Alan Towe's The Line
The Brandon Open received a very disappointing 36 entries but that in no way detracted from the standard of play throughout the competition. The opening five games of the semi-final between Matt Padgett and Kyle Anderson all went with the first throw advantage as Anderson went one up in 14 darts and Padgett levelled in 15. Anderson took the lead again with an 18 darts leg only to see Padgett reply with a 114 game shot with a second 15 darts leg. For his third lead in the game Anderson recorded a cracking 12 darts leg in which he hit scores of 96, 180 and 55 before producing a maximum 170 finish. He then went on to win the tie 6-2 with further winning legs in 14,15 and 13 darts. Anderson average for the game was a superb 34.26 closely followed by Padgett’s 32.07. The second of the semis brought together Dave Pallet and Ted Evetts. With two 21 darts legs Evetts opened up a 2-0 lead but by the fourth leg the game was level as Pallett responded with winning legs in 20 and 15 darts. The sequence continued with Evetts once again winning two consecutive legs, this time in 21 and 16 darts but on this occasion Pallet was only able to reduce the arrears by one leg, a 16 darts affair before Evetts booked his place in the final with further wins in 14 and 20 darts to give him a 6-3 win with a 29.19 average compared to Pallet’s 26.06. The final was extended to the best of fifteen legs but only went to twelve. Anderson in 20 and 12 darts opened up a two legs lead, Evetts reduced the arrears with a 124 game shot in 15 darts. The following four legs were shared as Anderson won the fourth in 11 darts, Evetts the fifth in 13 darts. The sixth leg went Anderson who checked out in 16 darts, Evetts keeping in touch with a 15 darts leg to take the score to 4-3 in Anderson’s favour. Legs eight and nine in 15 and 17 darts took Anderson’s lead to 6-3 and although Evetts made a fight of it by taking the following two legs in 17 and 15 darts his opponent wrapped up a 7-5 win in the twelfth when he checked out in 18 darts to give him the title and the top prize of £320. As runner up Evetts received £160. Losing semi-finalists Padgett and Pallet each picked up £80 and there was £40 for Jack Wareing, Steve Hine, Ian McFarlane and Richard Hosey for reaching the last eight. Results:Last 32:- Kyle Anderson 5 Kevin Bambrick 0, Nigel Heydon 5 Connor Arberry 4, Steve Blewitt 5 Wayne Bowes 2, Daniel Lee 0 Ian McFarlane 5, Adam Gallett 2 Tony Randell 5, Richard Hosey 5 Junior Joyce 1, Michael Spencer 5 Gaz Cullinan 0, Mick Smith-Neale 0 Matt Padgett 5, Steve Rowe 2 Jack Wareing 5, Courtney Hine 2 Mark Carter 5, Matt Gallett 2 Steve Ward 5, Adam Paxton 2 Dave Pallett 5, Jaikob Selby-Ribas 2 Ted Evetts 5, Ross Macken 5 Nathan Parkin 1, Ray Cooksley 0 Pete Burgoyne 5, Greg Porter 1 Steve Hine 5, Last Sixteen:- Kyle Anderson 5 Nigel Heydon 2, Steve Blewitt 3 Ian McFarlane 5, Tony Randell 3 Richard Hosey 5, Michael Spencer 2 Matt Padgett 5,Jack Wareing 5 Mark Carter 1, Steve Ward 1 Dave Pallett 5, Ted Evetts 5 Ross Macken 1, Pete Burgoyne 3 Steve Hine 5, Quarter FinalsKyle Anderson 5 Ian McFarlane 0, Richard Hosey 2 Matt Padgett 5, Jack Wareing 0 Dave Pallett 5, Ted Evetts 5 Steve Hine 0, Semi-Finals:- Kyle Anderson 6 Matt Padgett 2, Dave Pallett 3 Ted Evetts 6, Final:- Kyle Anderson 7 Ted Evetts 5.
