A good turnout last night for our last knockout before next week's finals: ten players drawn at random into five pairs. Nice to see a couple of people take part who aren't among our regular league players: Matt and Sid.
Match Report
The evening kicked off with a preliminary round match: Darren & Matt played Andy & James. Yes, you did read that right: our top two league players were drawn together. If this caused any nerves they weren't in evidence as Matt in particular kept his pair's scores up there with the favourites, but as is so often the case it was the doubles that made the difference and Andy & James ran out 2-0 winners.
Next up was the first semi-final featuring Tom & Ram against Ben & Sid. Ben suffered from the inconsistency that has dogged his game all season and struggled to find his trebles but Sid scored well to keep things fairly well-matched against the steady performances from Ram & Tom. Ram proved too accurate on the doubles though and he & Tom won 2-0 to get the first spot in the final.
The second semi-final saw qualifiers Andy & James take on girl power in the form of Sam & Anne, who put up a spirited fight and kept pace with some strong scoring, forcing the match to go to a deciding third leg. This leg was also a close one but it was Andy & James who were first past the post to win 2-1 and complete the line-up for the night's final.
Unlike the earlier rounds, the final was best of 5 legs. The first two were close as all the players suffered spells of loose throwing but Andy & James hit their checkouts to go 2-0 up. The third leg saw Ram up his game and find the treble-20 with more regularity, and he & Tom took one back to keep their hopes alive, but it was James who hit a rich vein of form at the key point with a succession of 80+ scores and a sharp checkout to win the fourth leg, the match and the competition.
Next Week
Monday 25th is Finals Night - the League Final Knockout followed by presentations to the winners. The draw is based on final standings in the league and will be as follows:
Preliminary Round (Match A)
Anne v Natasha (best of 3 legs of 301)
Quarter Finals (best of 3 legs of 501)
Match Q1: Match A Winner v Andy
Match Q2: Tom v James
Match Q3: Darren v Ram
Match Q4: Ben v Sam
Semi Finals (best of 3 legs of 501)
Q1 Winner v Q4 Winner
Q2 Winner v Q3 Winner
Final (best of 5 legs of 501)
3rd Place Playoff (best of 3 legs of 501 between losing semi-finalists)
Easter Monday Knockout
The week after the finals it is Easter and there will be an open singles knockout on Monday 1st April. This is not a joke!
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Match Report - 11th March 2013
Last night was the seventh and final round of our Winter League so all that now remains is the playoffs to crown the champion. But before I get onto that there's the small matter of the matches to report on.
Match Report
Unfortunately Natasha was unable to play last night but with the agreement of all the players Tom stood in as a substitute for her two fixtures, against Andy and Anne, to allow us to complete all the matches. The first of those two fixtures, against Andy, got things under way. All eyes were on Tom after Andy's defeat by Anne in last week's knockout but despite keeping the scores close, the checkouts went Andy's way and he won 3-0, securing the top spot in the table.
James's laid-back style against Sam in the next belied the determination of both players in a match that saw some good scoring including a 113 from James and several 80+ totals from both. James had the upper hand in the scoring and with good accuracy on his doubles he took the match 3-0, hitting the night's best checkout of 74 along the way.
Anne played her first match of the night against Natasha's substitute, Tom, who led in the scoring, but Anne proved too hot on the doubles, gaining a well-deserved 3-0 victory.
A powerful performance from Ram saw him beat Darren 3-1 in the fastest-scoring match of the night which saw both players scoring ton-pluses including a 121 from Darren and a 135 from Ram.
It was the second match of the night for both players next as Sam faced Anne, and tiredness was evident as they both struggled to find the level of accuracy seen in their previous games. That didn't stop some good-natured banter between the two on the oche and there were flashes of brilliance including an excellent 140, the night's highest score, from Sam who won 3-1.
Bringing the night and the league to a close were Ben and Tom. Tom was well-practiced after two previous matches representing Natasha and started well, outscoring Ben who struggled at first to find any consistency. However, Tom had trouble on his doubles leaving the door open enough for Ben to catch up and take the match 3-1.
Next Week
There will be an open knockout competition next week, and if the number of players is appropriate it will feature pairs matches. Anyone who is interested is welcome to take part: just turn up on the night (Monday 18th) from 8pm. £2.50 per player to enter and the winning pair (or winner & runner-up if it is singles) will receive cash prizes.
