Darts News – Alan Towe’s The Line On Darts – Cambridgeshire v Warwickshire
With Warwickshire fifth in the premier division table and their hosts Cambridgeshire two places above them the fixture looked anything but an easy one for the visitors. Nevertheless, boosted by wins in their previous two games against Gwent and high riding Lancashire, Warwickshire could not be written off to return with the points.
Saturday’s games saw the ladies get off the mark with three wins in the opening three games. Melanie Hill was first on against Casey Horspool and won 3-0. Donna beat Karen Stanhope 3-1 and completing the hat trick of wins was lady of the match Angela Jones. Angela actually lost the opening leg to Amy Grant but replied by taking the next two hitting a 100 and a maximum in the third. Grant levelled again in the fourth only to see the Warwickshire lady seal her 3-2 win with a 21 darts leg and take the match award with her 19.87 average.
Game four could easily have gone either way but missed doubles was Ann Rodgers downfall, Ronnie Johnson taking full advantage to go on and win 3-1. The margin between the two teams was reduced to 3-2 in the penultimate encounter when Sandra Greatbatch Cambridgeshire) beat Marian Conway 3-0 to put the onus on the final game between Liz Humphries and Kat Spanswick (Warwickshire).
The first leg was a little nervy with Spanswick just getting the 8 game shot after both players had throws for a double. Kat was however the clear winner of the third and although she lost the fourth went on to be a worthy 3-1 winner and give her team a 4-2 victory.
Simon Power opened for the men and he followed up his previous man of the match award with a straight 4-0win over John Dye. Mark Archer lost his game against Darren Cotterell 4-3, but for missed doubles the result could have been reversed to give the away side a 2-0 lead. Nevertheless the lead was quickly restored as Tom McGlone, who was in sparkling form beat Bob Foster 4-2. McGlone from 1-0 up went 2-1 down but responded magnificently winning the fourth leg in 18 darts and then taking the last two, both in 15 darts giving him an award winning average of 27.17.
Luke Kennedy took the score along to 3-1 with his 4-2 win over Alexander Topper before Cambridgeshire won their second game when Pete Richardson beat Paul Deslandes 4-1. Two in a row for Warwickshire gave them a 5-2 lead thanks to Ashley Hykin’s 4-2 win against Ziggy Lesiakowski and Antony Allen’s 4-1 success against Stephen Roberts.
Pulling one back for Cambridgeshire was Martin Purell, a 4-2 win against William Naylor, but it was a momentary lapse as the away team registered anther three wins thanks to Dane Vickers, Mark Strong and Carl Green, the first two having 4-3 wins against Terry Redhead and Chris Sheldrake, while Green beat Chris Sands-Pearce 4-1.
With the win already sewn up at 8-3 the final game went to the home side, Tony Clark winning 4-2 against Jimmy Hill to give a final score of 8-4 to Warwickshire, the men’s fourth win in six games.
Sunday didn’t get off to a great start as the ladies found themselves on the wrong side of a 5- 1scorelineLisa Whitmore lost the first 3-2 to Claire Bell and although the evergreen Trina Gulliver (21.04) cancelled out the home teams lead with her 3-1 win over Amanda Abbott, the next four games all went in favour of Cambridgeshire.
Will Harwood (Cambridgeshire) was the first winner in the men’s ‘A’ game, a 4-0 success against David Sanders. His win was cancelled out in style as in form Tom Aldridge beat Bob Foster 4-1. Foster won the first leg, but with 3x100 and 125 Aldridge won the second in 17 darts. Aldridge then went ahead in 12 darts hitting 100,180,171 and checking out on 50. Then with 2x140 he won the third in 14 darts and sealed a great win in 15 darts with further top shots of 2x140 and 137. Tom’s average was a tremendous award winning 32.49. Bob Foster must have wondered what had hit him as he lost to award winner Tom McGlone on Saturday and then another Tom, this time Aldridge turned on another award winning performance against him on Sunday. It was definitely not Foster’s weekend!!
Not set back by Aldridge’s performance the hosts then rattled off three wins, Dennis Harbour beat Jamie Atkins ((4-0), Gary Robertson won against Noel Grant (4-1) and Mark Horspool beat Steve Hine (4-3) to put the home team 4-1 up.
Warwickshire then moved up a gear and taking them into a 6-4 lead were Mark Westgarth, Dave Harris, Robert Hawker, Mark Carter and Dean Stewart at the expense of Stuart Ward, Dan Whitlam, Adam Cousins, Paul Wenn and Steve Carrett.
