Alan Towe's the Line
Lincolnshire v West Midlands Five defeats and just one win in six fixtures in the Premier Division of the BDO Inter County Championships has seen West Midlands drop into the relegation zone and an away fixture against Lincolnshire was not the ideal game to get them back on a winning track. The ladies ‘B’ had only suffered one defeat in their opening six games having won two and drawn three, but they didn’t begin well as in the opening three games Lincolnshire took the lead twice as Julie Lambie beat Kath Jenkins 3-1 in the first and then despite Sophie Singh levelling the game with a 3-2 win over Heather Draper who had gone 2-1 up, a 3-0 win from Lee Bingham over Stella Sims gave the hosts a 2-1 lead. The game was levelled for a second time when West Midlands Shannon Hall twice came from behind against Layla Bontoft to win 3-2 and in the process take the team match award for her 19.96 average. The sequence of winning against the darts was broken in the fifth when Shellbie Simmons chalked up a 3-2 win over Heather Lodge and although Heather Wright (West Midlands) fell behind twice to Bobbi Hughes in the last game she kept her nerve and went on to also win 3-2 and give her team a 4-2 victory. The men’s ‘B’ team had an encouraging start as Matthew Dicken began the day with a man of the match showing against Mick Connerton. Dicken raced into a 3-0 lead and although Connerton reduced that advantage to 3-2 Dicken won the sixth for a 4-2 win and a 25.51 average which earned him the award. Taking the score along to 2-0 was Stephen Jones with a second 4-2 result in his tie with Rick Afford. It turned out that the wins in the first two games for West Midlands were to be half of their total in the game as Lincolnshire strung together eight consecutive wins. Thomas Lovely began the winning run with his 4-0 success over Paul Dicken, then came three 4-3 wins for Jonathon Bywater, Craig Hill and Adam Smith-Neale who in turn defeated Gareth Johnston, Alfie Jacques and Kevin Bambrick. Two further 4-2 wins supplied by Micky Taylor and Richard Hubbard over their respective opponents Alex Simmons and Trevor Brennon took the hosts lead to 6-2 and taking the game beyond the West Midlands reach to 7-2 was Richard Selby who won 4-0 against Kirk Harrison. Neil Ward completed Lincolnshire’s number of winners with a 4-3 success against Paul Wells as Avtar Singh and Mark Watkiss-Allen won 4-2 in turn against Dan Warrington and Lee Williams to give a final score of 8-4 to the home team. The ladies ‘A’ team went 2-0 down without winning a single leg as Shelley Bontoft-Gash and Laura Tye both won 3-0 in turn against Gemma Barrett and Jacqueline Maiden. Sarah Roberts (West Midlands) made it three successive match awards and four for the season when she beat Paula Jacklin 3-0 with a 22.10 average but with Dawn Armstrong beating Cheryl Alcock 3-2 and Trina Gulliver MBE winning 3-1 against Kat McLean, Lincolnshire ladies ‘A’ had won the tie as they were now 4-1 up. The final game went to West Midlands as Lisa Badger won 3-2 against Tammy Montgomery after Montgomery had won the first two legs. The final score 4-2 to Lincolnshire. Both Shaun Carroll and Shane Price lost by the odd leg in the opening two games in the men’s ‘A’ match with the 4-3 wins going to Ross Twell and Neil Ward. The hosts 2-0 lead was not to last long as Adam Edgar won 4-3 against Gary Blades and Owen Maiden beat Callum Wilson 4-2. Despite finishes of 115 and 100 Gavin Baker finished on the wrong side of a 4-3 result against Leighton Bennett but by the midway point the game was restored to parity as Nick Fullwell (West Midlands) won 4-1 against Paul Brown. Shane Lowe restored Lincolnshire’s lead in the first game of the second half as he won 4-0 against John Morris, only to see the tie levelled once again in the eighth when West Midlands Scott Baker beat Lloyd Pennell 4-2. With the score at four each finishing doubles then proved to be the downfall for the visitors as Keith Leadenham, Anthony Hill, Jock Watt and Simon Stainton in turn all won 4-3 against Ian Jones, Glen McGrandle, Matthew Dicken and Mark Craddock to give Lincolnshire’s men’s ‘A’ team the same 8-4 result as their ‘B’ side to take the overall score for the weekend to 22-14 in favour of the home side. The defeat has left West Midlands still in a next to bottom of the table position with just ten points more than bottom team Cheshire, however the gap between them and safety has been increased to four points as the team directly above them Northamptonshire are on 113 points.
