Newark Darts League Title Action
Both the Ladies’ and Men’s reigning winter league pairs champions added their respective summer league title to their haul after victories at RHP Sports and Social Club in the Newark and District Double Board Darts League.
Caffs Ladies’ duo Kelly Barrett and Eugene Hallam secured a place in the semi-finals after they followed their opening round 2-0 victory over Falcoholic’s Stacey Grand-Scrutton and Fran Lawrence with a 2-1 win over team-mates Glenice Cobb and Lorraine Shereston. Their last four clash also pitted them against members of their own side as they earned their place in the final with a 2-0 victory over Chris
Henderson and Jane Hartley. Their opponents in the final were Castle and Falcon Ladies’ Fran Paterson and Karen Whittaker who also had to overcome two sets of team-mates as they defeated Debbie Walker and Brenda Scott 2-0 before edging past Mandy Walker and Kathy Buttong 2-1 in their quarter-final.
The pairing then secured their place in the final with a 2-0 win over competition debutants Amy Rainey and Jo Akpoveta of
Collingham FC Mother Chuckers. The final was a tight affair which saw the opening two legs shared with Whittaker’s finish securing the opener before Barrett’s checkout levelled in the next. The next two legs saw both pairings end up on double-1 with Barrett striking again to put the winter
league champions within a leg of adding the summer crown before Whittaker responded to take the match into a decider.
The decisive leg saw the Falcon duo waiting for a shot at 55 but the chance never came as Hallam checked out on 32 with a single-16 and a double-8 to secure the title with a thrilling 3-2 win. It the men’s competition it was the Wheatsheaf’s Neil Ward and John Esam who emerged victorious as they reached the final without dropping a single leg and by overcoming three Rose and Crown Marauders’ pairings on the way. Their opening match saw them defeat Steven Barnett and Tom Greenhalgh before securing a last four spot with victory over Shane Gallacher and Phil Tranter. Their semi-final clash saw the duo hit a checkout apiece as they overcame Frank Barlow and Tim Tranter. Their opponents in the final were team-mates Kevin Rose and Alan Kelly whose opening round clash saw them secure a 2-0 win over Railway’s Russell Rose and Paul Buck before edging past another Railway pairing as they overcame Brian Coughill and Simon Cobb 2-1 in their quarter-final. Two finishes from Kelly then secured a place in the final as they had to come from behind to earn a 2-1 victory over fellow Wheatsheaf pairing of Paul Thompson and David Thompson.
The opening leg of the final saw the reigning winter champions drop their first leg of the night as Kelly checked out in a tight opener before Ward’s finish in the next levelled the match. Kelly had a chance to re-store his pairing’s advantage in the third but just failed to check out on 74 which allowed Ward a chance at 32 and he duly obliged to put the duo within one leg of the title. The fourth and ultimately final leg saw Esam and Ward reach the double first and, with their opponents waiting in vain for a shot at 86, Esam held his nerve to sink a fir dart double-8 to secure the crown with a 3-1 win.