Ian Withers (Cambridgeshire) won game ten 4-2 against Richard Foster but securing the points and a 7-5 win for Warwickshire was Jamie Hughes with his 4-1 win against Kelly Corcoran in the final game.
What a comeback for Warwickshire, trailing 4-1 and winning 7-5 a tremendous effort from all players and a superb overall 20-16 victory that see’s them replace their hosts in third place in the table and the home side drop one place to fourth.
Full Results:(Cambridgeshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Will Harwood 4 David Sanders 0, Bob Foster 1 Tom Aldridge 4, Dennis Harbour 4 Jamie Atkins 0, Gary Robertson 4 Noel Grant 1, Mark Horspool 4 Steve Hine 3, Stuart Ward 2 Mark Westgarth 4, Dan Whitlam 2 Dave Harris 4, Adam Cousins 1 Robert Hawker 4, Paul Wenn 2 Mark Carter 4, Steve Carrrett 2 Dean Stewart 4, Ian Withers 4 Richard Foster 2, Kelly Corcoran 1 Jamie Hughes 4, Men’s ‘B’:- John Dye 0 Simon Power 4, Darren Cotterell 4 Mark Archer 3, Bob Foster 2 Tom McGlone 4, Alexander Topper 2 Luke Kennedy 4, Pete Richardson 4 Paul Deslandes 1, Ziggy Lesiakowski 2 Ashley Hykin 4, Stephen Roberts 1 Antony Allen 4, Martin Purell 4 William Naylor 2, Terry Redhead 3 Dane Vickers 4, Chris Sheldrake 3 Mark Strong 4, Chris Sands-Pearce 1 Carl Green 4, Tony Clark 4 Jimmy Hill 2, Women’s ‘A’:- Claire Ball 3 Lisa Whitmore 2, Amanda Abbott 1 Trina Gulliver 3, Jane Judges 3 Sue Gulliver 2, Juliet Findley 3 Wendy Adams 1, Barbara Greatbatch 3 Denise Keyte 2, Nadine Bentley 3 Louise Graham 1, Women’s ‘B’:- Casey Horspool 0 Melanie Hill 3, Karen Stanhope 1 Donna Pinch 3, Amy Grant 2 Angela Jones 3, Ronnie Johnson 3 Ann Rodgers 1, Sandra Greatbatch 3 Marian Conway 0, Liz Humphries 1 Kat Spanswick 3.
Saturday’s games saw the ladies get off the mark with three wins in the opening three games. Melanie Hill was first on against Casey Horspool and won 3-0. Donna beat Karen Stanhope 3-1 and completing the hat trick of wins was lady of the match Angela Jones. Angela actually lost the opening leg to Amy Grant but replied by taking the next two hitting a 100 and a maximum in the third. Grant levelled again in the fourth only to see the Warwickshire lady seal her 3-2 win with a 21 darts leg and take the match award with her 19.87 average.
Game four could easily have gone either way but missed doubles was Ann Rodgers downfall, Ronnie Johnson taking full advantage to go on and win 3-1. The margin between the two teams was reduced to 3-2 in the penultimate encounter when Sandra Greatbatch Cambridgeshire) beat Marian Conway 3-0 to put the onus on the final game between Liz Humphries and Kat Spanswick (Warwickshire).
The first leg was a little nervy with Spanswick just getting the 8 game shot after both players had throws for a double. Kat was however the clear winner of the third and although she lost the fourth went on to be a worthy 3-1 winner and give her team a 4-2 victory.
Simon Power opened for the men and he followed up his previous man of the match award with a straight 4-0win over John Dye. Mark Archer lost his game against Darren Cotterell 4-3, but for missed doubles the result could have been reversed to give the away side a 2-0 lead. Nevertheless the lead was quickly restored as Tom McGlone, who was in sparkling form beat Bob Foster 4-2. McGlone from 1-0 up went 2-1 down but responded magnificently winning the fourth leg in 18 darts and then taking the last two, both in 15 darts giving him an award winning average of 27.17.
Luke Kennedy took the score along to 3-1 with his 4-2 win over Alexander Topper before Cambridgeshire won their second game when Pete Richardson beat Paul Deslandes 4-1. Two in a row for Warwickshire gave them a 5-2 lead thanks to Ashley Hykin’s 4-2 win against Ziggy Lesiakowski and Antony Allen’s 4-1 success against Stephen Roberts.
