Darts News – Alan Towe’s The Line On Darts – Lancashire v Warwickshire
Warwickshire start to the New Year in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships was not a good one and their disappointing away results did not get any better as they slumped to their third and biggest defeat of the campaign so far when they lost 25-11 away to high riding Lancashire. In the five games played so far Warwickshire have won their two home games and lost all three of the away fixtures, but in fairness to the county two of their defeats have been against the top two teams in the division Lancashire and Yorkshire. This was the first time this season that all four teams have lost in a fixture and indeed something that hasn’t happened since their 26-10 defeat away to Essex in April 2011 but the signs were there from the word go as Kerry Bambridge and Donna Pinch in turn lost 3-2 to Trish Hughes and 3-0 to Debbie Baxter to put Lancashire 2-0 up.
Lisa Whitmore halved the deficit when in the third game she won 3-0 against Anne-Marie Millership and although Marian Conway came from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 against Anne-Marie Swindells it was the home player who got the 3-2 win to restore he teams two game buffer.
Nina Bolt (Warwickshire) was made to fight all the way by Clare Weardon going 1-0 up to 2-1 down but finally winning 3-2 and not only winning the match award with a 17.76 average but also keeping her team in with a chance of sharing the points.
A draw unfortunately was not to be as Maria Ronson won the first leg against Lucy Keyte and although Lucy leveled with a tremendous 114 finish in the second, doubles evaded her and Ronson went on to win 3-1 and give her team mates a 4-2 win.
The men’s ‘B’ team had a good start when man of the match Matthew Edgar (29.03) beat Mark Cairney 4-3 after Cairney had won the first two legs. Dave Bennett (Lancashire) cancelled out Edgar’s win with a 4-2 success against Antony Allen but Warwickshire’s lead was restored when Ted Evetts chalked up his 4-1 win against Douggie Smith, then taking the lead to 3-1 was Simon Power who beat Lee Shewan 4-1. From there on in it was all downhill as the home team romped to a 9-3 victory with wins from Alan Bell, Carl Sneyd, Peter Bradley, Dave Rawstron, Chris O’Connor, Andy Johnson, James Marcroft and Ben Fairley.
There was a very rare defeat for Trina Gulliver as she lost the opener in the ladies ‘A’ game 3-1 to Lindsey Ashton. Lancashire doubled their lead when Lisa Ashton won 3-0 against Denise Keyte before their visitors chalked up their first win in the shape of Angela Jones. Angela was taken the full five legs by Amy Eden before achieving her 3-2 win, her 17.91 average enough to earn her the match award at the end of the day.
Kat Spanswick brought the game back to level terms when she won 3-1 against Joanne Clements but the last two games both went to the home side as Allyson Smith beat Melanie Hill 3-2 and Sue Cusick won 3-1 against Wendy Adams to give their team a 4-2 victory.
Lancashire men’s ‘A’ won the opening six games to put them within an ace of victory. Providing the wins were Scott Taylor, James Marcroft, Paul Lindley, Mark McGeeney, Mick Oversby and David Airey. Warwickshire’s man of the moment Jamie Hughes stopped the rot, a 4-1 win over David Adshead momentarily keeping the away team in the game, and it was only for a moment as Martin Barratt handed out a 4-0 defeat to Mark Westgarth to give the hosts an unassailable 7-1 lead.
At number nine Noel Grant pulled one back for Warwickshire as he won 4-1 against Robert Rickwood. Grant was followed by Warwickshire’s man of the match Nigel Heydon. Playing against Martin Atkins Heydon opened a 2-0 lead in 18 and 16 darts, Atkins replied with legs of 12 and 16 darts to level the game. The Warwickshire man then forged ahead again, this time with a super thirteen darts leg only to see his opponent force a deciding leg when he won the penultimate leg in 18 darts.
The seventh and deciding leg was a cracker Atkins had first throw and chalked up score of 140, 60, 66 and 77 to leave 158 after a dozen darts, Heydon meanwhile had pulled out all the stops with throws of 180, 97 and 180 then with two more darts a 44 game shot for an outstanding eleven darts leg to give him a 4-3 victory and a magnificent 31.75 average.
