Darts News – Alan Towe’s The Line On Darts – Derbyshire v Suffolk

Derbyshire may have narrowly missed out on promotion to division one of the BDL Inter County Championships last season, but their opening game of the new season in division two, a home tie against Suffolk, showed no signs of any hangover or lack of confidence for the new campaign.

The ladies were in superb form. Saturday’s game saw them roar into a 3-0 lead Kelly Dean began the trio of wins when she beat Jan Turner 3-0. Kelly was followed by Derbyshire’s lady of the match Lauren Jackson. Lauren went two up against Wendy Harden and although the Suffolk player pulled one back in the third Lauren wrapped up her 3-1 win in the fourth with Harden unable to reach a double in any of the three legs she lost. Lauren’s average was 18.90. Taking the score to 3-0 was Rachel Ayres, another 3-1 success, this time against Rossy Scriven.

Suffolk recorded their first winner in the fourth game when Barbara Chenery beat Samantha Clarke 3-2 after the home player had twice levelled the game.

Dee Fenn confirmed a Derbyshire victory in the next game beating Teresa Dale 3-0 to take the score along to 4-1. Then Mandy Reeves (Suffolk) won the final game against Louise Rawson-Leeder 3-1 to give a final 4-2 win to Derbyshire.

The ladies ‘A’ went one better on Sunday beating their counterparts 5-1. Again, like the ‘B’ side they opened up a 3-0 lead with wins from Dawn Buckley, Rachel Bird and Jackie Sweet, who in turn accounted for Joanne Locke, Leesa Woollard and Laura Cooper.

Jean Prewitt reduced the arrears when she beat Sara-Jane Harrison 3-2 after Harrison had gone 2-0 up. The visitors joy was short lived as Joanne Oldershaw had a clinical 3-0 win over Nicky Doidge and to round off the 5-1 win Jane Densley laid on a lady of the match performance in the final game against Sami Waston. Jane actually lost the first leg, but with scores of 100 and 140 won the second in 21 darts. She then went ahead in 16 darts, her top shots 121 and 100 and clinched her win with two further tons in the fourth.

Saturday was also a good day for the men’s team. Long serving player Jim Beardmore got the proceedings underway with a 3-1 win over Duane Nessling and Tim Rippon doubled that lead with his similar 3-1 win against Daren Wood.

Suffolk were quick to respond and erased the lead when Jonathon King and Kim Buckingham in turn beat Dean Wilkins and Doug Walker. That however, was the end of the game as far as Suffolk were concerned as Robert Wood and Lee Stanley rounded off the first half with wins over Jamie Collins and John Attwater to give a 4-2 to lead to the home side.

The second half began with a man of the match display by Robert Smith. Smith won the opener against Lee Newson in 21 darts, he went 2-0 up with a 15 darts leg and although he lost the third in 15 darts he rounded off a super 3-1 win with another 15 darts leg giving him a 27.41 average.

The last five games all went in Derbyshire’s favour. Brian Snell, Paul Bettney, Paul Baker, Wayne Pepper and Alan Statham beating their respective counterparts Phil Reeve, Jason Elvin, Richard Watson, marc Patrick and Jason Stalker for a tremendous 10-2 win.

After going 1-0 up with a 4-3 win by David Smith-Hayes over Andrew Noy, the men’s ‘A’ side found themselves trailing 2-1 whenStephen Burton beat Paul Mellor 4-3 and Martin Totman won 4-1 against Robert Needham.

It took a man of the match performance from Tony Cresswell to level the game. He won the first against Wayne Hammond in 19 darts after notching a maximum, the second he had scores of 123,60,135,159 and checked out on double twelve for a 13 darts leg. He then won the next two in 20 and 18 for a straight 4-0 win.

David Ballard-Flatt restored Suffolk’s lead with a 4-2 win over David Allcock. Derbyshire for a third time cancelled out their opponents lead, this time it was down to a 4-2 win from Richard Hanson over Jason Mold.

Unfortunately it then all went wrong as Dan Tatum beat Gary Fenn 4-3, Nick Bloom won 4-2 against Stephen Pashley, Ian Randles had a 4-1 win over John Clifford and with 4-3 wins from Andrew Meikle and Dean Barker against Reece Spurr and Peter Slater, the visitors were 8-3 up.

The final game saw Nigel Daniels make the scoreline a little more respectable as he beat Tony Lincoln 4-1 to give a final score of 8-4 to Suffolk.

The disappointment of the men’s ‘A’ result apart it was a good weekend and a cracking start to the new season, a 23-13 win.

Full Results:Men’s ‘A’:- David Smith-Hayes 4 Andrew Noy 3, Paul Mellor 3 Stephen Burton 4, Robert Needham 1 Martin Totman 4, Tony Cresswell 4 Wayne Hammond 0, David Allcock 2 David Ballard-Flatt 4, Richard Hanson 4 Jason Mold 2, Gary Fenn 3 Dan Tatum 4, Stephen Pashley 2 Nick Bloom 4, John Clifford 1 Ian Randles 4, Reece Spurr 3 Andrew Meikle 4, Peter Slater 2 Dean Barker 4, Nigel Daniels 4 Tony Lincoln 1, Men’s ‘B’:- Jim Beardmore 3 Duane Nessling 1, Tim Rippon 3 Daren Wood 1, Dean Wilkins 2 Jonathon King 3, Doug Walker 1 Lim Buckingham 3, Robert Wood 3 Jamie Collins 2, Lee Stanley 3 John Attwater 0, Robert Smith 3 Lee Newson 1, Brian Snell 3 Phil Reeve 0, Paul Bettney 3 Jason Elvin 2, Paul Baker 3 Richard Watson 2, Wayne Pepper 3 Marc Patrick 0, Alan Statham 3 Jason Stalker 2, Women’s ‘A’:- Dawn Buckley 3 Joanne Locke 1, Rachel Bird 3 Leesa Woollard 0, Jackie Sweet 3 Laura Cooper 2, Sara-Jane Harrison 2 Jean Prewitt 3, Joanne Oldershaw 3 Nicky Doidge 0, Jane Densley 3 Sami Waston 1, Women’s ‘B’:- LKelly Dean 3 Jan Turner 0, Lauren Jackson 3 Wendy Harden 1, Rachel Ayres 3 Rossy Scriven 1, Samantha Clarke 2 Barbara Chenery 3, Dee Fenn 3 Teresa Dale 0, Louise Rawson-Leeder 1 Mandy Reeves 3.