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On The Oche: reports by Colin Hewson
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Round-up for June 24
QUEEN OF SPADES SIGNS UP ‘THE POWER’
The world champion of darts is set to hit the Queen of Spades in June 2009 as
Phil “The Power” Taylor will be in town to present the awards for the Queen
of Spades Premier League and the Staffsmart Super League singles
competitions. He will also be playing the top six finishers from both
divisions in an end-of-season exhibition. At Friday night’s annual meeting,
organisers agreed to also maintain their high standards by not increasing
subscriptions of £2 per week. And, should each division reach a minimum of 16
entrants, the prize money will also stay the same as last year, meaning a
total of £3,000 will once again be up for grabs. The top award will once
again be the £500 first prize for the Staffsmart League champion. On top of
this, a new award has been created with a £50 top prize for an 11-dart leg.
This will roll over season after season if not initially achieved with the
ultimate goal being that magical nine-dart leg with a massive jackpot!
Closing date for entries to reach the Queen of Spades for the new campaign is
Friday August 15, 2008 with both leagues set to start action on Friday
September 12. Entry forms will be available at the Standard and Target
newspaper offices or pop in to headquarters at the Queen of Spades to fill in
an entry form.
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Annual meeting news
The Staffsmart Super League and the Queen of Spades
Premier League and will be holding their annual meeting at the Queen of
Spades on Friday June 20, 2008 starting at 8.00pm. The Friday
night league is looking to increase its prize money for next season.
Anyone with an interest in joining the committee, or any of last season’s
existing players with proposed rule changes, should attend the meeting.
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Round-up for May 2
CAMPAIGN AT ITS CONCLUSION
The conclusion of the Staffsmart Super League was
reached on Friday night. With Graham McFarland already crowned champion, the
battle was on for the other places. Shane Parker needed two wins to oust
landlord Colin Hewson from the runner-up spot. In game one against Richard
Pearson, it was Richard who made the better start by taking the opening leg
to lead 1-0. But Shane quickly got his game together and turned things around
with 18 and 21 dart legs to lead at 2-1. Richard then produced his best leg
of darts in the match to restore parity once again at 2-2. It was Shane,
though, who was able to raise his game further and a 23-dart leg made it 3-2.
That was followed by a 180 (his 13th of the season) in a 17-dart leg to
secure a 4-2 win. Game two was against Nicky Murphy and he made a blistering
start by securing a 1-0 lead in just 15 darts with a 131 checkout. It was
soon 3-0 before Nicky got a chance at a double, hitting a 79 checkout to make
it 3-1. It was to be just a consolation point, though, as Shane secured a 4-1
win and the runners-up spot with a 25.89 average. Mick Ray was next to the
oche and he was also after a closing double to pinch third place. A 4-0 win
against Andy Cammack gave him the best possible start, but Richard Spicer
played next and he too could have thrown himself into contention with a win
up against Chris Ray. The pair made a poor start with a 36-dart double one debacle
going to Chris for a shock 1-0 lead. It was vintage “old spice” after that,
as a 180 was hit and four quick fire legs of 16, 17, 18 and 20 darts gave him
a 28.22 average for the last four legs to secure a 4-1 win for Richard. Chris
was soon back in action against Darren Butler who himself needed to win to
grab a top six place to enable him play Martin Adams on May 16. And a 4-2 win
gave him that. It meant the final game of the season between Mick Ray and
Darren Butler still had some significance, with the pressure off Darren, Mick
knew he needed to end with a win to displace both Colin Hewson and Richard
Spicer who were both ahead of him, Darren though made the best possible start
winning three legs out of the first four with 20,16 and 23 dart legs giving
him the advantage, The response from Mick had to come and it did a 17 dart
leg made it 3-2 and 20 darts later it was 3-3. Setting up a tense decider,
both reached a double in unison with Darren needing 76 he hit treble 20 but
two darts missed double eight, allowing Mick the golden chance to win and
grab third spot! Sadly he missed his intended out-shot on 50 to leave double
eight and Darren struck the killer blow hitting double eight with his final
arrow. Both players hit 24-plus averages as Darren won 4-3 to leave Mick in
fifth place a point off third and only leg difference stopped him from
finishing in fourth.
Presentation night will be at the Queen of Spades on Friday May 16 when all
league sponsors and Martin “Wolfie “ Adams will be presenting awards,
followed by an exhibition against the top six players in each division,
Stats:
Champion, G McFarland (£500); runner-up, S Parker (£350); third, C Hewson
(£250); fourth, R Spicer (£150); fifth, M Ray (£90); sixth, D Butler (£65);
seventh, A Parker (£45); wooden spoon, N Murphy (£30); most 180s, S Parker 13
(£30); lowest leg, S Parker 12 darts (£25); top average, G McFarland 29.47
(£20), top checkout, R Pearson 157 (£25).