Eddie Dootson took the home team’s lead to 8-3 when he fought back from 2-1 down to Tom Aldridge to win 4-2. The final score was made it little more respectable when Mark Carter beat David Place 4-2 to give a result of 8-4 to Lancashire.
The overall 25-11 crushing defeat sees Warwickshire drop two places in the table to sixth
Full Results:Premier:Division:Lancashire v Warwickshire (25-11):(Lancashire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Scott Taylor 4 Dean Stewart 3, James Marcroft 4 Richard Foster 1, Paul Lindley 4 Ian McFarlane 3, Mark McGeeney 4 Mark Strong 1, Mick Oversby 4 Dave Harris 1, David Airey 4 William Naylor 3, David Adshead 1 Jamie Hughes 4, Martin Barratt 4 Mark Westgarth 0, Robert Rickwood 1 Noel Grant 4, Martin Atkins 3 Nigel Heydon 4, Eddie Dootson 4 Tom Aldridge 2, David Place 2 Mark Carter 4, Men’s ‘B’:- Mark Cairney 3 Matthew Edgar 4, David Bennett 4 Antony Allen 2, Douggie Smith 1 Ted Evetts 4, Lee Shewan 1 Simon Power 4, Alan Bell 4 Paul Deslandes 0, Carl Sneyd 4 carl Green 2Peter Bradley 4 Colin Laffar 2, Dave Rawstron 4 Tom McGlone 3, Chris O’Connor 4 Michael Spencer 1, Andy Johnson 4 Dan Green 0, James Marcroft 4 Neil Pritchard 0, Ben Fairley 4 Stephen Ward 0, Women’s ‘A’:- Lindsey Ashton 3 Trina Gulliver 1, Lisa Ashton 3 Denise Keyte 0, Amy Eden 2 Angela Jones 3, Joanne Clements 1 Kat Spanswick 3, Allyson Smith 3 Melanie Hill 2, Sue Cusick 3 Wendy Adams 1, Women’s ‘B’:- Trish Hughes 3 Kerry Bambridge 2, Debbie Baxter 3 Donna Pinch 0, Ann-Marie Millership 0 Lisa Whitmore 3, Ann-Marie Swindells 3 Marian Conway 2, Clare Wearden 2 Nina Bolt 3, Maria Ronson 3 Lucy Keyte 1.
Lisa Whitmore halved the deficit when in the third game she won 3-0 against Anne-Marie Millership and although Marian Conway came from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 against Anne-Marie Swindells it was the home player who got the 3-2 win to restore he teams two game buffer.
Nina Bolt (Warwickshire) was made to fight all the way by Clare Weardon going 1-0 up to 2-1 down but finally winning 3-2 and not only winning the match award with a 17.76 average but also keeping her team in with a chance of sharing the points.
A draw unfortunately was not to be as Maria Ronson won the first leg against Lucy Keyte and although Lucy leveled with a tremendous 114 finish in the second, doubles evaded her and Ronson went on to win 3-1 and give her team mates a 4-2 win.
The men’s ‘B’ team had a good start when man of the match Matthew Edgar (29.03) beat Mark Cairney 4-3 after Cairney had won the first two legs. Dave Bennett (Lancashire) cancelled out Edgar’s win with a 4-2 success against Antony Allen but Warwickshire’s lead was restored when Ted Evetts chalked up his 4-1 win against Douggie Smith, then taking the lead to 3-1 was Simon Power who beat Lee Shewan 4-1. From there on in it was all downhill as the home team romped to a 9-3 victory with wins from Alan Bell, Carl Sneyd, Peter Bradley, Dave Rawstron, Chris O’Connor, Andy Johnson, James Marcroft and Ben Fairley.
There was a very rare defeat for Trina Gulliver as she lost the opener in the ladies ‘A’ game 3-1 to Lindsey Ashton. Lancashire doubled their lead when Lisa Ashton won 3-0 against Denise Keyte before their visitors chalked up their first win in the shape of Angela Jones. Angela was taken the full five legs by Amy Eden before achieving her 3-2 win, her 17.91 average enough to earn her the match award at the end of the day.
