League Round 5 - 3rd September 2013

For various reasons including Glen's new commitments on Monday and Tuesday nights I have decided to reduce this season to just one match between each pair of players: the 17th September (Round 7) will be the last round of this league. Glen has already played all his matches so the results to date will all stand. There will be further details provided on the next league night, the 10th September.

Match Report
Tom v Ben
Ben threw first to get the night under way. There was nothing exceptional from either player in the first leg which Ben finished with a double-1 to take the lead. Better darts in the second saw Ben take a lead of over 100 when with 228 remaining he hit his first ever 180, following it up on his next throw with an impressive 16, double-16 to go 2-0 up. A return to the usual averages in the third leg saw Tom run him close but with both going for their doubles it was Ben with another double-1 who took the match.

Glen v Darren
Not a sparkling performance from Glen who struggled on his doubles, but Darren was his own worst enemy with some of the poorest darts we've seen from him in the league and gifted Glen a 3-0 victory.

Nick v Tom
A decent performance from Tom who had one or two chances but Nick proved too strong and kept his nose in front in all three legs, racking up his third 3-0 win.

Claire v Glen
In a slow-paced match with some decent scores around the 80 mark both players had double trouble but it was Glen who finally found the target for a second 3-0 of the night.

Darren v Anne
A great start from Anne with some decent scoring against a below-par Darren saw her take the first leg but she couldn't keep the pressure on and he came back to take the next three legs for a 3-1 win.

James v Ram
Steady darts from James with accurate doubles saw him maintain an edge in this close match against Ram, who has suffered from too many arrows straying into the 5 recently. Both had chances at high 3-dart checkouts only to slip on the third dart but these were the still the most consistent performances of the night. Ram was unlucky to come away with little for his efforts as James won 3-1.

Tom v Glen
It was Glen's last chance to equal the high score and he seemed to be trying too hard as there was an obvious tension in his throw affecting his accuracy. Although leaving his glasses at home obviously didn't help either. Some better checking out than earlier matches gave Glen a third clean sheet of the night.

So Ben joins Ram in this season's 180 club as well as winning £10 for both the highest score and highest checkout 48. Bonus points for 3-0 went to Glen (3), Nick and Ben.

• Results & Fixtures
• League Table

Next Week

• Anne v Claire
• Anne v Ram
• Ben v Nick
• Darren v Tom
• James v Claire

Knockout - 27th August 2013

Match Report
Ten players for our knockout - a good turnout. It was nice to see Sam back for this one-off as well.

Preliminary Round
Claire 0-2 Tom
A fairly even first leg stalled when both players had double trouble, with Claire throwing countless darts for double-9 without success before Tom, who'd worked his way down to the Madhouse, finally landed a double-1 for the leg. The second saw Tom take the lead early on but Claire made it down to a double -- the bogey double-9 again! -- before Tom, also wanting 18 to finish hit the target to win 2-0.

Glen 1-2 Sam
Sam had obviously lost none of her skill on the oche since last playing and Glen found himself in a close match. With honours even after the first two legs it was Sam who held her throw to go through.

First Round
Darren 2-1 Ben
A close first leg saw both players reach a finish after some average scoring and it was Darren who checked out to go ahead. Ben came back fighting in the second leg with 60, 60, 60, 100 and 95 to take a commanding lead and although he stumbled a little towards the end he checked out comfortably to level the scores. But it was back to business as usual in the third leg and it was Darren who built the lead and held it to finish quickly for a 2-1 win.

Ram 0-2 James
James looked comfortable against Ram with the big man struggling to find the big scores.

Nick 2-1 Anne
A slow start by Nick was taken full advantage of by Anne who hit some decent scores and checked out to go ahead. But losing the first leg seemed to steady Nick's nerves and he picked up his game to take the next two and go through.

Tom 0-2 Sam
A little inconsistency from Tom saw him fall behind as Sam put in some good scores, building a lead in both legs before hitting her finishes with confidence to go through 2-0.

