb 146 game shot by Mycock in the second followed by a 3-1 win for Neil Pointon over Steven Chapman and then a 3-0 win for Glen McGrandle against Mark Odgers reversed the advantage in West Midlands favour.
Award winner Carl Jeffery (Cornwall) momentarily reduced the arrears when he beat Sam Guest 3-0 but by the midway point the hosts had opened up a -2 lead, Robert Smith after leading 1-0 and trailing 2-1 to Danny Robinson going on to win 3-2.
Dennis Bryant (Cornwall) won the first game of the second half when he beat Mark Rollinson 3-2 after Rollinson had levelled in the second with a 155 outshot.
With the score now standing at 4-3 in West Midlands favour the remaining five games all went to the home team Mark Hampton and Daniel Nicholls both had 3-0 wins in turn against Chris Nicholls and Reginald Matthews, Dean Mills won 3-1 against Robert Newland and in the final two games of the day Scott Baker beat Malcolm Johns 3-0 and Richard Platt rounded off the ‘B’ teams second consecutive 9-3 win when he defeated Tyrone Stephen 3-1.
First advantage went to Cornwall in the ladies ‘A’ game as their Nikki Furse handed out a 3-0 defeat to Gemma Barrett, but then it just got better and better for the home side as Debbie Loon and Sophie Singh had 3-0 wins against respective opponents Tracey Hancock and Sandra Allen before Sarah Roberts made it three lady of the match awards in four games when she handed out a 3-1 defeat to Sarah Gill. Gill after losing the first leg levelled in the second but then lost the game as Roberts clinched her win in 17 and 19 darts to give her a 23.90 average.
Angie Bird (Cornwall) took the first leg off Lisa Badger but it was Badger who got the 3-1 result and at the same time confirm a win for her team as the lead had now been extended to 4-1.
The last game of the ladies ‘A’ went to Cornwall taking the result to 4-2 for the West Midlands when Sue Shepherd won 3-1 against Kath Jenkins.
The men’s ‘A’ team are enjoying a very good season so far as they have won all three of the opening fixtures but their home tie with Cornwall didn’t get off the start they would have either expected or wished for as Kevin Dunstan gave the visiting team a winning start when he beat Jonathan Platt 4-0, Dunstan winning in style checking out in 13,14,20 and 15 darts for a great 32.32 average giving Platt no chance whatsoever. Kevin Bray took the score along to 2-0 with his 4-1 win against Mark Craddock after Craddock had gone one up.
Simon Knowles looked as though he was about to win the third game for Cornwall when he went 1-0 up against Shaun Carroll but Carroll stuck to his task as he levelled in 18 darts then went ahead in 15 and added another superb 14 darts leg to put him within an ace of victory. Knowles then pulled one back with a 13 darts leg but it was Carroll who won the sixth in 18 darts to wrap up a 4-2 win and also the match award with his 29.65 average.
The running score was levelled in the fourth when Michael Baker beat Matthew Knowles 4-1 and then in the fifth the West Midlands took the lead for the first time thanks to a hard fought 4-3 win by Gavin Baker against Jez Campe.
The lead was stretched to 4-2 for the hosts when in the last game of the half Ashe Khayat added his straight 4-0 win against Mike Beard to the tally.
The first game of the second half was a real nip and tuck affair with Nick Fullwell beginning the tie with a 21 darts leg against Mike Jones. Jones cancelled out Fullwell’s lead in 18 darts but it was the West Midlands man who went ahead again in the third with a 17 darts leg.
The Cornish player then with winning legs in 14 and 19 darts took the lead for the first time in the game, a 3-2 lead to put him within one leg of victory, however he was left on 79 when Fullwell in 16 darts took the game to a seventh and deciding leg which produced the fastest leg of the tie a 14 darts affair seeing Fullwell hitting 139,137,180 and single 5 to leave 40 which he despatched with his next two darts, Jones was left still requiring 101.
Ian Jones made short work of his opponent Daniel May beating him 4-1 with May not reaching a double in all four losing legs, Jones win assuring the Midlander’s of at least a share of the points as they had now gone into a 6-2 lead and a win well and truly on the cards.