Finals Night
The League Finals will be played the following Monday 25th March and will take the usual format of a knockout with the draw decided by league standings.
Match Report
Unfortunately Natasha was unable to play last night but with the agreement of all the players Tom stood in as a substitute for her two fixtures, against Andy and Anne, to allow us to complete all the matches. The first of those two fixtures, against Andy, got things under way. All eyes were on Tom after Andy's defeat by Anne in last week's knockout but despite keeping the scores close, the checkouts went Andy's way and he won 3-0, securing the top spot in the table.
James's laid-back style against Sam in the next belied the determination of both players in a match that saw some good scoring including a 113 from James and several 80+ totals from both. James had the upper hand in the scoring and with good accuracy on his doubles he took the match 3-0, hitting the night's best checkout of 74 along the way.
Anne played her first match of the night against Natasha's substitute, Tom, who led in the scoring, but Anne proved too hot on the doubles, gaining a well-deserved 3-0 victory.
A powerful performance from Ram saw him beat Darren 3-1 in the fastest-scoring match of the night which saw both players scoring ton-pluses including a 121 from Darren and a 135 from Ram.
It was the second match of the night for both players next as Sam faced Anne, and tiredness was evident as they both struggled to find the level of accuracy seen in their previous games. That didn't stop some good-natured banter between the two on the oche and there were flashes of brilliance including an excellent 140, the night's highest score, from Sam who won 3-1.
Bringing the night and the league to a close were Ben and Tom. Tom was well-practiced after two previous matches representing Natasha and started well, outscoring Ben who struggled at first to find any consistency. However, Tom had trouble on his doubles leaving the door open enough for Ben to catch up and take the match 3-1.
 |
| Darren focuses on his target |
There will be an open knockout competition next week, and if the number of players is appropriate it will feature pairs matches. Anyone who is interested is welcome to take part: just turn up on the night (Monday 18th) from 8pm. £2.50 per player to enter and the winning pair (or winner & runner-up if it is singles) will receive cash prizes.
Finals Night
The League Finals will be played the following Monday 25th March and will take the usual format of a knockout with the draw decided by league standings.
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
Knockout Match Report - 4th March 2013
Match Report
It was a decent turnout for the knockout competition with 7 players competing. To shake things up a bit we had a change from the usual 501 format and instead played best-of-3 legs of 401 with double in. This format usually produces a few upsets and tonight was no exception.
Round 1
The draw for the first round was Ram v Ben, Tom v Natasha and Anne v Andy, with James having a bye. First to play were Tom and Natasha. Natasha got off to a good start in both legs, hitting her opening double before Tom and building a lead which she maintained with some steady scoring. Unfortunately she didn't have as much success at the end of the legs and Tom checked out to win 2-0.
Ram played Ben next and it looked like it would all be over early for Ben as he failed to even get off the mark in the first leg while Ram powered ahead to a 14-darter. After switching from the troublesome double-20 to double-16 Ben's fortunes improved and he put the opening leg behind him to take the next two legs and a place in the next round.
The last first-round match saw league-leader Andy drawn against underdog Anne. Anne started well, hitting her doubles to start and getting some good scores to keep the game close. Andy must have been feeling the pressure because double-trouble set in and dart after dart failed to hit the mark. This was too good an opportunity for Anne to let go and she nailed her checkouts to cheers from the spectators, winning 2-0 and knocking the defending champion out in the first round. Definitely the match of the night, a major upset for Andy given their league results, and a very popular winner.
Semi Final
Ben played Tom in the first semi and his form from the opening match continued. Good scores and sharp shooting on the checkouts sealed the result: 2-0 to Ben.
James faced dark horse Anne for the remaining place in the final. The first leg was close but James's scoring advantage was key and he checked out to win it, but Anne's form slipped in the next leg and she struggled to get off the mark while James romped ahead. It was too much for Anne to catch up and James won 2-0.
Final
So it was an interesting line-up for the final as an in-form Ben faced off against James. It was an well-matched contest with both players looking good on the doubles and several 80- and ton-plus scores, but James had the edge in scoring which proved decisive as he checked out both legs while Ben remained on a 2-dart total.
