A Look Back In Time - Alan Towe 26.09.2001
Warwickshire travelled south to the capital last weekend to take on London in the first of the new seasons fixtures in the premier division of the BDO Inter Counties Championships. The ladies ‘B’ team got the match off to a good start when they defeated their counterparts 4-2, thanks to wins from Denise Burke, Pat Thornton, Sue Deery and Viki Franklin. A 3-0 success over Doris Stansbury gave Pat Thornton (18.11) the trophy for the ‘B’ team’s top player.
The men’s ‘B’ surrendered a 3-0 lead to go into the break all square at three each, second on Scott Mitton taking the match award with a 27.33 average. Tom Ryan and Steve White won the opening two games of the second half to give Warwickshire a 5-3 advantage. However, the hosts fought back in the shape of Tony Behan, Ian Nicholls and John Saunders to leave the result hinging on the final game. Mick Bagley kept his cool and his 3-2 win over Steve McHale gave his side a share of the spoils.
The ladies ‘A’ pressed home their superiority and chalked up a great 6-0 whitewash, with wins from Lesley Newcombe, Trina Gulliver, Debbie McPherson, Caroline Pike, Cheryl Jackson and Clare Bywaters. Trina Gulliver carried on where she left off from the last two seasons by taking the match award with an impressive 28.90 average.
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West Midlands, after dropping down a division last season, played their first division three game away to Avon. It was not a good start. The ladies ‘B’ after twice taking the lead through Janet Hubbard and Angie Perry eventually went down 4-2. Angie Perry was the top lady with a 16.34 average. The men’s ‘B’ stormed into a 6-2 lead supplied by Joe Biggs, Vic Lloyd, Ron Johnson, Martin Tibbetts, Paddy Johnson (man of the match 26.84) and Paul Johnson. Unfortunately they were unable to record another win to give them their victory London won the final four games to finish level at six each.
The ladies ‘A’ ended their encounter on the wrong side of a 5-1 result, with Gill Cook (17.69) their sole winner. The men’s ‘A’ began well with wins from Mangal Singh and man of the match Tom Aldridge (28.83), but then lost the remaining four games of the half. The second session also began well with wins from Mick James, Avtar Singh and Nick Walters, but once again they dropped off and the home team won the last three games to give them a 7-5 success and more importantly an overall 22-14 victory.
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Warwickshire have been busy playing off their county men’s singles for the Winmau World Championship, with two players going forward to Trentham Gardens, Stoke on Trent on the 4th November. Coventry Bishopsgate provided no fewer than three of the final four contestants. In the first of the two final play offs team mates Paul Merritt and Graham Sanders met in what was a very close contest, Merritt just getting the edge with a win in the fifth and final game. The other final was not quite so close as Tommy Ryan from Coventry Potters Green beat Steve Hine 3-1. Merritt and Ryan now go into the all England play off at Trentham.
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The Small Heath Summer League have played off their Mixed Doubles Knockout. The new champions are Terry Walton and Karen Clarke, who beat Billy Morris and Sue Deery in the final. Losing semi-finalists were Neil Parsonage and Teresa Sears, plus Leslie Allwood and Maggie Faithful.
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The Pip Club, Fazeley was the setting for an exhibition by Embassy World Champions, John ‘Boy’ Walton and Trina Gulliver. The evening was fun and entertaining with John Walton chalking up a 160 finish against Sam Whittaker. Trina had wins over Warwickshire county player Darren White and Super League player Mike Slater.
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