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Round-up
for April 18
BUTLER-BREWSTER GRABS TITLE
The conclusion of the Queen of Spades Premier Darts
League was reached on Friday night with the top six places being decided on
the final night’s action. A 3-1 win for Mark Butler-Brewster over Sharon
Butler saw him secure top spot and the £280 first prize. Sharon, though, was
not too despondent as she had secured a top five finish and took the leading
lady award which will see her pick up £105 in prize money and a game along
with the top six finishers against Martin “Wolfie” Adams on the May 16 at the
Queen of Spades. Runner-up and £190 went to Nathan Richardson after a 3-1 win
over youngster Ryan Austin cemented his place. Ray Gregory finished third,
picking up £100 after a 3-0 win over Andy Holland and Keith Dack in fourth
spot will pick up £70 after a 3-1 win over James Beeson. At the other end of
the table, Damo Lawson will pick up a pound per leg as a consolation for
finishing with the wooden spoon as he lost his final game to Andy Holland
3-1. The final two games in the division also had significant importance and
both featured John Paul Carney. A cracking five-leg battle against James
Beeson saw John Paul hit a 180 but James hit back with the division’s best
checkout of the season with a terrific 170 checkout on the bull, although
John Paul won the match 3-2. It left that all-important final qualifying
place in the top six still available but John Paul had to beat youngster Ryan
Austin. At just 13 years old he has improved significantly this season
resulting in the nickname of “Little Power” by some of his older peers who
can see a potential star of the future. In a tense match, it was Ryan who
took the spoils with a 3-1 win to nick sixth spot and face “Wolfie” in three
weeks’ time. Other awards go to: M Butler-Brewster for a 24.63 average, K
Dack most 180s and the lowest dart leg in 14 darts; top checkout, J Beeson
170
STAFFSMART SUPER LEAGUE TITLE GOES TO GRAHAM
Although there is officially two weeks remaining. Graham McFarland has won
the title and the £500 first prize after he overcame his final obstacle in
the guise of second placed Colin Hewson 4-3 on Friday night. A top quality
match went the distance as Colin fought back from 2-0 down to draw level with
a 101 checkout. In response, Graham then produced a 126 checkout on the bull
to lead again. But once again Colin levelled at 3-3. Graham went on to secure
the win 4-3 with a 26.96 average, leaving Colin with a 25.64 average and unable to defend second place any further as both Shane Parker and Mick Ray
will look to pinch second spot. The other action saw Richard Spicer shoot up
to third spot after a hard fought 4-3 win over Nicky Murphy. But he, too, is
in danger of being overhauled by Shane and Mick.
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Round-up
for April 11
No league reports, but tables are fully updated.
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Round-up
for April 4
No league reports, but tables are fully updated.
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Round-up
for March 28
No league reports, but tables are fully updated.
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Round-up
for March 7
SUPER DARTS IN SUPER LEAGUE
This week’s action in the Staffsmart Super League lived up to its
billing once again as the action hots up —with four maximum 180s hit, two
14-dart legs and four players recording 25.00 averages. The standard was top
quality. Game one saw Shane Parker take on Andy Cammack. The former opened
with scores of 140, 99, 140, 97 and 25 (out) to go 1-0 up in 15 darts. Leg
two was won in 21 darts. By the time leg three had arrived Shane had secured
a 3-0 lead with scores of 140, 60, 60, 180 and 61 (out) for a superb 14-dart
leg. The pace continued to be hot and Shane left himself the magical 170
out-shot only to narrowly miss the bull. Andy, to his credit, grabbed the leg
to cut the deficit to 3-1 but Shane went on to wrap up the match 4-1 with a
27.44 average to set the early standard for the rest to follow. Richard
Spicer narrowly failed to beat Shane’s average as he beat Adie Parker 4-1
with a 26.55 average. The highlight in this match was leg two which saw
Richard hit scores of 100, 140, 100, 87 and 74 (out) for a 15-dart leg. Colin
Hewson (second) faced Mick Ray (fourth) with Colin making a blistering start
as he raced into a 3-0 lead with 14, 17 and 18-dart legs giving him a 30.93
average for three legs. Although the pace slackened slightly with Mick taking
leg four, a 180 from Colin secured the win 4-1 with a 26.78 average. The 180s
kept coming. Chris Ray hit one against table-topper Graham McFarland in a
brief show of resistance as Graham eventually ran out a 4-1 winner. Colin
Hewson was back in action against Andy Cammack and this time his finishing
was red hot as checkouts on 96, 72, 40 and 97 saw him record a 4-0 win with a
24.44 average. The final game of the night saw a battle of two of the big
guns as Shane Parker and Richard Spicer clashed. Richard lived up to his name
and was too hot for Shane a 180 and a 28.38 average included two 15-dart legs
and a 104 checkout as Richard had clearly saved his best until last in a 4-1
win.
