Darts News – Alan Towe’s The Line On Darts – Derbyshire v Northamptonshire
Derbyshire’s final game of the season in division two of the BDO Inter County Championships was a home tie with Northamptonshire, still with everything to play for as a promotion place, although dependant on other results was out of the question.
The ladies ‘B’ began promisingly as Sara-Jane Harrison got them going with a 3-1 win over Nicola Coleman and with a further 3-2 win from Kirsty Handford against Sandra Simmonds a win looked most definitely on the cards.
From 2-0 up the home side were suddenly 3-2 down, Sylvia Jones beat Dee Fenn 3-2, Elisha Evans won 3-0 against Rachel Ayres and to complete the hat trick Amy Chappell had a 3-2 success in her game with Dawn Buckley to leave Derbyshire now struggling to earn a draw.
As it turned out it was not much of a struggle as Sonia Bracken chose the exact right time to produce a lady of the match performance, accounting for Trina Elliott with a 3-1 scoreline and a 17.19 average to give a final 3-3 result.
The first four games of the men’s ‘B’ match were shared, Curly Connelly and Ian Evans twice giving Northamptonshire the lead only on each occasion to see it cancelled out by Doug Walker and then Robert Wood, who not only beat Michael Ward 3-0 but at the same time took the match award with his 25.05 average.
For the first time in the match Derbyshire went ahead in the fifth when Tim Rippon beat Nick Wesby 3-2. The following four games were once again shared Ian Bisland and Martin Biggs, winners for the visitors and Alan Statham and Richard Hanson for the hosts to take the score along to 5-4 in the home teams favour.
Two more wins from Colin Rich and Lee Stanley opened up an unassailable 7-4 lead for Derbyshire and to complete the 7-5 result Chris Shipley (Northamptonshire) won 3-2 against Adrian Asprey.
Joanne Oldershaw completed a fantastic season for the ladies ‘A’ with another super lady of the match show. On at number one she beat Rebecca Barrow 3-1 and in the process recorded a fabulous 23.43 average.
Gail Fullthorpe cancelled out Joanne’s win with her 3-0 success over Louise Rawson, only to see the home team roar into a match winning lead with three in a row from Rachel Bird, Jane Densley and Jackie Sweet.
The final game went to the away team’s Kelly Walker, a 3-1 win over Stephanie Allerton for a 4-2 result.
The men’s ‘A’ game saw Northamptonshire pegged back to level terms after leading 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 before losing the lead in the ninth game. Paul Shepherd and Ricky Evans were their first two winners, with John Clifford and Gary Fenn replying for Derbyshire.
Jason Lovell got the away team noses in front again in the fifth, only to see the home side’s man of the match Paul Mellor (26.11) win 4-3 in a seven legs battle against Chris Jones level the game at 3-3.Ben Goodger was the next player to give the visitors the lead before they actually lost that advantage for the first time after further wins from Derbyshire’s Stephen Pashley and Tony Cresswell, Derbyshire at this point leading 5-4.
The next two games finished at 4-2, Stuart Gilmour and Liam Fox defeating Peter Slater and Robert Needham to restore their teams lead at 6-5 with one to play. Unfortunately for Drew Smith and Derbyshire, Northamptonshire’s man of the match Dave Walker was their anchor man and what an anchor man he proved to be as he won 4-0 with winning legs of 12, 17, 18 and 16 darts to give his ‘A’ team mates a 7-5 win.
The overall result was 19-17 for Derbyshire, yes another win, but unfortunately it was not enough. Fellow promotion contenders Cleveland meanwhile, were losing 21-15 at West Midlands, however they amassed a total of 196 points, which was just four more than Derbyshire and gave them the runners up spot, ten adrift of champions Somerset, who had 25-11 win at home to Leicestershire.
Full Results:(Derbyshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Reece Spurr 0 Paul Shepherd 4, Nigel Daniels 1 Ricky Evans 4, John Clifford 4 Simon Almey 1, Gary Fenn 4 Robert Fairbairn 3, Darran Sinfield 2 Jason Lovell 4, Paul Mellor 4 Chris Jones 3, David Smith-Hayes 3 Ben Goodger 4, Stephen Pashley 4 Nigel Crane 0, Tony Cresswell 4 Shane Prowse 2, Peter Slater 2 Stuart Gilmour 4, Robert Needham 2 Liam Fox 4, Drew Smith 0 Dave Walker 4, Men’s ‘B’:- Steven Homer 2 Curly Connelly 3, Doug Walker 3 Max Murray 0, Robert Smith 1 Ian Evans 3, Robert Wood 3 Michael Ward 0, Tim Rippon 3 Nick Wesby 2, Paul Jones 1 Ian Bisland 3, Alan Statham 3 Phil Coward 0, Christian Bradshaw 2 Martin Biggs 3, Richard Hanson 3 Lee Rose 1, Colin Rich 3 Simon Johnson 1, Lee Stanley 3 Richard Sharp 2, Adrian Asprey 2 Chris Shipley 3, Women’s ‘A’:- Joanne Oldershaw 3 Rebecca Barrow 1, Louise Rawson 0 Gail Fullthorpe 3, Rachel Bird 3 Angela Barrow 2, Jane Densley 3 Faye Mason 1, Jackie Sweet 3 Sharon Tompkins 1, Stephanie Allerton 1 Kelly Walker 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Sara-Jane Harrison 3 Nicola Coleman 1, Kirsty Handford 3 Sandra Simmonds 2, Dee Fenn 2 Sylvia Jones 3, Rachel Ayres 0 Elisha Evans 3, Dawn Buckley 2 Amy Chappell 3, Sonia Bracken 3 Trina Elliott 1.