Pulling one back for Cambridgeshire was Martin Purell, a 4-2 win against William Naylor, but it was a momentary lapse as the away team registered anther three wins thanks to Dane Vickers, Mark Strong and Carl Green, the first two having 4-3 wins against Terry Redhead and Chris Sheldrake, while Green beat Chris Sands-Pearce 4-1.
With the win already sewn up at 8-3 the final game went to the home side, Tony Clark winning 4-2 against Jimmy Hill to give a final score of 8-4 to Warwickshire, the men’s fourth win in six games.
Sunday didn’t get off to a great start as the ladies found themselves on the wrong side of a 5- 1scorelineLisa Whitmore lost the first 3-2 to Claire Bell and although the evergreen Trina Gulliver (21.04) cancelled out the home teams lead with her 3-1 win over Amanda Abbott, the next four games all went in favour of Cambridgeshire.
Will Harwood (Cambridgeshire) was the first winner in the men’s ‘A’ game, a 4-0 success against David Sanders. His win was cancelled out in style as in form Tom Aldridge beat Bob Foster 4-1. Foster won the first leg, but with 3x100 and 125 Aldridge won the second in 17 darts. Aldridge then went ahead in 12 darts hitting 100,180,171 and checking out on 50. Then with 2x140 he won the third in 14 darts and sealed a great win in 15 darts with further top shots of 2x140 and 137. Tom’s average was a tremendous award winning 32.49. Bob Foster must have wondered what had hit him as he lost to award winner Tom McGlone on Saturday and then another Tom, this time Aldridge turned on another award winning performance against him on Sunday. It was definitely not Foster’s weekend!!
Not set back by Aldridge’s performance the hosts then rattled off three wins, Dennis Harbour beat Jamie Atkins ((4-0), Gary Robertson won against Noel Grant (4-1) and Mark Horspool beat Steve Hine (4-3) to put the home team 4-1 up.
Warwickshire then moved up a gear and taking them into a 6-4 lead were Mark Westgarth, Dave Harris, Robert Hawker, Mark Carter and Dean Stewart at the expense of Stuart Ward, Dan Whitlam, Adam Cousins, Paul Wenn and Steve Carrett.
Ian Withers (Cambridgeshire) won game ten 4-2 against Richard Foster but securing the points and a 7-5 win for Warwickshire was Jamie Hughes with his 4-1 win against Kelly Corcoran in the final game.
What a comeback for Warwickshire, trailing 4-1 and winning 7-5 a tremendous effort from all players and a superb overall 20-16 victory that see’s them replace their hosts in third place in the table and the home side drop one place to fourth.
Full Results:(Cambridgeshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Will Harwood 4 David Sanders 0, Bob Foster 1 Tom Aldridge 4, Dennis Harbour 4 Jamie Atkins 0, Gary Robertson 4 Noel Grant 1, Mark Horspool 4 Steve Hine 3, Stuart Ward 2 Mark Westgarth 4, Dan Whitlam 2 Dave Harris 4, Adam Cousins 1 Robert Hawker 4, Paul Wenn 2 Mark Carter 4, Steve Carrrett 2 Dean Stewart 4, Ian Withers 4 Richard Foster 2, Kelly Corcoran 1 Jamie Hughes 4, Men’s ‘B’:- John Dye 0 Simon Power 4, Darren Cotterell 4 Mark Archer 3, Bob Foster 2 Tom McGlone 4, Alexander Topper 2 Luke Kennedy 4, Pete Richardson 4 Paul Deslandes 1, Ziggy Lesiakowski 2 Ashley Hykin 4, Stephen Roberts 1 Antony Allen 4, Martin Purell 4 William Naylor 2, Terry Redhead 3 Dane Vickers 4, Chris Sheldrake 3 Mark Strong 4, Chris Sands-Pearce 1 Carl Green 4, Tony Clark 4 Jimmy Hill 2, Women’s ‘A’:- Claire Ball 3 Lisa Whitmore 2, Amanda Abbott 1 Trina Gulliver 3, Jane Judges 3 Sue Gulliver 2, Juliet Findley 3 Wendy Adams 1, Barbara Greatbatch 3 Denise Keyte 2, Nadine Bentley 3 Louise Graham 1, Women’s ‘B’:- Casey Horspool 0 Melanie Hill 3, Karen Stanhope 1 Donna Pinch 3, Amy Grant 2 Angela Jones 3, Ronnie Johnson 3 Ann Rodgers 1, Sandra Greatbatch 3 Marian Conway 0, Liz Humphries 1 Kat Spanswick 3.