Queen of Spades Premier Division
Two youngsters kicked off the action in the Queen of
Spades Premier Division as Ryan Austin and James Beeson clashed. Ryan, it
was, who played the better darts to take a 3-0 win. Keith Dack can bemoan his
own lack of form on doubles but in his game with Sharon Butler he came off
second best much to Sharon’s credit in a tight five leg encounter Sharon took
the spoils deservedly so 3-2. Second and third played next but by the time
Ray Gregory and Nathan Richardson had finished the positions were reversed as
Nathan grabbed a 3-2 win to climb above Ray. The top average in this division
came from Jon Paul Carney in yet another five-leg encounter a 17.60 average
just gave him the edge 3-2 against Andy Holland. Mick Parker once again came
unstuck on doubles and a lack of consistency saw him go down 3-2 to Wendy
Hitchen as Wendy flies the flag along with Sharon for the ladies. A dire
match followed, in which yours truly had the pleasure of marking Damo Lawson
somehow found himself 2-0 up against best mate James Beeson. But by the end
of the marathon, James had turned the game around to win 3-2, leaving Damo
pleased he had won two legs for the first time in ages. The final game saw
the ladies return to play each other and it was Sharon who came away with a
3-1 win to climb the table and move within five points of grabbing the top
lady prize and a match against Martin “Wolfie” Adams on May 16.
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Round-up
for February 29
TOP FOUR SETTLE DOWN TO BATTLE
The destination of the top prize of £500 is not yet clear as the top four
players start to show their class in the Staffsmart Super League, This
week’s action saw A top of the table clash between Graham McFarland and Mick
Ray. Not many players beat Mick, with only one defeat in 12 matches up to
this particular night. But to beat him as emphatically as Graham did was a
pleasure to watch with some brilliant darts thrown. Leg one saw Graham hit a
16-dart opening leg to lead 1-0 and two 140s followed by 121 soon made it
2-0. Mick left 36 in leg three but Graham saw off tops first to make it 3-0.
Leg four turned out to be the final of the match as Graham hit 60, 60, 100
and 180 before checking out on 101 for a 15-dart leg and the whitewash was
complete with a 28.23 average to Mick’s 25.38 in defeat. Shane Parker also
flexed his muscles, hitting a180 in a 17-dart leg at the start of his match
against Darren Butler. But at 2-0 down Darren produced his best leg to make
it 2-1 hitting 140, 100, 100, 97, 32 and 32 (out) for a 17-dart leg of his
own. Shane maintained his form, though, leaving Darren behind in the next two
legs to run out a 4-1 winner. After a hectic opening couple of matches the
tempo dropped a little Richard Pearson took a 1-0 lead against back from his
hols Andy Cammack but the sunshine break has rejuvenated Andy and he took
four legs on the trot to win 4-1. Richard looked set for a miserable night
when he was soon back in action against Chris Ray. A “madhouse” debacle ended
leg one in Chris’s favour after 43 darts. And he was soon 2-0 down. But leg
three saw Richard produce something like his best scoring of 140, 136, 80,
60, 65 and 20 (out) for a 17-dart leg to make it 2-1. But he gifted Chris leg
four by missing doubles and found himself 3-1 down and up against it. Somehow
he found reserves and clawed his way back to steal a 4-3 win. Another
seven-legger followed this, as Andy Cammack caused a stir by pushing
table-topper Graham McFarland all the way. But a 19-dart leg saved the day
for Graham as he won 4-3. It was left to Shane Parker to end the action as it
had started this time two 180s were recorded taking his tally to 11 as he
gained a 4-1 win over Nicky Murphy. Nicky’s consolation was a 17-dart leg
ironically the best of the match but not enough to holt a rampant Shane who
moved up to third spot.