Despite the big advantage the win began to look further and further away as the lead was slowly eroded. John Mann (Cornwall) won 4-3 against John Morris and with 3-1 wins from both Greg Hambly and Darren Mitchell against Lewis Venes and Matthew Dicken the onus now fell on the final two players to dictate what the result would be a draw, or a win for the home team.
Gareth Watts began in a determined mood for the Midlands team as he won his first leg against Neil Meneer in 16 darts. In the same number of darts Meneer squared the game but that was to be the last of his input as Watts won the next three legs in 17,22 and 15 darts for a 4-1 win to give the men’s ‘A’ team their third 7-5 win in a row and an overall third consecutive 24-12 victory for the West Midlands.
The win keeps West Midlands in second place behind Hampshire but they have now reduced the arrears to just one point and have a 16 points advantage over third in the table Oxfordshire.
Full Results: Division One:West Midlands v Cornwall (24-12):(West Midlands names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Jonathan Platt 0 Kevin Dunstan 4, Mark Craddock 1 Kevin Bray 4, Shaun Carroll 4 Simon Knowles 2, Michael Baker 4 Matthew Knowles 1, Gavin Baker 4 Jez Campe 3, Ashe Khayat 4 Mike Beard 0, Nick Fullwell 4 Mike Jones 3, Ian Jones 4 Daniel May 1, John Morris 3 John Mann 4, Lewis Venes 1 Greg Hambly 4, Matthew Dicken 1 Darren Mitchell 4, Gareth Watts 4 Neil Meneer 1, Men’s ‘B’:- Paul Price 0 Fred Goldsmith 3, John Mycock 3 Graeme Webster 0, Neil Pointon 3 Steven Chapman 1, Glen McGrandle 3 Mark Odgers 0, Sam Guest 0 Carl Jeffery 3, Robert Smith 3 Danny Robinson 2, Mark Rollinson 2 Dennis Bryant 3, Mark Hampton 3 Chris Nicholls 0, Daniel Nicholls 3 Reginald Matthews 0, Dean Mills 3 Robert Newland 1, Scott Baker 3 Malcolm Johns 0, Richard Platt 3 Tyrone Stephen 1, Women’s ‘A’:- Gemma Barrett 0 Nikki Furse 3, Debbie Loon 3 Tracey Hancock 0, Sophie Singh 3 Sandra Allen 0, Sarah Roberts 3 Sarah Gill 1, Lisa Badger 3 Angie Bird 1, Kath jenkins 1 Sue Shepherd 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Heather Wright 3 Tanya Edwards 1, Shannon Hall 3 Becky Curnow 1, Samantha Maiden 2 Natasha Hancock 3, Shellbie Simmons 3 Tyrian Jesse 1, Claire Hobbs 0 Jacqui Champion 3, Jacqueline Maiden 3 Emma Dow 1.
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[caption id="attachment_15727" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Stuart Barnett, Geoff Marson, Ashley Marson, Carl Sparrow and Gary Barnett[/caption]
Recently there have been a couple of charity events in the Black Country area both to raise money for the Nick and Sharon Fullwell fund in aid of the Mary Stevens Hospice. The first of the events was at the Upper Gornal Conservative Club where Stuart Barnett, Geoff Marson, Ashley Marson, Carl Sparrow and Gary Barnett took part in a ten hours marathon.
In addition to the collections and raffles on the night sponsor forms had been circulated and the event raised a fantastic amount of £802.
[caption id="attachment_15723" align="alignleft" width="300"]
The Beech Tree[/caption]
The second of the fund raisers was held at the Beech Tree, Blackheath where the reigning West Midlands Men’s Super League Champions Crown ‘A’ plus a couple of guest players took on the local ‘X’ Men Charity Team.
It turned out to be a feast of darts on the night with the final result ending all square at 6-6, however there was a winner and it was Mary Stevens Hospice as a grand total of £760 was raised with the figure expected to go up even higher over the coming days/weeks.
---------------------------------
The Bilston and District League staged their annual
Charity Night 3 A-Side Knockout at Allens Sports Bar. A total of 23 teams entered the event with last year’s winners Jamie Hughes, Lee Cox and Len Paskin taking the title again for a second successive year and dropping just one leg on their way to the final. The triumphant trio took out top teams from The Nutan, Tilted Barrel and Allens Sports Bar before taking on the Lanesfield RBL team of Dave Walker, Anthony Fellows and Devinder Singh in the final which they won 2-0.