The ladies ‘B’ began promisingly as Sara-Jane Harrison got them going with a 3-1 win over Nicola Coleman and with a further 3-2 win from Kirsty Handford against Sandra Simmonds a win looked most definitely on the cards.
From 2-0 up the home side were suddenly 3-2 down, Sylvia Jones beat Dee Fenn 3-2, Elisha Evans won 3-0 against Rachel Ayres and to complete the hat trick Amy Chappell had a 3-2 success in her game with Dawn Buckley to leave Derbyshire now struggling to earn a draw.
As it turned out it was not much of a struggle as Sonia Bracken chose the exact right time to produce a lady of the match performance, accounting for Trina Elliott with a 3-1 scoreline and a 17.19 average to give a final 3-3 result.
The first four games of the men’s ‘B’ match were shared, Curly Connelly and Ian Evans twice giving Northamptonshire the lead only on each occasion to see it cancelled out by Doug Walker and then Robert Wood, who not only beat Michael Ward 3-0 but at the same time took the match award with his 25.05 average.
For the first time in the match Derbyshire went ahead in the fifth when Tim Rippon beat Nick Wesby 3-2. The following four games were once again shared Ian Bisland and Martin Biggs, winners for the visitors and Alan Statham and Richard Hanson for the hosts to take the score along to 5-4 in the home teams favour.
Two more wins from Colin Rich and Lee Stanley opened up an unassailable 7-4 lead for Derbyshire and to complete the 7-5 result Chris Shipley (Northamptonshire) won 3-2 against Adrian Asprey.
Joanne Oldershaw completed a fantastic season for the ladies ‘A’ with another super lady of the match show. On at number one she beat Rebecca Barrow 3-1 and in the process recorded a fabulous 23.43 average.
Gail Fullthorpe cancelled out Joanne’s win with her 3-0 success over Louise Rawson, only to see the home team roar into a match winning lead with three in a row from Rachel Bird, Jane Densley and Jackie Sweet.
The final game went to the away team’s Kelly Walker, a 3-1 win over Stephanie Allerton for a 4-2 result.
The men’s ‘A’ game saw Northamptonshire pegged back to level terms after leading 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 before losing the lead in the ninth game. Paul Shepherd and Ricky Evans were their first two winners, with John Clifford and Gary Fenn replying for Derbyshire.
Jason Lovell got the away team noses in front again in the fifth, only to see the home side’s man of the match Paul Mellor (26.11) win 4-3 in a seven legs battle against Chris Jones level the game at 3-3.Ben Goodger was the next player to give the visitors the lead before they actually lost that advantage for the first time after further wins from Derbyshire’s Stephen Pashley and Tony Cresswell, Derbyshire at this point leading 5-4.
The next two games finished at 4-2, Stuart Gilmour and Liam Fox defeating Peter Slater and Robert Needham to restore their teams lead at 6-5 with one to play. Unfortunately for Drew Smith and Derbyshire, Northamptonshire’s man of the match Dave Walker was their anchor man and what an anchor man he proved to be as he won 4-0 with winning legs of 12, 17, 18 and 16 darts to give his ‘A’ team mates a 7-5 win.
The overall result was 19-17 for Derbyshire, yes another win, but unfortunately it was not enough. Fellow promotion contenders Cleveland meanwhile, were losing 21-15 at West Midlands, however they amassed a total of 196 points, which was just four more than Derbyshire and gave them the runners up spot, ten adrift of champions Somerset, who had 25-11 win at home to Leicestershire.
Full Results:(Derbyshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Reece Spurr 0 Paul Shepherd 4, Nigel Daniels 1 Ricky Evans 4, John Clifford 4 Simon Almey 1, Gary Fenn 4 Robert Fairbairn 3, Darran Sinfield 2 Jason Lovell 4, Paul Mellor 4 Chris Jones 3, David Smith-Hayes 3 Ben Goodger 4, Stephen Pashley 4 Nigel Crane 0, Tony Cresswell 4 Shane Prowse 2, Peter Slater 2 Stuart Gilmour 4, Robert Needham 2 Liam Fox 4, Drew Smith 0 Dave Walker 4, Men’s ‘B’:- Steven Homer 2 Curly Connelly 3, Doug Walker 3 Max Murray 0, Robert Smith 1 Ian Evans 3, Robert Wood 3 Michael Ward 0, Tim Rippon 3 Nick Wesby 2, Paul Jones 1 Ian Bisland 3, Alan Statham 3 Phil Coward 0, Christian Bradshaw 2 Martin Biggs 3, Richard Hanson 3 Lee Rose 1, Colin Rich 3 Simon Johnson 1, Lee Stanley 3 Richard Sharp 2, Adrian Asprey 2 Chris Shipley 3, Women’s ‘A’:- Joanne Oldershaw 3 Rebecca Barrow 1, Louise Rawson 0 Gail Fullthorpe 3, Rachel Bird 3 Angela Barrow 2, Jane Densley 3 Faye Mason 1, Jackie Sweet 3 Sharon Tompkins 1, Stephanie Allerton 1 Kelly Walker 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Sara-Jane Harrison 3 Nicola Coleman 1, Kirsty Handford 3 Sandra Simmonds 2, Dee Fenn 2 Sylvia Jones 3, Rachel Ayres 0 Elisha Evans 3, Dawn Buckley 2 Amy Chappell 3, Sonia Bracken 3 Trina Elliott 1.