BUTLER-BREWSTER SERVES IT UP
Long-time leader Keith Dack’s dip in form at the doubles has continued in
recent weeks, dropping him out of the top three and it raised its ugly head
again on Friday night in the Queen of Spades Premier Division as he
faced the new leader Mark Butler-Brewster. In a game he needed to win to
maintain his title aspirations, he found himself on the receiving end of yet
another defeat. Fifteen darts at a double did little to boost his morale as
Mark took the match 3-0 with a 19.27 average. John Paul Carney had a good
night by belying his position in the table, facing stiff matches against Ray
Gregory (second) and Wendy Hitchen (fifth) it looked a difficult feat to
achieve a double on the night. But game one was won 3-2 followed later by a
3-1 win over Wendy in game two. Mick Parker though did have a bad day at the
office crushing 3-0 defeats to Andy Holland and Ray Gregory left him just
clinging on to that final “Wolfie Adams” place in mid-table having played
more games than any other player around him. Finally Nathan Richardson was
made to work hard to overcome the battling Sharon Butler. With a big slice of
lady luck he scraped home for a 3-2 win to stay in third place seven points
adrift of Mark.
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Round-up
for February 22
TOP TWO EXTEND THE GAP
The action was once again limited in the Staffsmart
Super League due to a competition being held at the Bricklayers Arms at
Wrangle. Landlord of the Queen of Spades, Colin Hewson, got the action under
way. And, up against Adie Parker, it was Colin who maintained his recent good
run of form to take a 1-0 lead. Adie hit back well to go 2-1 up, but three
quick legs of 18, 19 and 17 darts saw Colin to victory with a 24.43 average
to briefly go top. He was overhauled by Graham McFarland who also reached the
50 points total for the season with a 4-1 win over Adie Parker to conclude a
miserable night for Adie. This enabled Graham to regain pole position on legs
difference. The only other game to take place was between Richard Pearson and
Nicky Murphy. This turned out to be a seven-leg encounter that saw Richard
throw away a 3-1 lead allowing Nicky to stage a comeback and nick a 4-3 win.
BUTLER-BREWSTER SETS NEW HIGH
The highest average in the Queen of Spades Premier Division now stands
at 24.63 after Friday night’s action with Mark Butler-Brewster setting the
pace. He did a demolition job on youngster Ryan Austin when rattling in quick
fire legs of 23, 19 and 19 darts to gain a 3-0 win and stay top of the
league. Keith Dack got back to winning ways against the luckless Damo Lawson.
The latter seized his chance to make it 1-1 early doors as Keith missed
doubles and as usual he reached double one. Once again he failed to hit the
elusive “madhouse” but he managed to get his finishing skills back for legs
three and four to run out a 3-1 winner. Mick Parker had a win this week. His up-and-down
season has so far has yielded him five wins from 15 matches, a similar story
to his opponent James Beeson. The underlying reason for this is clearly
“doubles-trouble.” This time, though, Mick hit them as James floundered,
resulting in a 3-0 win in Mick’s favour. Finally youngster Ryan Austin was
quickly back to winning ways with a hard fought five-leg encounter with Wendy
Hitchen. Both players were playing well but Ryan sneaked home 3-2.
****
The youth and guardian, pool and darts competition gets under way this Monday
(February 25). First throw and break-off is 7.15pm. A total of 14 pairs have
entered with spaces for a couple more any interested parties who should
contact the Queen of Spades to pursue their interest.
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Round-up
for February 15
BUTLER BOUNCES BACK
Very little action took place this week with only a
handful of games played in the Staffsmart Super League. First to the
oche was landlord Colin Hewson to play Darren Butler. It was Darren who
struck first with an 80 checkout to lead 1-0. Colin’s response was immediate
when hitting four consecutive tons with a 88 checkout for a 17-dart leg to
draw level. He continued his good form and added the next three legs to run
out a 4-1 winner with a 23.61 average. Adie Parker faced Richard Pearson in
the next match. The latter failed to produce any sort of form at all, and
although Adie was not at his best he comfortably took a bloodless 4-0 victory
with a 21.78 average. Darren Butler made a swift return in the final game in
the division to take on Nicky Murphy with Nicky full of confidence after a
couple of victories last week it should have been a closer encounter than it
was. But missed doubles proved costly and spoiled both players’ averages as
Darren won 4-1, the highlight being a 17-dart leg that contained two 180s.
SHARON HOLDS THE UPPER HAND
A debate on who’s the best in the Butler household must take place each week
in Queen of Spades Premier Division spheres. While hubby Darren was
getting beaten on board one, wife Sharon was playing alongside against Mick
Parker. She dropped the opening leg to trail 1-0 but she was soon on level
terms, only to go behind again at 2-1. By the end of five legs of darts,
though, she had turned the game around in her favour to gain a 3-2 win and
fly the flag once again for the Butler clan! And with sons Brett and Sean
both on the horizon after just competing in the youth league, you could say
the rivalry is set to intensify further. Game two saw table topper Mark
Butler-Brewster in action and a 19.52 average gave him a 3-0 win over James
Beeson to end a curtailed programme.