Semi Finals
James 0-2 Nick
No jitters from Nick in this fast-paced match as he looked sharp all the way. James was steady but it needed a bit more if he was to beat Nick's deadly finishing.

Sam 2-1 Darren
Another close match saw good darts from both players at the opening with the leg going with the throw. Sam had a chance to make it 2-0 in the second but Darren didn't leave much of a chance before levelling the scores. With a place in the final up for grabs both were hit with a spot of double trouble as it came down to whoever hit their double first. In the end it was Sam who found the target to complete the final line-up.

Final
Sam 0-2 Nick
With expectations of another close match this one was eagerly anticipated but in the event Sam looked to have tired after three previous matches and Nick made short work of the match with another display of accurate throwing.

So it was congratulations to Nick, the winner, who received £15, and a hearty well done to Sam who did extremely well to come runner-up after not playing for several weeks, gaining £10 for her efforts.

Next Week
The league returns with Round 5 next Tuesday 3rd September. The fixtures are:

• Darren v Anne
• Glen v Darren
• James v Ram
• Nick v Tom
• Tom v Ben
• Tom v Glen

League Round 4 - 20th August 2013

The gang's all here - a full house for Round 4 as Tom & Claire were back from holidays and also the welcome return of Anne!

Match Report
Claire v Nick
A lack of recent practice for Claire meant she wasn't confident going into this match, but a few good scores including a 105 did put a little pressure on Nick, who struggled to find his trebles. He had no such trouble on the doubles though and took all three legs for a 3-0 win.

Tom v James
After my suggestion last week that his form might not have been as good as previous seasons, James looked determined to prove me wrong. With both players scoring well it was close but James was more consistent in his aim and sharper on the finishes, including a great 78, and came away with a well-earned 3-0 victory.

Anne v Ben
It was Anne's first match since May, but the way she started you wouldn't have thought she'd not had a dart in her hand for nearly four months. In the end it was only her doubles that let her down, as Ben, after winning a lengthy first leg where both players had numerous throws to finish, picked up the pace in the second. Left with 101 he got the treble-17 and, going for broke, aimed at the bull for a 2 dart out only to hit the 25 instead. A big 9 with his third set up a double-8 for the next turn at the oche which he landed to go 2-0 up. A close third leg saw good scores again from both players (scorer Darren said "Anne scored phenomenally") but it was Ben again who finished with a 48 checkout to win 3-0.

Ram v Tom
Ram made a strong start and took the first leg but Tom was scoring as well as in his first match and came back strongly to take the second on a 38 checkout. The third leg was another close affair until Ram hit his targets in fine fashion to check out with 98. His form continued into the final leg where he scored the night's maximum 132 on his way to a 3-1 win.

Glen v Anne
Glen threw some steady darts against a tiring Anne, but didn't manage his usual quota of treble-20s. After winning the first leg in reasonable comfort he didn't manage to build a lead in the second and Anne reduced her total to 46, a very useful 2 dart out shot, before he put it away with the double on his next throw to go 2-0 up. Anne couldn't manage to keep her momentum up into the third leg and fell behind as Glen took the match 3-0.

Darren v Nick
Rounding off the night as well as starting it, Nick was keen to beat Ram's high score & checkout. Darren had other ideas and put up a strong fight in the closest match of the night. After winning the first leg Darren had a bit of a nightmare in the second, missing the board with all 3 darts to score a zero on one throw: a first for our league if I'm not mistaken. (I'm sure one of you will correct me if I'm wrong!) Not surprisingly Nick took that leg and also the next with a very strong checkout, but Darren wasn't done yet. A nail-biting final leg saw both players neck and neck at the close. Nick needed 170 to seal victory, which naturally would also have meant putting in the highest score & checkout, but didn't find even one treble-20 so it was left to Darren to level the match and secure a draw 2-2.

Bonus points for clean sheets went to Nick, James, Ben and Glen, while the £5 prizes for highest score and checkout both went to Ram for 132 and 98 respectively. A great all-round effort!

