The eighth fixtures in the UKDA National League saw no change in the top three places in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division as leaders Yorkshire romped to a 24-12 home win over Hampshire who as a result of their defeat drop one place in the table to fifth on 168 points, thirty-one short of their hosts who have a thirteen points cushion on their nearest rivals Lancashire. Lancashire played an away game against Warwickshire and prior to the fixture they were only seven points to the good on their fifth placed hosts. The result was a 22-14 win for Lancashire with their Sam Cromwell recording the best average of the day for the men’s ‘A’ in the Premier Division a superb 33.40 in a straight 4-0 win over Nigel Heydon. The loss for the home side saw them drop one place to sixth but level on points with Hampshire. Essex with a narrow 19-17 home win over London hold on to third place but are now twenty-one points behind leaders Yorkshire.
Top averages for the ladies ‘A’ in the Premier went to Maria O’Brien (Cornwall) and Rhian O’Sullivan (Glamorgan) who both chalked up 27.33 averages with Beau Greaves recording a tremendous 29.47 for Yorkshire ‘B’.
In the Andy Wheeler Fisheries Championship Division Dorset continue to lead the field despite being held to an 18-18 draw at home by Humberside who lose their second place to Cleveland and drop to third eight points behind Dorset. Cleveland moves up from third thanks to their 21-15 win at Gwent, they are now just three points off the top. A 23-13 home win over fourth in the division Hertfordshire has seen Sussex leap up four places in the table to fifth putting them within six points of the opponents who hold on to the number four spot.
Berkshire’s Dan Read had a 32.32 average for the men’s ‘A’ while for the ladies ‘A’ Donna Rainsley (Sussex) averaged 26.37.
No change in the top four places in the L-Style Division One as leaders Derbyshire added a 22-14 win to their account in their away game against Worcestershire to give them a total of 196 points, extending their lead over second-placed Suffolk from three to twelve points as Suffolk went down 20-16 at home to Buckinghamshire who in third place have reduced the arrears on their hosts from nineteen to twelve points. After a slow start to their campaign West Midlands have hit form and with a huge 29-7 home win over Somerset held on to fourth place and go level on 172 points with the team just above them Buckinghamshire.
Top averages for the men’s ‘A’ teams went to West Midlands Richard Platt (31.81) while for the ladies it was a double-header for Buckinghamshire as Kirsty Gibbs and Fallon Sherrock both recorded a 24.64 average. The men’s ‘B’ average also went to Buckinghamshire, Chris Freshwater recording a 30.06 average with Somerset’s Sally Smith the ladies top player with a 24.24 average.
Once again as they did in Division Three Black Country have dominated the season in Division Two and have already booked their place in Division One next season. In their most recent fixture, Black Country travelled to the northeast where they took on their nearest rivals in Division Two Tyne and Wear who before the fixture were a big twenty-two points short of their guests and with the 19-17 result going in favour of the away team that advantage was increased to twenty-seven points. The race for the runners-up spot is still on for the chasing pack of Tyne and Wear, West of England, Clwyd, Nottinghamshire and Wiltshire with only nine points separating the five teams. The final week’s games should be very interesting.
The top average went to men’s ‘A’ Reece Colley (West Midlands 30.36), women’s ‘A’ Leanne Topper (Clwyd 22.77), men’s ‘B’ Dom Taylor (West of England 35.79) and women’s ‘B’ Sue Lane (Wiltshire 23.12).
Any two of the top three teams in Division Three could gain promotion as only two points separate Northumberland, Salopian and Middlesex but it is looking very unlikely that current leaders Northumberland will get promotion as they have already completed their fixture list bringing down the curtain with a narrow 19-17 win away to Shropshire. Second placed Salopian had a comfortable 26-10 victory away to Pembrokeshire while Middlesex won by the same margin at home to Wirral leaving them just one point short of Salopian.
Despite their close win Northumberland had three of the four top averages on the day for the division, winning both the men’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ thanks to in turn Ryan Branley (32.28) and Nick Stephenson (31.31) with Iyla Leightley taking the women’s ‘B’ award for her 19.24 average. The ladies ‘A’ average went to Salopian’s Sarah Roberts who had a 23.62 average.
—–ENDS—–
Alan Towe writes with the support of Red Dragon Darts
Images: Darts World
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