Lee Cox was in tremendous form hitting a total of four maximums throughout the event with team mate Hughes notching another couple.
The evening raised a fabulous amount of £280 which the league is yet to decide which charity it will go to.
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The Sheldon Marlborough Cricket Club darts team staged a charity game against the Gulp Charity squad the hosts winning the singles game 4-3 and the doubles 2-1. The trebles game finished all square at one each but the biggest winner on the night was charity with the evening raising a terrific amount of £300 which will be donated to the Air Ambulance Charity Fund.
Two youngsters made their darting debut on the night, brothers Ben and Jake Liggins, two stars for the future?
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[caption id="attachment_15726" align="alignleft" width="225"]
Ten Arches 'B' (Stourbridge Monday Night League Chanpions)[/caption]
On the local league front the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League title was so fiercely contested that the outcome was decided on the very last rearranged fixture of the season. Prior to the encounter between Ten Arches ‘B’ and Ashwood Ten Arches ‘A’ topped the table with 72 points, their ‘B’ team lying in third place, but the ‘B’ team won 6-3 against Ashwood to put them on the same 72 points and clinch the title on average over their ‘A’ side.
The final table saw just two points separating the top five teams, after the winners and runners up came Brickmakers Arms, Bird ‘A’ (Stourbridge) and Britannia Inn all on 70 points.
The season’s highest start of 160 went to A.Moreton, V.Mitchell (Bird ‘A’) and R.Colly (Britannia), while G.Cartwright (Britannia) had the highest possible finish of 170 plus the most wins 36 from 41 games. A.Moreton also had the least darts a perfect six darts game.
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In the last scheduled fixtures for the Netherton Thursday Night League leaders Dudley Sports and Social with a 4-3 win over second in the table White Swan confirmed themselves as champions with a total of 48 points from seventeen games, White Swan from the same number of games amassed 42 points. There is still one remaining rearranged fixture to be played and it is the return game between Dudley Sports and White Swan but the outcome will be irrelevant as the top two positions have now been sorted.
In the doubles knockout Jeff Batham and Rob Powers (Dudley Sports) made plus Bobby Carr and Darren Brown (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club) made the final. Both of the finalists won their quarter finals games 2-0 Batham and Powers taking out Phil Tonks and Matt Kendall (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club) Carr and Brown accounting for White Horse duo Carl Wakeman and Carl Hadlington.
Again in the semi finals both teams had the same 2-1 result Lee Banner and Paul Wells (White Swan) going out to Batham and Powers while Carr and Brown beat Dave Hughes and Neil Raybould from White Horse.
The final result was 2-0 going to Batham and Powers.
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The final results in division one of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League did not affected the league table at all and Riley’s ‘C’ with a 6-1 win at the Royal added to their tile winning season’s tally to give them a total of 38 points six more than runners up Gilberts Bar who won their last game at Wednesfield FC 4-3.
In the second division Sunbeam with a final 7-0 win over Red Lion took the title with 38 points, Riley’s ‘A’ whose similar 7-0 win over Wednesfield Legion ‘B’ saw them leap up the table from fourth to finish as runners up with 36 points, Pavilions who were second lost their final game 5-2 playing away to the Bull and ended the campaign in joint third level on points and average with Bird in Hand who won 5-2 against the Boat.
Taking the crown in the singles knockout was young fifteen years old Reece Cook-Lucas (Gilberts Bar) with a final 3-1 victory over Dave Powell from the Cabin.
In the semi finals teenager Reece beat J.Evans (Riley’s ‘C’) while Powell won against J.Simmons (Wednesfield Conservative Club).
In the semi finals of the doubles knockout Reece Cook-Lucas and Mark Lloyd (Gilberts Bar) took out Dave Lucas and Liam Bolton from Wednesfield FC, from the other half of the draw John Evans and Paul Bromley (Riley’s ‘C’) booked their final spot with a win over Len Slade and Simon New (Bird in Hand).
The final went the full five legs distance with fifteen years old Reece Cook-Lucas and his sixteen years old partner Mark Lloyd getting the 3-2 verdict
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The Camp Hill League played off their doubles knockout and adding yet another title to his ever increasing list was Neil Parsonage together with his partner Matt Cooper. Parsonage and Cooper representing Cotterills Lane Club beat Nathan Prentice and Reece Williams (Tyseley WMC) in the final.
