Rose & Crown Marauders (Balderton) win men’s Newark & District Double Board Darts League title for third year in a row - Castle & Falcon Bangers win ladies’ knockout cup

Rose & Crown Marauders (Balderton) have made it three in a row as they retained their men’s Newark & District Double Board Darts League title with two games still to play following their victory over Castle & Falcon Arrows.

The Marauders, who have only suffered one defeat all season, went into the clash with the Arrows knowing that a victory over the mid-table side would clinch them a fifth league title whatever the results elsewhere but they needed a Shane Gallacher double-1 checkout to snatch a tight opening leg.

The second leg was more straightforward with skipper Tom Greenhalgh holing out on 32 with their opponents still requiring 271. Another closely contested leg followed and it was the Arrows who kept the match alive with Pete Knott finishing on 52 with Gallacher lying in wait on 32. The fourth leg proved to be the title clincher and fittingly it was the captain who landed the winning double as Greenhalgh checked out on 60 with the Arrows languishing on 274.

With the title sewn up, Steven Barnett’s finish secured the remaining leg to complete a comfortable 4-1 and the Marauders’ thoughts will now turn to the cup final as they look to complete a hat-trick of league and cup doubles when they take on Wheatsheaf Bellies & Bullseyes.

The race to finish runners-up is now down to a two-horse race after the Bellies & Bullseyes ended the hopes of The Taverners, who finished second last season, after their better finishing proved the difference in a 4-1 win over the Railway Club side.

Checkouts from Neil Ward, Kevin Rose, John Esam and Paul Thompson secured the win which leaves them level on points with Castle & Falcon BBC2s who defeated Wheatsheaf Phoenix by the same scoreline helped by finishes from Ian Hurst, Donovan Atkin, Glen Iveson and skipper James Brown.

Elsewhere, checkouts from captain Stephen Adshead, Charlie Ashley and a brace by Jon Gough secured RHP 26ers a 4-1 win over The Hedgehoggers. Balderton Cricket Club picked up their third win of the season with finishes from skipper David Lynn, Paul Colcomb and two by John Newton earning them a 4-1 victory over RHP Darts of Hazzard.

In the ladies’ league, the destination of the final silverware of the season has been decided after Castle & Falcon Bangers won the knock-out cup after a thrilling victory over Railway Youngers in the final.

The final was a repeat of the previous three finals and the Bangers made it two wins apiece as they edged home against their opponents who were hoping for a third cup success in a row and a remarkable 15th knock-out cup win overall.

An evenly contested final saw the two sides locked at 2-2 after both of the opening pairs encounters ended in draws with the Bangers’ Karen Whittaker and Fran Paterson drawing 1-1 with Debbie Braithwaite and Louise Fletcher before Mandy & Debbie Walker matched the scoreline against Youngers’ Jackie Dennis and Linda Gregory. Whittaker briefly edged the Falcon side ahead as she overcame Anice Wells 2-0 in the opening singles match but parity was regained by the Railway as Braithwaite defeated Kathy Buttong.

The remaining two singles ties between Mandy Walker and Gregory plus Debbie Walker and Fletcher meant the two sides were level at 6-6 and the concluding three-point team leg would decide the destination of the trophy. The decisive leg, as the match, was a close affair which saw Wells have a chance to retain the cup for the Youngers but agonisingly she just failed to land her shot at 41 which allowed Whittaker the chance to clinch a second cup success for the Bangers and she duly obliged as she held her nerve sink double-16 and clinch an exciting 9-6 win.

One crucial re-arranged league match saw singles wins by Stacey Grand-Scrutton and Sonia Bowles earn Falcoholics an important 9-6 win over Railway Artists which leaves them in second place but whether they finish as runners-up to the Youngers will depend on the result between the Artists and the Bangers with the latter needing a 10-5 win finish snatch second place for themselves.

Results: Men’s Division: The Taverners 1-4 Wheatsheaf Bellies & Bullseyes, The Hedgehoggers 1-4 RHP 26ers, Rose & Crown Marauders 4-1 Castle & Falcon Arrows, RHP Darts of Hazzard 1-4 Balderton Cricket Club, Wheatsheaf Phoenix 1-4 Castle & Falcon BBC2s. Ladies’ Division: Railway Club Artists 6-9 Falcoholics. Ladies’ Knockout Cup Final: Railway Youngers 6-9 Castle & Falcon Bangers.