Kat Spanswick brought the game back to level terms when she won 3-1 against Joanne Clements but the last two games both went to the home side as Allyson Smith beat Melanie Hill 3-2 and Sue Cusick won 3-1 against Wendy Adams to give their team a 4-2 victory.
Lancashire men’s ‘A’ won the opening six games to put them within an ace of victory. Providing the wins were Scott Taylor, James Marcroft, Paul Lindley, Mark McGeeney, Mick Oversby and David Airey. Warwickshire’s man of the moment Jamie Hughes stopped the rot, a 4-1 win over David Adshead momentarily keeping the away team in the game, and it was only for a moment as Martin Barratt handed out a 4-0 defeat to Mark Westgarth to give the hosts an unassailable 7-1 lead.
At number nine Noel Grant pulled one back for Warwickshire as he won 4-1 against Robert Rickwood. Grant was followed by Warwickshire’s man of the match Nigel Heydon. Playing against Martin Atkins Heydon opened a 2-0 lead in 18 and 16 darts, Atkins replied with legs of 12 and 16 darts to level the game. The Warwickshire man then forged ahead again, this time with a super thirteen darts leg only to see his opponent force a deciding leg when he won the penultimate leg in 18 darts.
The seventh and deciding leg was a cracker Atkins had first throw and chalked up score of 140, 60, 66 and 77 to leave 158 after a dozen darts, Heydon meanwhile had pulled out all the stops with throws of 180, 97 and 180 then with two more darts a 44 game shot for an outstanding eleven darts leg to give him a 4-3 victory and a magnificent 31.75 average.
Eddie Dootson took the home team’s lead to 8-3 when he fought back from 2-1 down to Tom Aldridge to win 4-2. The final score was made it little more respectable when Mark Carter beat David Place 4-2 to give a result of 8-4 to Lancashire.
The overall 25-11 crushing defeat sees Warwickshire drop two places in the table to sixth
Full Results:Premier:Division:Lancashire v Warwickshire (25-11):(Lancashire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Scott Taylor 4 Dean Stewart 3, James Marcroft 4 Richard Foster 1, Paul Lindley 4 Ian McFarlane 3, Mark McGeeney 4 Mark Strong 1, Mick Oversby 4 Dave Harris 1, David Airey 4 William Naylor 3, David Adshead 1 Jamie Hughes 4, Martin Barratt 4 Mark Westgarth 0, Robert Rickwood 1 Noel Grant 4, Martin Atkins 3 Nigel Heydon 4, Eddie Dootson 4 Tom Aldridge 2, David Place 2 Mark Carter 4, Men’s ‘B’:- Mark Cairney 3 Matthew Edgar 4, David Bennett 4 Antony Allen 2, Douggie Smith 1 Ted Evetts 4, Lee Shewan 1 Simon Power 4, Alan Bell 4 Paul Deslandes 0, Carl Sneyd 4 carl Green 2Peter Bradley 4 Colin Laffar 2, Dave Rawstron 4 Tom McGlone 3, Chris O’Connor 4 Michael Spencer 1, Andy Johnson 4 Dan Green 0, James Marcroft 4 Neil Pritchard 0, Ben Fairley 4 Stephen Ward 0, Women’s ‘A’:- Lindsey Ashton 3 Trina Gulliver 1, Lisa Ashton 3 Denise Keyte 0, Amy Eden 2 Angela Jones 3, Joanne Clements 1 Kat Spanswick 3, Allyson Smith 3 Melanie Hill 2, Sue Cusick 3 Wendy Adams 1, Women’s ‘B’:- Trish Hughes 3 Kerry Bambridge 2, Debbie Baxter 3 Donna Pinch 0, Ann-Marie Millership 0 Lisa Whitmore 3, Ann-Marie Swindells 3 Marian Conway 2, Clare Wearden 2 Nina Bolt 3, Maria Ronson 3 Lucy Keyte 1.