Losing semi finalists were Chris Walsh and John Quigley (Holy Gulp) plus Colin Wyatt and Jake Webster (Cotterills Lane Club).
---------------------------------
The Small Heath League staged their Jim Haveron 3 A-Side Knockout and taking the triumphan trio were the East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association ‘A’ team of C.Wyatt, J.Webster and T.White who won 6-0 against M.Cain, I.Jones and J.Frost who represented Mitre ‘B’.
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The Sheldon Marlborough Cricket Club Singles League were involved in their two Husky Cup competitions the Main Cup seeing Paul Sunner with top shots of 131 and 100 beating Matt Murrin 2-0 in the final.
The Husky Small Cup was won by Paul Brown, Brown beating John Young 2-1 in a very close fought final.
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The Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League played the final of the Rickuss Cup and there was sweet revenge for league champions Dewdrop who lost 4-3 to The Vine in the final of the Black Country Windscreens Trophy but on this occasion they beat The Vine 6-1 with Wayne Griffiths recording a perfect game of darts for Dewdrop when he won his match in six darts.
The league have also played off the finals of their singles competition and making the final was arguably the best two players in the league Craig Butler and Wayne Griffiths the 3-1 result going in favour of Butler.
---------------------------------
Stuart Barnett, Geoff Marson, Ashley Marson, Carl Sparrow and Gary Barnett[/caption]
Recently there have been a couple of charity events in the Black Country area both to raise money for the Nick and Sharon Fullwell fund in aid of the Mary Stevens Hospice. The first of the events was at the Upper Gornal Conservative Club where Stuart Barnett, Geoff Marson, Ashley Marson, Carl Sparrow and Gary Barnett took part in a ten hours marathon.
In addition to the collections and raffles on the night sponsor forms had been circulated and the event raised a fantastic amount of £802.
[caption id="attachment_15723" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Beech Tree[/caption]
The second of the fund raisers was held at the Beech Tree, Blackheath where the reigning West Midlands Men’s Super League Champions Crown ‘A’ plus a couple of guest players took on the local ‘X’ Men Charity Team.
It turned out to be a feast of darts on the night with the final result ending all square at 6-6, however there was a winner and it was Mary Stevens Hospice as a grand total of £760 was raised with the figure expected to go up even higher over the coming days/weeks.
---------------------------------
The Bilston and District League staged their annual
Charity Night 3 A-Side Knockout at Allens Sports Bar. A total of 23 teams entered the event with last year’s winners Jamie Hughes, Lee Cox and Len Paskin taking the title again for a second successive year and dropping just one leg on their way to the final. The triumphant trio took out top teams from The Nutan, Tilted Barrel and Allens Sports Bar before taking on the Lanesfield RBL team of Dave Walker, Anthony Fellows and Devinder Singh in the final which they won 2-0.
Lee Cox was in tremendous form hitting a total of four maximums throughout the event with team mate Hughes notching another couple.
The evening raised a fabulous amount of £280 which the league is yet to decide which charity it will go to.
---------------------------------
The Sheldon Marlborough Cricket Club darts team staged a charity game against the Gulp Charity squad the hosts winning the singles game 4-3 and the doubles 2-1. The trebles game finished all square at one each but the biggest winner on the night was charity with the evening raising a terrific amount of £300 which will be donated to the Air Ambulance Charity Fund.
Two youngsters made their darting debut on the night, brothers Ben and Jake Liggins, two stars for the future?
---------------------------------
[caption id="attachment_15726" align="alignleft" width="225"] Ten Arches 'B' (Stourbridge Monday Night League Chanpions)[/caption]
On the local league front the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League title was so fiercely contested that the outcome was decided on the very last rearranged fixture of the season. Prior to the encounter between Ten Arches ‘B’ and Ashwood Ten Arches ‘A’ topped the table with 72 points, their ‘B’ team lying in third place, but the ‘B’ team won 6-3 against Ashwood to put them on the same 72 points and clinch the title on average over their ‘A’ side.
The final table saw just two points separating the top five teams, after the winners and runners up came Brickmakers Arms, Bird ‘A’ (Stourbridge) and Britannia Inn all on 70 points.