The second Ripley Elite Singles Darts League’s Grand Slam saw 45 top class performer’s battle it out for the title and £250 first prize. Last year’s winner Paul Baker was a casualty in the last sixteen as he made his exit when he lost 4-1 to Jamie Caven who went on to win the title and top prize of £250 after taking out Sam Revill (4-0), Andy Gillott (4-0), Paul Baker (4-1) and Daz Brown (4-1) to reach the semi-finals. From the other side of the draw Dale Gadsby emerged as Caven’s final opponent as he accounted for Nathan Parkin (4-2), Andy Houghton (4-3), Lee Arkwright (4-1) and Charlie Marshall (4-0) to get to the last four. In the first of the semi-finals Gadsby beat Jack kerr 5-2 while Caven won 5-3 against Ricky Sudale. Jamie Caven then went on to beat Dale Gadsby 6-3 in the final. The free to enter first round losers competition had £90 prize money on offer and proved to be as popular as ever as twenty players battled it out for the £50 first prize. Nigel Daniels was the eventual winner beating Jordan Beresford 3-1 in the final, Beresford collecting £20 as runner up. Christian Bradshaw and Mick Chapman in turn lost 2-0 to Nigel Daniels and 2-1 to Jordan Bradshaw in the last four and received £10 each for their efforts. Full Results:Preliminary Round:- Rick Gray 4 Ash Spencer 3, Dale Gadsby 4 Nathan Parkin 2, Charlie Marshall 4 Steve Arkwright 1, Daz Sinfield 4 James Parkin 1, Stuart Biggs 4 Wes Smith 3, Dave Fritchley 4 Bill Schooley 0, James Thompson 4 Tony Jacklin 2, Jack Kerr 4 Ant Parry 2, Daz Brown 4 Damian Donoghue 0, Jamie Caven 4 Sam Revill 0, Colin Rich 4 Chris Beard 1, Paul Holman 4 Lauren Jackson 2, Rick Sudale 4 Aden Kirk 3, Last 32:- Lee Arkwright 4 Rick Gray 3, Dale Gadsby 4 Andy Houghton 3, Charlie Marshall 4 Neil Beresford 1, Daz Sinfield 4 Mick Chapman 0, Stuart Biggs 4 Jordan Beresford 1, Keith Lodge 4 Dave Fritchley 0, James Thompson 4 Lee Bridges 0, Jack Kerr 4 Ty Ward 3, Daz Brown 4 Nigel Daniels 2, Ricky Hall 4 Ian Richardson 3, Paul Baker 4 Christian Bradshaw 2, Jamie Caven 4 Andy Gillott 0, Colin Rich 4 Wayne Howe 2, Jim Beardmore 4 Paul Holman 0, Steve Soar 4 Steve Bestwick 1, Ricky Sudale 4 Ian Allcock 1, Last 16:- Dale Gadsby 4 Lee Arkwright 1, Charlie Marshall 4 Daz Sinfield 1, Keith Lodge 4 Stuart Biggs 2, Jack Kerr 4 James Thompson 2, Daz Brown 4 Ricky Hall 2, Jamie Caven 4 Paul Baker 1, Jim Beardmore 4 Colin Rich 0, Ricky Sudale 4 Steve Soar 2, Quarter Finals:- Dale Gadsby 4 Charlie Marshall 0, Jack Kerr 4 Keith Lodge 2, Jamie Caven 4 Daz Brown 1, Ricky Sudale 4 Jim Beardmore 1, Semi-Finals:- Dale Gadsby 5 Jack Kerr 2, Jamie Caven 5 Ricky Sudale 3, Final:- Jamie Caven 6 Dale Gadsby 3.
As the Camp Hill League season drew to an end th league staged a series of knockouts first of which was their ladies knockout in which Laura Caven (Emerald Club) took the title with a final win over Lauren Ridge (North Star). The doubles knockout final saw Paul Sunner and Dave Humphries (Sheldon Marlborough Flights) beat Gez Oldfield and Fred Naylor (White Swan Nomads). Journeys End Lions representative Simon Edwards won the league’s singles title after beating his final contestant John West from White Swan Nomads.
The final of the Netherton Thursday Night League’s Andy Bastable Trophy saw finalists Fairfield a little under par and Bulls Head had a rather comfortable 5-1 win to secure the title. The league played their final rearranged fixture which saw league champions Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club win 5-4 against bottom team Netherton Conservative Club to give them a final total of 69 points, nine more than runners up Riddins Tavern.
The Brierley Hill Monday Night League’s singles knockout produced an all Dudley Ex Serviceman’s final in which D.Brown defeat R.Carr 3-1. G.Peters and D.Brown became the new doubles champions after beating B.Neale and R.Lenton 3-0 in the final.
The Brierley Hill Friday Night League played their doubles finals winning the title after beating C.Pickett and J.Pickett 2-1 in the semis were R.Riaz and A.Nicholls who lifted the silverware with a straight 3-0 win over R.Colley and M.Rowley in the final. Colley and Rowley beat G.Jackson and R,Tipper 2-1 in their last four game.
The Cradley Tuesday Night League’s singles title went to Brickmakers Arms player Kevin Bambrick who with a 160 finish and a twelve darts leg won the final against Steve Tipper (Roost) 3-0. In the semi-finals Bambrick with a 2-1 result beat Joe Sharratt (RiddinsTavern) while Tipper won against Lindon Bird (Wheatsheaf). The final of the doubles knockout went to a deciding leg before A.Dimmock and S.Priest got the 3-2 verdict over P.O’Brien and R.Lenton while Brickmakers Arms made it a fantastic league and cup double when they accounted for Chop House with a 5-1 result in the final of the 3 A-Side Knockout. From a starting line-up of 58 players in the league’s Last Competition of the Season Steven Tipper collected the winners £90 when he defeated Kevin Bambrick 3-1 in the final, Bambrick received £45.
The Silver End Sunday Morning League played the finals of their League and Shadow cups which proved to be a very successful night for Brickmakers Arms. In the League Cup Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ beat reigning league champions Woodside 5-2 and then making it a great double for Brickmakers their ‘B’ side won 5-3 against Dudley Sports to clinch the Shadow Cup title. The winning trio for the 3 A-Side Knockout was M.Rollinson, J.Rollinson and R.Colley with S.Guest, H.Wakefield and D.Cooper runners up. The losing semi-finalists were B.Lewis, R.Rubery, K.Guest and G.Peters, G.Davies, B.Davies.
With a final 3-0 win over W.Griffiths (Dewdrop ‘A’) C.Bowen (Waggon and Horses) won the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League’s individual knockout. Bowen beat S.Cliff in the last four games while Griffiths took out G.Arnold.
By Alan Towe Website: www.alantowedarts.co.uk