ACTION SET TO GET UNDER WAY
The first games of the youth pool and darts with a guardian league gets under
way on Monday February 25, first game starting at 7-15 pm. With a mixture of
dads, granddads and mums playing with sons and daughters, the rivalry should
be good for the youngsters. One place, however, does still remain and there
is a chance for anyone interested to fill the void.
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Round-up
for February 8
RED HOT SPICER
The game of the night in the Staffsmart Super League was a hot contest
between Richard Spicer and the ‘Hitman’ Colin Hewson. A cracking first leg
saw Richard take the leg against the throw as Colin missed 105 allowing
Richard to take a 1-0 lead with a 117 checkout. Colin tried to hit straight
back with scores of 100, 123 and 140 to leave just 138 for a 12-darter, but
he missed the checkout again and left tops. This gave Richard encouragement
and a 140 from him gave him a chance of a 116 checkout to lead 2-0 he missed
but so did Colin and it was 2-0. Up against it, Colin hit a 180 in leg three
in 16 darts to make it 2-1. But leg four saw Richard hit 100, 137, 125 and 87
before making a mess of his finish to leave just 6. Although Colin replied
with 100, 123, 140 and 98 to leave tops he never returned to have a throw as
Richard increased his lead to 3-1 with a 15-dart leg. The fireworks continued
in leg five as Colin hit another 180 followed by 118 and 100 but Richard’s
reply was awesome. Scores of 125, 125, 131, 80 followed by tops with one dart
gave him the win in just 13 darts. His 4-1 win was achieved with a 29.44
average to Colin’s 27.93 in defeat. Nicky Murphy gained a good 4-1 win over
Chris Ray with the pair due to meet again later in a re-arranged game the
chance of revenge would soon come Chris’s way. Graham McFarland warmed up for
his double header with a 4-2 win over Richard Spicer this time Richard went
down tamely with a 22.55 average, all he could muster against Graham’s 23.89
although he did not have it all his own way in game two as Darren Butler made
him fight all the way for the win. Darren led 1-0 and 2-1 but each time
Graham drew level when he took a 3-2 lead for the first time in the match
Darren must have feared the worst but after 18 darts it was 3-3. A 17-dart
leg gave Graham a 4-3 win to move to the top of the table. Chris Ray returned
with thoughts of revenge against Nicky Murphy but Nicky had other ideas and
whitewashed Chris 4-0 for a good night’s work. Finally Adie Parker and Darren
Butler figured in a seven-leg encounter. If Darren is to add to his tally of
just one win he needs to pay more attention to his finishes. Two legs went
astray because of percentage shots rather than having a dart at the double.
It gave Adie the chance to lead at 3-1 and although Darren levelled at 3-3
Adie took the win 4-3. The committee have lost patience with the AWOL Trev
Day in this division and Maria Baptie in the other division and have expelled
both for none attendance. All points have been adjusted accordingly.
DOUBLE TROUBLE BRINGS KEITH CRASHING DOWN
Long time leader Keith Dack has dropped out of the top three in the Queen
of Spades Premier Division for the first time this season as a night of
missed doubles resulted in a 3-0 defeat to John Paul Carney. Double one
brought about the defeat causing a reverse result of their first encounter.
This allowed the chasing pack to overhaul the long time leader. Nathan
Richardson picked up maximum points as 3-0 victories came against James
Beeson and Damo Lawson. Ray Gregory also leap-frogged Keith after he gained a
3-0 win over Sharon Butler, this scoreline was a little flattering, though,
as Sharon missed several attempts at doubles in all three legs for a shock
result in her favour. Wendy Hitchen is perhaps one of the most improved
players in the league despite trailing 1-0 to James Beeson she played well to
battle back and turn the game around in to a 3-1 win. Finally the youngster
nicknamed ‘little power’ Ryan Austin for his stance, throw and ability to stack
his darts not dissimilar to the former world champion at just 14 years gave
Andy Holland little chance as he raced to a 3-0 win.
YOUTH LEAGUE
Anyone wishing to enter the new youth darts and pool
league with a guardian should contact the Queen of Spades on 369160.