The Ripley Elite Darts Singles League have staged for the very first time their FA of Darts Singles Knockout which proved to be very success with 57 of the area’s finest darts players assembling in the newly refurbished Somercotes Snooker Club, 69 Leabrooks Road, Somercotes, Derbyshire, DE55 4HB to do battle for the honour of being the very first winner of the competition. The format was the best of eleven legs with a re-draw after every round and despite the extended games the organisation and efforts of organisers Nick Kirk and Daz Brown ensured the highly competitive tournament was wrapped up in just under six hours. Matlock man and current Derbyshire county men’s team captain Lee Stanley prevailed beating some top quality players en-route to the final. In the last four games Stanley beat Paul Baker 6-3 while from the other side of the draw REDSL chairman Daz Brown took Pete Burgoyne to a deciding leg before bowing out. Lee Stanley kept his superb form going throughout the final and eventually ran out the 6-4 champion to clinch the top prize of £400 with Burgoyne collecting £200 as runner up. [caption id="attachment_36299" align="aligncenter" width="480"] REDSL FA of Darts Singles Knockout - Daz Brown (Organiser) with Lee Stanley (Winner)[/caption] Losing semi-finalists Daz Brown and Paul Baker each received £100 and there was £25 for players going out in the quarter finals Aaron Bennett, Nigel Daniels, Jack Kerr and James Parkin. The free to enter first round losers competition was won by Keith Lodge who beat Sean Lambert 3-1 in a great final to pick up the first prize of £50 with Lambert collecting £25. There was £10 for each of the losing semi-finalists Sam Revill and Dale Robinson. Full Results:Last 64:- Nick Morton 6 Ben Lawrence 2, Ian Allcock 6 Neil Beresford 3, Tony Jacklin had a walkover, Jack Kerr 6 Dale Robinson 5, Wayne Howe had a walkover, Dave Allcock 6 Kev Rimmington 1, Steve Arkwright had a walkover, Pete Burgoyne 6 Lee Arkwright 1, James Parkin 6 Mick Chapman 2, Steve Soar 6 Colin Rich 1, Paul Holman 6 Luke Pilgrim 5, Lee Stanley 6 Phil Drinkall 1, Aaron Bennett had a walkover, Scott Parkin had a walkover, Daz Breedon 6 Shane Robinson 0, Charlie Marshall 6 Sean Lambert 2, Nigel Daniels had a walkover, James Thompson 6 Jim Beardmore 1, Stuart Barrowcliffe 6 Sam Revill 3, Jordan Beresford 6 Damian Donoghue 3, Connor Hodgkinson 6 Curtis Thorpe 2, Paul Baker 6 Gaz Jowett 0, Wes Smith 6 Danny Cooke 0, Dean Allsopp had a walkover, Ash Spencer 6 Trev Tye 1, Paul Coward 6 Stuart Biggs 2, Ash Wood 6 Dan Ford 5, Daz Sinfield 6 James Hewitt 2, Aden Kirk 6 Ty Ward 1, Nicky Bell 6 Keith Lodge 5, Daz Brown 6 Daz Webster 5, Dave Fritchley 6 Michelle Adkin 0, Last 32:- Steve Soar 6 Aden Kirk 4, Daz Brown 6 Steve Arkwright 1, Paul Baker 6 Dean Allsopp 3, Jack Kerr 6 Nick Morton 4, Aaron Bennett 6 Paul Holman 2, Ash Wood 6 Ash Spencer 3, Ian Allcock 6 Jordan Beresford 3, Lee Stanley 6 Connor Hodgkinson 3, Dave Allcock 6 Wayne Howe 1, Daz Sinfield 6 Daz Breedon 5, Nicky Bell 6 Charlie Marshall 5, James Parkin 6 Wes Smith 3, Tony Jacklin 6 Paul Coward 5, James Thompson 6 Stuart Barrowcliffe 5, Pete Burgoyne 6 Scott Parkin 2, Nigel Daniels 6 Dave Fritchley 3, Last 16:- Nigel Daniels 6 Steve Soar 4, Paul Baker 6 James Thompson 5, Lee Stanley 6 Nicky Bell 2, James Parkin 6 Ash Wood 3, Pete Burgoyne 6 Daz Sinfield 2, Aaron Bennett 6 Tony Jacklin 4, Jack Kerr 6 Dave Allcock 3, Daz Brown 6 Ian Allcock 1, Quarter Finals:- Daz Brown 6 Aaron Bennett 1, Pete Burgoyne 6 Nigel Daniels 3, Lee Stanley 6 Jack Kerr 5, Paul Baker 6 James Parkin 3, Semi-Finals:- Pete Burgoyne 6 Daz Brown 5, Lee Stanley 6 Paul Baker 3, Final:- Lee Stanley 6 Pete Burgoyne 4, First Round Losers Competition:Semi-Finals:- Keith Lodge 2 Sam Revill 0, Sean Lambert 2 Dale Robinson 2.