Some great darts in the matches tonight and most players can be proud of how they played, with particular mentions to the two ladies, Natasha and Anne, who played their best matches of the year so far. Congratulations to winner James who received the £10 prize and to runner-up Ben who got £5.
Next Week
It's the final round of the league next week with six matches instead of our usual five, so I'd appreciate it if we could get things started a little earlier than the usual 8:30. The fixtures will be:
Andy v Natasha
Anne v Natasha
Ben v Tom
James v Sam
Ram v Darren
Sam v Anne
I look forward to seeing you all there next Monday night as we round up this league. If there is anybody who can't make it there will be a chance to play their fixture(s) the following week before we have our Finals Night on the 25th March.
It was a decent turnout for the knockout competition with 7 players competing. To shake things up a bit we had a change from the usual 501 format and instead played best-of-3 legs of 401 with double in. This format usually produces a few upsets and tonight was no exception.
Round 1
The draw for the first round was Ram v Ben, Tom v Natasha and Anne v Andy, with James having a bye. First to play were Tom and Natasha. Natasha got off to a good start in both legs, hitting her opening double before Tom and building a lead which she maintained with some steady scoring. Unfortunately she didn't have as much success at the end of the legs and Tom checked out to win 2-0.
Ram played Ben next and it looked like it would all be over early for Ben as he failed to even get off the mark in the first leg while Ram powered ahead to a 14-darter. After switching from the troublesome double-20 to double-16 Ben's fortunes improved and he put the opening leg behind him to take the next two legs and a place in the next round.
The last first-round match saw league-leader Andy drawn against underdog Anne. Anne started well, hitting her doubles to start and getting some good scores to keep the game close. Andy must have been feeling the pressure because double-trouble set in and dart after dart failed to hit the mark. This was too good an opportunity for Anne to let go and she nailed her checkouts to cheers from the spectators, winning 2-0 and knocking the defending champion out in the first round. Definitely the match of the night, a major upset for Andy given their league results, and a very popular winner.
Semi Final
Ben played Tom in the first semi and his form from the opening match continued. Good scores and sharp shooting on the checkouts sealed the result: 2-0 to Ben.
James faced dark horse Anne for the remaining place in the final. The first leg was close but James's scoring advantage was key and he checked out to win it, but Anne's form slipped in the next leg and she struggled to get off the mark while James romped ahead. It was too much for Anne to catch up and James won 2-0.
Final
So it was an interesting line-up for the final as an in-form Ben faced off against James. It was an well-matched contest with both players looking good on the doubles and several 80- and ton-plus scores, but James had the edge in scoring which proved decisive as he checked out both legs while Ben remained on a 2-dart total.
Some great darts in the matches tonight and most players can be proud of how they played, with particular mentions to the two ladies, Natasha and Anne, who played their best matches of the year so far. Congratulations to winner James who received the £10 prize and to runner-up Ben who got £5.
Next Week
It's the final round of the league next week with six matches instead of our usual five, so I'd appreciate it if we could get things started a little earlier than the usual 8:30. The fixtures will be:
Andy v Natasha
Anne v Natasha
Ben v Tom
James v Sam
Ram v Darren
Sam v Anne
I look forward to seeing you all there next Monday night as we round up this league. If there is anybody who can't make it there will be a chance to play their fixture(s) the following week before we have our Finals Night on the 25th March.
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Match Report - 25th February 2013
It's a good thing we all get along well on our darts nights because we were crowded into the back corner of the pub last night because of a rescheduled pool match: the awkward proximity meant neither our regular darts players nor those taking part in the pool match alongside the oche were happy about continually getting in each other's way. We can only hope that this kind of scheduling cock-up doesn't happen again.
Match Report
Sam returned from last week's break to two matches. In the first she was up against the ever-improving Natasha who hit a succession of good scores (several in the 70's and 80's) to build a lead in the first two legs. Unfortunately Natasha struggled with her doubles and Sam was able to catch up and check out, winning 3-0.
Tom played James in the second match. Although he put in a decent performance, scoring 100 at one point, he couldn't match James's scoring - including a highest-of-the-night 140 - and accurate finishing which saw him check out an excellent 77. Result: 3-0 to James.