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Round-up
for February 1
ALL CHANGE AT THE TOP
The untimely withdrawal of Shane Richardson before the
half-way point had been completed has meant that all points have been
expunged once again. This has put a different complexion on things at the top
of the Staffsmart Super League. After Friday night’s action Mick Ray
now heads the division after he beat Nicky Murphy by a 4-1 scoreline. Mick
took a 1-0 lead in the match only to watch Nicky reply with a 180 in leg two
to draw level at 1-1 the difference though between the two players once again
came down to doubles as it so often does Mick put his chances away leaving
Nicky sat on 58 and 44 as Mick took three legs without reply to win. It moved
Mick five points ahead of his nearest rival Shane Parker and 11 points clear
of the top five players who all have games in hand. Richard Pearson is
improving all the time he registered two 180s in his match with Darren Butler
as he ran out a 4-1 winner, despite the scoreline it could have been a lot
closer contest had Darren found his finishing skills. The final game in a
curtailed programme saw Adie Parker beat Nicky Murphy 4-1 to consolidate his
mid-table position, it left Nicky on the wrong end of the result for the
second time in the evening
NEW LEADER AT THE TOP
A new name has reached the top of the Queen of Spades Premier Division as
long-time leader Keith Dack has finally been overhauled! Despite winning 3-1
against his brother Mick Parker, a couple of recent 3-1 losses have now taken
their toll as Mark Butle-Brewster moved to the top. Game one for Mark looked
a big clash up against third placed Ray Gregory and so it proved as Ray took
a deserved 2-0 lead. Leg three was a nightmare for Ray as he failed with 12
darts to put away the required 13 to eventually leave mad-house this was to
prove oh so costly as Mark had really gifted Ray the opportunity because he
had also found a spot of double trouble!
He had already missed 12 darts at a double and a further 14 darts were
needed before 7 was hit to take leg three, this seamed to give Mark a lift
and 100, 100, 100, 45 and a 140 left him needing just 16 in leg four. Despite
busting and splitting double eight, he managed to draw level at 2-2 the great
escape was complete with a 3-2 win both players were soon back in action as
Mark returned to beat Damo Lawson 3-0 a result that moved him two points
clear at the top albeit briefly as Ray recorded a 3-0 win with a 19.03
average over youngster Ryan Austin to move into second spot just a point
behind. The youngsters are all playing well in this division and the
improvement is there for all to see James Beeson reaped his reward for
consistency as he fought back from 1-0 down to beat Andy Holland 3-1. Andy’s
night ended on yet another low once again when he returned to the oche this
time he failed to even register a consolation point as Wendy Hitchen proved
the stronger going onto win the match by a 3-0 scoreline to shoot up the
table into fifth place, finally Nathan Richardson had to come from behind
against John Paul Carney trailing 1-0 he needed a 110 checkout to get himself
in front at 2-1 before going on to wrap up a 3-1 victory and take fourth
place.
YOUTH LEAGUE SUCCESS
The Youth League has reached its conclusion at the Queen of Spades. The
winner, Ben White, only lost one game. Runner-up was Scott Bates third was
Ryan Austin and Fourth Daniel Austin. One 180 was hit by James Beeson and the
lads shared £110 pounds in prize money. Such has been the success of the
youth league that it will begin again at the Queen of Spades on Monday nights
in February with a slight twist, darts and pool are being played this time
with mums and dads, even granddads, being able to play in a pairs format.
There are only a limited number of places available for details contact the pub
HQ.
COUNTY BOOST SURVIVAL HOPES
Lincolnshire County Darts gave themselves some hope of
avoiding relegation from Division One of the Inter-Counties League, this
weekend at the Suncastle in Skegness with a thumping 21-15 win over
Buckinghamshire. Lincs got off to their usual bad start with the ladies B
squad losing 5-1. Thankfully, the men’s B repaired the damage with a 10-2
win. On Sunday the ladies A drew 3-3 and the men’s A won 7-5, with three
bonus points for the win it gave Lincolnshire an overall win by 24-15.
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Round-up
for January 25
PARKER BATTLES OUT THRILLER
Staffsmart Super League
Shane Parker faced one of his stiffest tasks on Friday night as he attempts
to hold on to the lead of the Staffsmart Super League. Up against Graham
McFarland, this was a thriller of the highest quality. A 180 from Graham in a
opening 18 dart leg put him 1-0 up but Shane’s reply was of the highest
order. In leg two Shane hit scores of 180, 60, 180 and 81 (out) to register a
12-dart leg to draw level at 1-1. A more sedate leg of 21 darts put Shane 2-1
up but then it was Graham’s turn to produce a superb leg as he drew level
scores of 100, 123, 140, 98 and 40 (out) gave him a 14 dart leg. Leg five saw
little between both players until Shane hit a 119 checkout to go back in
front at 3-2. Not to be outdone, Graham hit a 50 checkout to force the
decider which saw Shane hold his form to take the match with a 19 dart leg.