The final week’s fixtures in the Shirley and District Monday Night League produced no surprise results and no changes to the final league table. Champions The Highwood ended their campaign with a convincing 8-1 win over Sharmans Cross giving them a total point’s for the season of 52 six more than runners up Red Lion who were 6-3 winners at Saracens Jesters. The Wharf took third place with the same 56 points as Red Lion but with a lesser average after they completed their programme with a 7-2 win away to Legion Royals. Shirley Spartac won the wooden spoon finishing at the foot of the table as they rounded off the season with a 9-0 defeat by Legion Flights, next to bottom Saracens Jesters had the same 8 points as Spartac but had a far superior average.. Most 180’s for the season went to Andy Foulkes who hit a fantastic 15, the highest finish of 160 was achieved by both Dave Hesketh and Terry Constable.
The South Birmingham League staged their singles knockout which attracted an encouraging 49 entries and claiming the title with a final 2-0 result over Charlie Kingdon was Luis Barberan. In the last four games both Barberan and Kingdon won 2-0 against respective opponents Dan Stone and Wayne Cooper. [caption id="attachment_36270" align="aligncenter" width="640"] South Birmingham League Singles Knockout - Dave Kingdon (Vice Chairman) Luis Barberan (Winner) and Sue Kingdon (Organiser)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_36271" align="aligncenter" width="640"] South Birmingham League Singles Knockout - Dave Kingdon (Vice Chairman) Charlie Kingdon (Runner up) and Sue Kingdon (Organiser)[/caption]
The Camp Hill League held their presentation night at the Wagon and Horses, Adderley Street which saw the hosts Ashley Pearson received a trophy for winning the Consolation Singles Knockout. [caption id="attachment_36272" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Ashley Pearson (Wagon and Horses) Consolation Singles Knockout Winner[/caption] White Swan Nomads were not only league champions but also won the League Cup. [caption id="attachment_36273" align="aligncenter" width="640"] White Swan Nomads League and Cup Winners[/caption] Best game of the season was a perfect six darts leg recorded by Dan Lee (White Swan Nomads) who also had a maximum break of 170 plus a few 180’s during the course of the season. [caption id="attachment_36274" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Dan Lee (White Swan Nomads) receiving a salver for 170 break and 6 darts game[/caption]
The Small Heath League have been involved in two of their knockouts, first the Singles Knockout in which a East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association’s Neil Parsonage added yet another title to his huge list when he won the final 2-0 against Jim Frost from Heartlands Club. Parsonage had won his last four game against fellow team mate N.Davis 2-0 and Frost who also won 2-0 accounted for E.B.A.H.A. player Tom White The John Young Plate Knockout title went to Martin Cooper (E.B.A.H.A.) who with a 2-0 result beat Steve McCarthy from Sheldon Marlborough Flights. Cooper won 2-0 against J.Fisher (Emerald Club) in the last four and McCarthy beat G.Daly (Wagon and Horse) 2-1.
ECC Sports and Social Club by Alan Towe The ECC Sports and Social Club’s Thursday Night Champions League is fast nearing the end of its season and at the time of going to print the leader with a total of 111 points from 26 games and only four to play is Chris Fox, however hot on the heels of Fox in second place is another Chris, this time Chris Williams who is just four points off the top of the table with two games in hand which carry a total points of 14. Third in the table Andy Vellender is also still a contender as he has only played 22 games and with 95 points and two in hand on Williams and four in hand on Fox could also go top of the table with big wins. For the past four seasons the champion of the league has been Mick Baker who for various reasons was a late starter to the current season but is gradually catching up and is at present placed fourth on 93 points. A fifth consecutive title is still well on the cards for Baker although he trails leader Chris Fox by some 18 points as he has a huge seven games in hand which could net a possible 49 points, should be quite a run in to the end of the season.
By Alan Towe Website: www.alantowedarts.co.uk