Doughnut-fueled Ben took on top-of-the-table Andy next and after winning the throw started strongly with 116 from his first 3 darts. The next few throws didn't match this but he kept in front and finished with a stunning 107 checkout (treble-19, then missed the bullseye landing in the 20, double-30 out) to take the first leg. I don't know if the doughnuts wore off but he couldn't manage to maintain this form through the next two legs and Andy took a 2-1 lead, narrowly missing a 145 checkout in one leg when his third dart landed just below the double-top. In the final leg Andy struggled with his double, leaving Ben with a chance to tie the match if he could only hit double-12, but it was not to be and Andy won 3-1.
Sam's second trip to the oche was against Darren. It was a well-fought match but Darren couldn't match Sam who outscored him, matching James's 140 high score from earlier as well as proving a dead-shot on her doubles to win 3-0.
Finally it was the turn of Ram and Anne. Ram powered into an early lead with a 17-dart leg and although the following legs didn't match the intensity of that first one, he was unlucky not to check out a 145 along the way to a 3-0 victory.
Next Week
There will be a knockout next week before we return on 11th March for the final round of the league. The knockout will be the best of 3 legs of 401 with double-in. As usual it will be open to anybody who wants to play. £2.50 each to enter on the night (from 8pm), cash prizes for the winner and runner-up.
Match Report
Sam returned from last week's break to two matches. In the first she was up against the ever-improving Natasha who hit a succession of good scores (several in the 70's and 80's) to build a lead in the first two legs. Unfortunately Natasha struggled with her doubles and Sam was able to catch up and check out, winning 3-0.
Tom played James in the second match. Although he put in a decent performance, scoring 100 at one point, he couldn't match James's scoring - including a highest-of-the-night 140 - and accurate finishing which saw him check out an excellent 77. Result: 3-0 to James.
Doughnut-fueled Ben took on top-of-the-table Andy next and after winning the throw started strongly with 116 from his first 3 darts. The next few throws didn't match this but he kept in front and finished with a stunning 107 checkout (treble-19, then missed the bullseye landing in the 20, double-30 out) to take the first leg. I don't know if the doughnuts wore off but he couldn't manage to maintain this form through the next two legs and Andy took a 2-1 lead, narrowly missing a 145 checkout in one leg when his third dart landed just below the double-top. In the final leg Andy struggled with his double, leaving Ben with a chance to tie the match if he could only hit double-12, but it was not to be and Andy won 3-1.
Sam's second trip to the oche was against Darren. It was a well-fought match but Darren couldn't match Sam who outscored him, matching James's 140 high score from earlier as well as proving a dead-shot on her doubles to win 3-0.
Finally it was the turn of Ram and Anne. Ram powered into an early lead with a 17-dart leg and although the following legs didn't match the intensity of that first one, he was unlucky not to check out a 145 along the way to a 3-0 victory.
Next Week
There will be a knockout next week before we return on 11th March for the final round of the league. The knockout will be the best of 3 legs of 401 with double-in. As usual it will be open to anybody who wants to play. £2.50 each to enter on the night (from 8pm), cash prizes for the winner and runner-up.
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Match Report - 18th February 2013
Match Report
It was Round 5 last night which leaves most of us with just two matches remaining this season. Andy and James were first up. James started slow and despite some good scores including a 123 he didn't find his usual consistency and Andy won 3-0, hitting the night's highest checkout of 40 along the way.
Anne played Ben next and, after a slow first leg where both struggled to find the last double, the pace picked up as Ben started finding the trebles and put in some 80+ scores. Along with a sharper aim on the doubles this proved too much for Anne to match, although she hit some creditable scores along the way, and Ben won 3-0.
James was back on the oche in the third match of the night against Darren and at first it looked as if this match would go the way of his earlier one as Darren took a 2-0 lead. However, James found his form in the end and with both players scoring well (132 for Darren, 129 and 140 for James) he held on for a 2-2 draw and a point each.
Natasha and Ram met in the next match and it was a spirited performance by Natasha who had her best scoring legs of darts yet this season and was unlucky not to take one leg against Ram, one of our top players, when he failed to hit his double. The final leg was also close score-wise but Ram prevailed to win 3-0.