Graham had lost 4-3 with a 26.65 average while Shane took the honours with a
25.79 average. Richard Spicer is up in to second place after a couple of
wins. Game one saw him record a 4-2 win over Richard Pearson. Although he had
trailed 1-0 and 2-1, he played the steadier darts to come back and win with a
24.20 average. He went better in game two, this time recording a 25.28
average against Darren Butler, the highlight being the final leg. Already 3-1
up, he hit 100, 100, 100 and 83 before ending it with a 118 checkout. Mick
Ray has slipped to third place, although he does have a game in hand he will
have to play a lot better than he did against son Chris if he is to stay in
contention a 19.09 average gave him a 4-0 win easily enough but legs of 27,
19, 32 and 27 darts will get punished against better opposition. The top five
have opened up a nine point gap with Graham McFarland (fourth) and Colin
Hewson (fifth). Neither were in action so they too have a game in hand on the
leaders. The final game in the division saw the luckless Trev Day stretch his
losing sequence to 13 matches. It’s unlucky for some! It was for Trev he
could only manage a 15.68 average against Andy Cammack with the score at 2-2
Andy found another gear leaving Trev on 230 and 243 in the closing two legs
to run out a 4-2 winner.
KEITH SUFFERS A RARE LOSS
Queen of Spades Premier Division
Long time Leader Keith Dack is now coming under attack from the chasing pack
this despite an excellent start to his campaign his first game saw him take
on a star of the future young Ryan Austin. And he had to pull out all the
stops to keep the teenager at bay. Leading 1-0, Keith hit a 132 checkout in
leg two to go 2-0 up but still the youngster kept pressing and gained his
reward by taking leg three to make it 2-1. Keith knew he was in a game and
responded with a 180 in leg four to take him clear, leaving 66 which he
checked out on to win 3-1 with a 22.00 average to Ryan’s 18.54 in defeat. The
youngster returned later and once again played well beating Sharon Butler 3-1
with a 19.41 average. John Paul Carney and Damo Lawson struggled to find any
consistency as double trouble wrecked leg one. After 128 darts thrown in the
leg both players still wanted three. To John Paul’s relief he found
“mad-house” to lead 1-0. By the end of the match Jon Paul had found his
finishing skills, hitting a 110 checkout to wrap up a 3-0 win. Wendy Hitchen
warmed up for her double header as she faced the top two players. Game one
was against Mark Butler-Brewster she trailed 2-0 having not sighted a double.
But when she did in leg three, she failed to take her chance going down 3-0.
However, this was not the case in game two against Keith Dack. Checkouts on
54, 32 and 40 gave her a shock 3-1 win over the leader. Mick Parker was once
again left kicking himself. He was 2-0 up against Nathan Richardson but was
unable to get to the winning line as Nathan staged a comeback. A 21 dart leg
made it 2-1 and two scrappy legs followed that both went to Nathan as he
somehow escaped with a 3-2 win to stay in fourth place. Maria Baptie’s return
to action was not a winning one she lost 3-1 to James Beeson and then was
played off the board by “Little Power” Ryan Austin a 20.04 average giving
Ryan a 3-0 win and it concluded a miserable night once again for Maria
winless in (nine). Finally James Beeson toed the oche against Ray Gregory but
he was unable to make it a double on the night going down 3-0 to highflying
Ray who sits in third place.
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Round-up
for January 18
Staffsmart Super League
Mick Ray suffered his first defeat in 11 matches on Friday
night as Richard Spicer produced some of his best darts to date in the
Staffsmart Premier Division to topple the leader. Leg one saw Mick leave 152,
which he narrowly missed. He scored 120 to leave 32. It proved costly as
Richard hit 71 to steal a 1-0 lead. A superb 135 checkout on the bull then
put Richard 2-0 up, a 94 checkout helped to continue the rout as he cruised
into a 3-0 lead. And although Mick took leg four to make it 3-1, it was to be
a mere consolation as Richard hit scores of 100, 140, 90, 131 and 40 (out)
for a 15-dart leg, giving him a 24.55 dart average. Shane Parker moved to the
top of the table despite suffering an early set-back on the night up against
Colin Hewson. Shane kicked off the match with a 180 with his first throw to
take an early lead. But after four tight legs the match was tied at 2-2. The
turning point came in leg five as Colin stole the leg against the throw to go
in front for the first time at 3-2. But he missed doubles in a tense sixth
leg and parity was restored yet again. It set up a tense finale with Colin
taking the arrows in the decider. Scores of 81, 125, 100 and 127 left him
needing just 68 after 12 darts. But double trouble struck and nine darts
failed to find their intended target this allowed Shane to catch Colin and
have a dart at bull for a 90 checkout to win it himself. Thankfully for
Colin, Shane hit the 25 and Colin returned to put away double 10 for a hard
fought 4-3 win. Shane returned to the oche later and registered a 4-0 win
over the league’s strongest player (holding the rest up) an out-of-sorts Trev
Day has lost all his games to date so it was no surprise to see Shane win 4-0
to go top of the league.
