Match number five in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division of the UKDA National League produced an enticing fixture between Lancashire, who topped the division prior to the fixture and their opponents Yorkshire who were placed fourth, trailing their hosts by some thirty points but with a game in hand. That point’s deficit was halved as Yorkshire romped to a 24-12 victory.
Saturday’s games both went to Yorkshire with the ladies winning 4-2 and the men 9-3 while the Sunday ‘A’ team results saw the ladies finish all square at three each and for the men, once again it was Yorkshire who won 8-4. The win sees Yorkshire move up two places in the table to second still with a game in hand on Lancashire who hold on to pole position with 120 points. Hampshire were formerly second but a 19-17 defeat away to Dorset has seen them drop to third on ninety-seven points, twenty-three short of the leaders. Glamorgan also drop one place in the table to fourth as a result of their 21-15 defeat at Lincolnshire leaving them on ninety-four points.
Match awards for the Premier Division saw Dorset win two as they won both the men’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ with Dan Perry taking the former for his 4-2 win and 30.73 average against Hampshire’s Sam Rooney and Richard Wright earned himself the ‘B’ award for his superb 32.85 average and 4-0 success over Andy Mitchell.
For the ladies ‘A’ the top average went to Essex player Stacey Ellis for her excellent 25.91 average and 3-0 win over Staffordshire’s Danielle Pearce. The top ‘B’ player was Hampshire’s Laura Turner who beat Dorset’s Donna Mabbatt 3-1 with a fantastic 27.18 average.
The Andy Wheeler Fisheries Championship Division saw leaders London somewhat surprisingly held to an 18-18 draw at home playing against Oxfordshire who are currently seated at the foot of the divisional table. Nevertheless the draw has seen London extend their lead from twelve to eighteen points as second placed Northamptonshire went down 23-13 playing at home against Cambridgeshire. With Kent having a bye they drop from third to fourth in the table, eight points behind Hertfordshire who have replaced them in the number three spot following their huge 25-11 win away to West Midlands. Cambridgeshire followed up their win at Northamptonshire by playing a rearranged game one fixture, a home tie with Oxfordshire which they won 21-15 to lift them up into fifth place with eighty-two points, sixteen behind second placed Northamptonshire but with a game in hand.
For the ‘A’ games the top averages went to, for the men Lee Cocks (London) who beat Oxfordshire’s Andrew Quinn 4-2 and for the ladies Derbyshire’s Rose Mort topped the averages with her 24.24 in a 3-0 win over Sussex player Emma Wapshott. Cambridgeshire’s Phil Johnson-Hale was the top man in the men’s ‘B’ games, his 28.63 average and 4-0 win over Northamptonshire’s Alex Dilley earning him the award. The ladies ‘B’ award was shared by Hertfordshire’s Vicky Rannow and Jo Kitchen with both players recording a 20.88 average. Vicky beat West Midlands Jodie Rowlands 3-0 and Jo won by the same 3-0 scoreline against Jacqueline Simmons.
With three wins and a draw in their opening four games Black Country were residing at the top of the L-Style Division One table, that is until they played game number five which was a home fixture against Leicestershire who although two places off the foot of the table they did have a game in hand. The result was 24-12 to Leicestershire to see them move up three places in the table, Black Country losing pole position and dropping to third. Gwent had a 19-17 win at Devon and following that played a rearranged game six fixture, a home tie against Tyne and Wear.
With a 23-13 win in that game Gwent have taken over the number one spot with a total of 140 points from six games, their nearest rivals second and third placed Suffolk and Black Country in turn have 111 and 105 points, both of them having a game in hand on Gwent. Suffolk’s fifth game of the season was an away game against Buckinghamshire which they won 22-14.
—–ENDS—–
Alan Towe writes with the support of Red Dragon Darts
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