The season’s highest start of 160 went to A.Moreton, V.Mitchell (Bird ‘A’) and R.Colly (Britannia), while G.Cartwright (Britannia) had the highest possible finish of 170 plus the most wins 36 from 41 games. A.Moreton also had the least darts a perfect six darts game.
---------------------------------
In the last scheduled fixtures for the Netherton Thursday Night League leaders Dudley Sports and Social with a 4-3 win over second in the table White Swan confirmed themselves as champions with a total of 48 points from seventeen games, White Swan from the same number of games amassed 42 points. There is still one remaining rearranged fixture to be played and it is the return game between Dudley Sports and White Swan but the outcome will be irrelevant as the top two positions have now been sorted.
In the doubles knockout Jeff Batham and Rob Powers (Dudley Sports) made plus Bobby Carr and Darren Brown (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club) made the final. Both of the finalists won their quarter finals games 2-0 Batham and Powers taking out Phil Tonks and Matt Kendall (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club) Carr and Brown accounting for White Horse duo Carl Wakeman and Carl Hadlington.
Again in the semi finals both teams had the same 2-1 result Lee Banner and Paul Wells (White Swan) going out to Batham and Powers while Carr and Brown beat Dave Hughes and Neil Raybould from White Horse.
The final result was 2-0 going to Batham and Powers.
---------------------------------
The final results in division one of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League did not affected the league table at all and Riley’s ‘C’ with a 6-1 win at the Royal added to their tile winning season’s tally to give them a total of 38 points six more than runners up Gilberts Bar who won their last game at Wednesfield FC 4-3.
In the second division Sunbeam with a final 7-0 win over Red Lion took the title with 38 points, Riley’s ‘A’ whose similar 7-0 win over Wednesfield Legion ‘B’ saw them leap up the table from fourth to finish as runners up with 36 points, Pavilions who were second lost their final game 5-2 playing away to the Bull and ended the campaign in joint third level on points and average with Bird in Hand who won 5-2 against the Boat.
Taking the crown in the singles knockout was young fifteen years old Reece Cook-Lucas (Gilberts Bar) with a final 3-1 victory over Dave Powell from the Cabin.
In the semi finals teenager Reece beat J.Evans (Riley’s ‘C’) while Powell won against J.Simmons (Wednesfield Conservative Club).
In the semi finals of the doubles knockout Reece Cook-Lucas and Mark Lloyd (Gilberts Bar) took out Dave Lucas and Liam Bolton from Wednesfield FC, from the other half of the draw John Evans and Paul Bromley (Riley’s ‘C’) booked their final spot with a win over Len Slade and Simon New (Bird in Hand).
The final went the full five legs distance with fifteen years old Reece Cook-Lucas and his sixteen years old partner Mark Lloyd getting the 3-2 verdict
---------------------------------
The Camp Hill League played off their doubles knockout and adding yet another title to his ever increasing list was Neil Parsonage together with his partner Matt Cooper. Parsonage and Cooper representing Cotterills Lane Club beat Nathan Prentice and Reece Williams (Tyseley WMC) in the final.
Losing semi finalists were Chris Walsh and John Quigley (Holy Gulp) plus Colin Wyatt and Jake Webster (Cotterills Lane Club).
---------------------------------
The Small Heath League staged their Jim Haveron 3 A-Side Knockout and taking the triumphan trio were the East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association ‘A’ team of C.Wyatt, J.Webster and T.White who won 6-0 against M.Cain, I.Jones and J.Frost who represented Mitre ‘B’.
---------------------------------
The Sheldon Marlborough Cricket Club Singles League were involved in their two Husky Cup competitions the Main Cup seeing Paul Sunner with top shots of 131 and 100 beating Matt Murrin 2-0 in the final.
The Husky Small Cup was won by Paul Brown, Brown beating John Young 2-1 in a very close fought final.
---------------------------------
The Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League played the final of the Rickuss Cup and there was sweet revenge for league champions Dewdrop who lost 4-3 to The Vine in the final of the Black Country Windscreens Trophy but on this occasion they beat The Vine 6-1 with Wayne Griffiths recording a perfect game of darts for Dewdrop when he won his match in six darts.
The league have also played off the finals of their singles competition and making the final was arguably the best two players in the league Craig Butler and Wayne Griffiths the 3-1 result going in favour of Butler.
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