Darts News – Alan Towe’s The Line On Darts – Yorkshire v Warwickshire

For the sixth successive season Warwickshire’s opening fixture in the Premier Division of the BDO Inter County Championships has been a tie with the mighty Yorkshire and for the sixth consecutive time it has been the current reigning champions, Yorkshire that have won.

Over the weekend the ladies results were very encouraging, the ‘B’ team went 2-0 up with wins from Marian Conway and Lisa Whitmore and although Linda Moorhouse pulled one back for Yorkshire the last three games all went to Warwickshire, thanks to wins from Edwina Holdsworth, Wendy Adams and Caroline Pike.

Wendy Adams took the match award with a 3-0 win over Pamela Haigh and averaging 20.31.

The ladies ‘A’ did extremely well to come back from 3-1 down to earn a hard fought 3-3 draw. Rachel Brooks and Lorraine Winstanley put the hosts two up before the evergreen Trina Gulliver halved their lead with an award winning 3-0 win and 22.43 average against Lyn Horne.

Cindy Jennings restored the home side’s two games lead only to see Kat Spanswick and Sue Gulliver win the last two games to square the match.

It was not such good news for the men as Matt Edgar and Tom McGlone were their sole winners, McGlone beating James Barton 4-1, average 26.58 and take the man of the match award.

The men’s ‘A’ side were unfortunate as a little more luck on finishing doubles could well have seen them, after going 5-1 up, win the game, but alas it was not to be and in the end had to content themselves with a 6-6 draw.

Garry Thompson won the opener for Yorkshire, but the response from Warwickshire was huge as Dean Stewart, Rob Hawker, Nigel Heydon (29.33, man of the match), Mark Westgarth and Noel Grant gave the away side a 5-1 lead.

The second half of the match was a much different story with only Mark Strong winning for Warwickshire, but three of the day’s six losers failed only on doubles, a little more luck and they could easily have finished as 8-4 winners, which would have seen them end the weekend with an overall 18-18 draw as opposed to what was a 20-16 defeat.

Not the best start Warwickshire would have hoped for, but still there’s a long way to go and hopefully they will be up there where they finished last season around third place in the table, or perhaps even better!!

Full results:(Yorkshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Garry Thompson 4 Tom Aldridge 2, Chris Gill 2 Dean Stewart 4, Kevin Shaw 3 Rob Hawker 4, Peter Jacques 3 Nigel Heydon 4, John Walton 3 Mark Wetgarth 4,Martin Atkins 2 Noel Grant 4, James Wilson 4 Jamie Hughes 3, Brian Dawson 4 Jamie Atkins 1, John Dean 1 Mark Strong 4, Tony Hull 4 Dave Harris 0, Tom Gregory 4 Richard Foster 1, Keith Evans 4 Ian McFarlane 3, Men’s ‘B’:- Graham Elvidge 4 Mark Archer 2, Ade Newsholme 4 William Naylor 1, Brian Hallas 4 Luke Kennedy 3, Curtis Turner 4 Dane Vickers 1, Thomas Sykes 0 Matt Edgar 4, James Barton 1 Tom McGlone 4, Michael Ridge 4 Prakash Jiwa 2, David Copley 4 David Sanders 1, Wayne Mills 4 Carl Green 0, Jason Elvin 4 Simon Power 1, Jim Gordon 4 Antony Allen 1, Keith Flint 4 Paul Deslandes 0, Women’s ‘A’:- Rachel brooks 3 Natalie Gilbert 0, Lorraine Winstanley 3 Donna Pinch 0, Lyn Horne 0 Trina Gulliver 3, Cindy Jennings 3 Denise Keyte 2, Ann Chilton 0 Kat Spanswick 3, Rachel Sheard 2 Sue Gulliver 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Louise SImmonds 1 Marian Conway 3, Marie Groves 1 Lisa Whitmore 3, Linda Moorhouse 3 Nina Bolt 2, Pat Mortimer 2 Edwina Holdsworth 3, Pamela Haigh 0 Wendy Adams 3, Mandy McKenzie 2 Caroline Pike 3.