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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.

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.

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).

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.

Round-up for April 11

No league reports, but tables are fully updated.

Round-up for April 4

No league reports, but tables are fully updated.

Round-up for March 28

No league reports, but tables are fully updated.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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