Rounding off the night's action were Tom and Andy. Tom threw some good arrows and won a leg but Andy started hitting ton-pluses including a 140 to reach his out shot first. Despite this Tom kept going strong and was unlucky to miss out on a 80+ checkout when his last dart landed just the wrong side of the wire. Final result: 3-1 to Andy.
Next WeekRound 6 will be played next Monday. Looking forward to seeing you all there!
Ben v Andy
Darren v Sam
Ram v Anne
Sam v Natasha
Tom v James
The following Monday 4th March will be a knockout.
It was Round 5 last night which leaves most of us with just two matches remaining this season. Andy and James were first up. James started slow and despite some good scores including a 123 he didn't find his usual consistency and Andy won 3-0, hitting the night's highest checkout of 40 along the way.
Anne played Ben next and, after a slow first leg where both struggled to find the last double, the pace picked up as Ben started finding the trebles and put in some 80+ scores. Along with a sharper aim on the doubles this proved too much for Anne to match, although she hit some creditable scores along the way, and Ben won 3-0.
James was back on the oche in the third match of the night against Darren and at first it looked as if this match would go the way of his earlier one as Darren took a 2-0 lead. However, James found his form in the end and with both players scoring well (132 for Darren, 129 and 140 for James) he held on for a 2-2 draw and a point each.
Natasha and Ram met in the next match and it was a spirited performance by Natasha who had her best scoring legs of darts yet this season and was unlucky not to take one leg against Ram, one of our top players, when he failed to hit his double. The final leg was also close score-wise but Ram prevailed to win 3-0.
Rounding off the night's action were Tom and Andy. Tom threw some good arrows and won a leg but Andy started hitting ton-pluses including a 140 to reach his out shot first. Despite this Tom kept going strong and was unlucky to miss out on a 80+ checkout when his last dart landed just the wrong side of the wire. Final result: 3-1 to Andy.
Next WeekRound 6 will be played next Monday. Looking forward to seeing you all there!
Ben v Andy
Darren v Sam
Ram v Anne
Sam v Natasha
Tom v James
The following Monday 4th March will be a knockout.
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Match Report - 11th February 2013
Match Report
Last night was Round 4 so we are now officially past the half-way point in this season.
Andy and Sam got the ball rolling in the first match and some good scoring from Sam including a 114 kept the pressure on Andy but doubles proved harder to find and Andy won 3-0.
Ben played Natasha next and after a slow start which saw both players return to the oche time and again for the last double the pace picked up. Natasha had her best scoring match so far and kept it close despite a 100 and 116 from Ben, but Ben's checkouts were steadier (after two failed attempts at 67 - twice hit the treble-17 but bust with a single 16 instead of the double-8) and he won 3-0.
Darren faced Tom in the third match. Steady darts from Darren gave him the edge and although there were no big scores he made his doubles count to take the match 3-0.
James and Anne were next up and James put in a workman-like performance. Despite a shaky spell on his scoring his checkouts were accurate, including a 40 and 52, to win 3-0.
Finally Sam returned to play her second match of the night, this time against Ram. With the added spice of a promise to swap shirts if Ram won this was a keenly contested match. Sam was scoring very well - the best scores of the night including the top score of 125 - but again her doubles were her undoing and although she had a lead in each leg it was Ram who checked out, hitting the night's highest checkout 69 to take one of the legs: 3-0 to Ram.
Next Week
No Sam for Round 5 next week so a couple of fixtures have been swapped.
Andy v James
Anne v Ben
James v Darren
Natasha v Ram
Tom v Andy
Last night was Round 4 so we are now officially past the half-way point in this season.
Andy and Sam got the ball rolling in the first match and some good scoring from Sam including a 114 kept the pressure on Andy but doubles proved harder to find and Andy won 3-0.
Ben played Natasha next and after a slow start which saw both players return to the oche time and again for the last double the pace picked up. Natasha had her best scoring match so far and kept it close despite a 100 and 116 from Ben, but Ben's checkouts were steadier (after two failed attempts at 67 - twice hit the treble-17 but bust with a single 16 instead of the double-8) and he won 3-0.
Darren faced Tom in the third match. Steady darts from Darren gave him the edge and although there were no big scores he made his doubles count to take the match 3-0.