• Results & Fixtures
• League Table

Next Week
We take a break from the league next Tuesday (27th) for a knockout. The league will return on the 3rd September for Round 5.

League Round 3 - 13th August 2013

Match Report
Ben v Glen
Glen opened the scoring with a string of good totals including a 140, Shanghai 120 and a couple at 80+ to build a commanding lead and reach his checkout while Ben still faced over 250. But double trouble not only left the door ajar; it opened it wide to let Ben work his way down to a closing double which he hit to take a most unlikely lead. A timely 132 from Ben gave him a shot at double-top to take the second leg before Glen regained his concentration and found his target to get a leg back on his own throw. The final leg was close score-wise but both players missed countless attempts at their doubles before ending up in the madhouse: double-1. In the end it was Glen who found the target first to draw the match 2-2.

Ram v Ben
Ram came out with guns blazing to build a good lead in the opening leg, hitting a 140 and a ton and carried on to his 65 checkout with a comfortable margin. Ben came back in the second leg with a big opening throw of 134 followed by an 80+ while Ram strayed into the 5 too many times. Ben maintained his lead in the leg and checked out quickly to level the match. Another good leg from Ben broke Ram's throw, but the wheels fell off in the final leg and some loose arrows gave Ram plenty of opportunity to come back and take the leg for a 2-2 draw.

Nick v Ram
Nick wasted no time from the off, hammering darts in with 20 after 20, several of them trebles. Ram was still straying into the 5 too often and Nick went two legs up in next to no time with great accuracy on his doubles. Ram picked up in the third leg and even though Nick put in three 100s he was in with a chance when, with 70 remaining, his shot at treble-10 hit a 15 but his next dart for a big 15 to leave double-top went wide of the mark, out of the board to dash his hopes. Nick cleaned up with his next throw to win 3-0.

Darren v James
With a reputation as James' bogey player, Darren had the psychological edge going into the last match of the night. James was having none of it though, and threw some steady darts while Darren, usually deadly on the 19s, hit too many 7s and 3s to keep up with the scoring, and leg after leg went James' way. Final score 3-0: a decent performance from James and hopefully a sign that he is returning to the form he showed last season.

Bonus points were awarded to Nick and James for their clean sheets. Ram won the £5 for the highest checkout with his 65, while he and Glen shared the £5 for the highest score with 140.

• Results & Fixtures
• League Table

Next Week
Tom and Claire return from their holidays for Round 4 and Anne is hopeful that she will finally be fit. The fixtures (barring unplanned absences) will be:

• Anne v Ben
• Claire v Nick
• Darren v Nick
• Glen v Anne
• Ram v Tom
• Tom v James

League Round 2 - 6th August 2013

Although our numbers were down with people being away on holidays, we saw some good matches in Round 2.

Match Report
James v Glen
Glen started well and took an early lead with some good darts. James wasn't playing at his best but came back with a 140 and a very steady 71 checkout to avoid a whitewash. With both players throwing consistently it was close and they deserved to share the spoils with a 2-2 draw.

Ben v James
Ben had never beaten James in the league and didn't hold out much hope going into this match, but a run of good scores in the 80's and 90's together with accurate checkouts saw him take a 2-0 lead. While James kept the pressure on in the 3rd leg, Ben started to show his usual inconsistency with some low scores allowing James back into the match. The final leg was pretty one-sided with Ben looking tired as James kept his unbeaten record with a 2-2 draw.

Nick v Glen
This was the first time the two had met in the league; they had played each other socially with Nick reportedly having the best of it, and it was Nick who went ahead before Glen came back in the second with a good 66 checkout. Several 100's from Glen were matched by Nick's 80+ totals with Nick having fewer wild arrows straying into the 5 and 1 overall, but in the end it all came down to the checkouts, where both players had chances in equal measure. A very close encounter finished with the third 2-2 draw of the night.

Darren v Ram
Darren didn't play badly but Ram was on fire, banging in ton-plus scores including a 180 (I enjoyed calling that one in traditional Lakeside fashion), 140 and 135. Darren kept plugging away with steady scores around the 60 mark but Ram was building too much of a lead with the big totals and had little pressure on him to check out. 3-0 to Ram.