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Round-up
for Christmas holidays 2007
Due to the on-going refurbishment for the Queen of Spades,
match action in all divisions (seniors and youths) has been restricted. No
reports are as yet available, but updated league standings can be found in
the league tables section link.
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Round-up for November 23
Staffsmart Super League
The leader of the Staffsmart Super League was not in
action this week, allowing the chasing pack to close the gap at the top.
Graham McFarland has moved into second place despite not being at his best. A
below-par performance this week was a rare occurrence but it was enough to
secure a 4-0 win against a beleaguered Trev Day. Trev has tried all sorts of
things over the past few weeks to try to find his form. A set of new darts,
his latest ploy, also back-fired as he failed to pass half-way in two legs
left on 259 and 270. Colin Hewson moved up to third after a 4-2 win over
Nicky Murphy. Although both players were not at their best, checkouts of 110
and 80 got Colin out of a jam to win. Finishing was also a crucial factor in
the match between Simon Trigg and Chris Ray. The latter failed to take the
chances on offer while Simon hit a 127 checkout on his way to a 4-1 win. Ben
Jaques is starting to find some form. The youngster has taken a while to
settle, but he battled hard against opponent Darren Butler to take the
opening leg. Unfortunately, doubles let him down after that and this allowed
Darren to gain a flattering 4-1 win with a mediocre 21.04 average. Richard
Spicer moved into the top half of the table with a 4-0 win over Andy Cammack.
The highlight in this match should have been a 13-dart leg. Already 3-0 up,
Richard hit scores of 95, 140, 100 and 134 to leave just 32 after 12 darts,
But he spoiled a great leg by taking 18 darts to cross the winning line. The
night’s longest match took an age to complete as Richard Pearson and Trev Day
took to the oche. Scoring was good, but those doubles were elusive. This
resulted in 321 darts being thrown in the match. Richard had established a
3-1 lead with checkouts of 101 and 97. But Trev stayed in the match as double
one came to his rescue to make it 3-2. Sadly for Trev, both double 16 and
then double 8 were not so easy to hit in the next leg, allowing Richard to
gain a 4-2 win. The final game of the night was possibly the best one as Mick
Ray and Shane Parker clashed. The fireworks began immediately as Shane hit a
180 with his first three darts. Mick’s riposte was scores of 140, 100 and 100
but the double was missed and Shane led 1-0 in 16 darts. It was 2-0 some 18
darts later before Mick registered his first point, taking leg three with an
80 checkout in 15 darts. Scoring was still of high quality as the game
progressed, but tension on the doubles crept in. This resulted in Mick
drawing level at 2-2 with the worst leg of the match albeit in 23 darts. Mick
then took the lead for the first time as a 16-dart leg put him 3-2 up. By now
20 ton-plus scores had been hit and the barrage on the treble 20 continued as
leg six saw three 140s hit along with
a couple of tons. But both players needed “mad house” at the end which Shane
hit to tie the match at 3-3 to force the decider. The winner of the throw on
the bull up was Mick and this proved vital, allowing him to gain a 4-3 win
with a 20-dart leg. It left Shane sitting on 85 unable to reply. The match
stats showed 29 ton-plus scores by the end and averages of 25.56 for Mick and
24.87 for Shane.
Queen of Spades Premier Division
Runaway leader Keith Dack suffered his first defeat this week. After a couple
of scares in recent weeks, his winning run was finally halted. Game one saw
Keith extend his lead at the top with yet another 3-0 victory this time the
unlucky recipient was Andy Holland who just cannot buy a double at the
moment, 15 darts going astray in leg one which proved oh so costly yet again.
Before game two for Keith he watched his next opponent Nathan Richardson
suffer a setback against Wendy Hitchen. Wendy’s game is improving week by
week. Nevertheless, it was still a surprise to se |