James and Anne were next up and James put in a workman-like performance. Despite a shaky spell on his scoring his checkouts were accurate, including a 40 and 52, to win 3-0.
Finally Sam returned to play her second match of the night, this time against Ram. With the added spice of a promise to swap shirts if Ram won this was a keenly contested match. Sam was scoring very well - the best scores of the night including the top score of 125 - but again her doubles were her undoing and although she had a lead in each leg it was Ram who checked out, hitting the night's highest checkout 69 to take one of the legs: 3-0 to Ram.
 |
| Suits you, sir! |
No Sam for Round 5 next week so a couple of fixtures have been swapped.
Andy v James
Anne v Ben
James v Darren
Natasha v Ram
Tom v Andy
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Pairs Knockout - 4 February 2013
Match Report
A bit of fun last night: it was a pairs knockout with the pairs being chosen at random. Matches were played as the best of 5 legs of 501.
Ben & Tom were drawn against Andy & Matt in the first match. The first leg was the now traditional lengthy hunt for the last double but Andy finally found double-1 to take an early lead which they held onto despite being outscored through most of the match, Ben hitting the night's highest score of 121 to win a consolation £5 (although he also scored a 3 with another throw, inconsistency striking again). Final score: 3-1 to Andy & Matt and a place in the final.
In the second match Sam & Ram played Anne & James. There must have been an outbreak of dartitis because both Ram and James struggled to find either doubles or trebles. Steady play from Sam and Anne kept the scores close but the star of the match, and indeed the night, was Anne with some killer checkouts: she checked out all three legs for a 3-0 win to her and James.
And so to the final. Steady throwing from both Andy and Matt was too much for the wayward arrows of James and Anne who unfortunately couldn't repeat the form of her previous match, and Andy & Matt took the laurels, and the £10 prize, with a 3-0 victory. Andy also scored the highest checkout of 63 for an additional £5.
As is so common in pairs the scoring in tonight's matches was lower than a normal singles match - the format means it is difficult to get into a throwing rhythm - and there were surprisingly few trebles all night. Having said that, the majority of scores were in the 40 to 60 range, which is decent scoring for pub darts. All in all it was a lot of fun and made a change from the regular format. Thanks to everyone who turned up to play or watch, and also to our landlady Sam for putting on the food.
Next Week
It's a return to the regular league next week as we reach Round 4 - the halfway point. The matches will be:
Andy v Sam
Ben v Natasha
Darren v Tom
James v Anne
Sam v Ram
A bit of fun last night: it was a pairs knockout with the pairs being chosen at random. Matches were played as the best of 5 legs of 501.
Ben & Tom were drawn against Andy & Matt in the first match. The first leg was the now traditional lengthy hunt for the last double but Andy finally found double-1 to take an early lead which they held onto despite being outscored through most of the match, Ben hitting the night's highest score of 121 to win a consolation £5 (although he also scored a 3 with another throw, inconsistency striking again). Final score: 3-1 to Andy & Matt and a place in the final.
In the second match Sam & Ram played Anne & James. There must have been an outbreak of dartitis because both Ram and James struggled to find either doubles or trebles. Steady play from Sam and Anne kept the scores close but the star of the match, and indeed the night, was Anne with some killer checkouts: she checked out all three legs for a 3-0 win to her and James.
And so to the final. Steady throwing from both Andy and Matt was too much for the wayward arrows of James and Anne who unfortunately couldn't repeat the form of her previous match, and Andy & Matt took the laurels, and the £10 prize, with a 3-0 victory. Andy also scored the highest checkout of 63 for an additional £5.
As is so common in pairs the scoring in tonight's matches was lower than a normal singles match - the format means it is difficult to get into a throwing rhythm - and there were surprisingly few trebles all night. Having said that, the majority of scores were in the 40 to 60 range, which is decent scoring for pub darts. All in all it was a lot of fun and made a change from the regular format. Thanks to everyone who turned up to play or watch, and also to our landlady Sam for putting on the food.
Next Week
It's a return to the regular league next week as we reach Round 4 - the halfway point. The matches will be:
Andy v Sam
Ben v Natasha
Darren v Tom
James v Anne
Sam v Ram
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)