• Results & Fixtures
• League Table

Next Week
Next week will be Round 3. Tom and Claire are still on holiday but I'm hoping Anne will be fit to make her first appearance.

• Anne v Ben
• Ben v Glen
• Darren v James
• Nick v Anne
• Ram v Ben

League Round 1 - 30th July 2013

Last night saw the return of the Premier League. We have nine players this time and everybody will play everyone else twice.

Match Report
Darren v Ben
Darren opened the night's action in a close first leg. With decent middling scores from both players it came down to the wire but the advantage of throwing first proved decisive as Darren checked out double-9. The second leg also went with the darts, levelling the match and guaranteeing a fourth leg. Some poor throws from Ben gave Darren the edge in the third leg to break the throw but the favour was returned in the last leg and both players were happy with a well-deserved draw 2-2.

Claire v Tom
In a lengthy first leg both players threw some wayward arrows but it was Claire who found the target to checkout and take the lead. Tom came back with some better scoring including the night's best 138 and also a 135 (narrowly missing out on a 180 when his third dart landed the wrong side of the wire in the treble-5). But Claire came back in the fourth leg. With both players aiming for their finishing double she found the target first to gain the draw 2-2 to a round of applause.

Nick v James
Finding his form after a lean few weeks of knockouts, James hit consistently good scores and even though Nick didn't play badly he didn't get a look in. James checked out three legs in succession, including the night's highest out of 66 to win 3-0, earning a bonus point for the clean sheet.

Ram v Glen
An unusually scrappy display from Simmonds senior saw Glen race to a two leg lead but Ram fought back in the third, opening with consecutive 100s as Glen's form dipped briefly and winning a leg back. However the respite was short-lived as Glen came back strongly in the final leg of the night to win 3-1.

Congratulations to James who gained a bonus point for his 3-0 win along with £5 for the highest checkout, and to Tom who won £5 for the highest score.

• Results & Fixtures
• League Table

Next Week
Round 2 will be played next Tuesday.

• Ben v Glen 
• Ben v James 
• Darren v Ram 
• James v Glen 
• Nick v Anne

Pairs Knockout - 23rd July 2013

Match Report
Eight players for the last knockout before the new Premier League starts and for a change we played pairs, best of 5 legs from 501. The pairs were drawn at random.

Semi Finals
Ben & Glen v James & Sam
It was a slow start from Ben & Glen as James & Sam built up a lead in the first leg, but they allowed Ben & Glen to catch up with some shaky attempts at their doubles before taking the leg. Ben and Glen tightened up their throwing from that point and although it was a close match they took the next three legs to go through 3-1.

Nick & Tom v Ram & Darren
Nick & Tom threw some good, steady darts, including a Shanghai 120 from Nick, and the scores were reasonably close in the second match of the night. However as always it was the checkouts that counted and Ram & Darren hit the target three times to go through with a clean sheet.

Final
Ben & Glen v Ram & Darren
After it took three throws for Bull to decide who threw first a close match seemed on the cards, but some poor throws from Ben gifted the first leg to Ram & Darren. Some good arrows from the pair in the next leg put them 2-0 up before Ben & Glen got their act together, fighting back to take the third with a well-timed 100+ score from Ben to leave the checkout for Glen. But Ram & Darren continued to throw well in the fourth leg, gaining the advantage on the scoreboard and finishing well to win the match and the competition 3-1. The £20 pot was presented to the winners: £10 each.

Next Week
That wraps up the summer knockouts as we start the Premier League next Tuesday. We currently have 9 players signed up, but there is still time to add your name if you want to join us: just come along at 8pm on Tuesday 30th.

As usual the league will take the form of a round robin where every player plays everyone else. Matches are played as the best of 4 legs of 501 with 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw. Bonus points are awarded for a clean sheet (3-0 win) and there are cash prizes for the highest score and highest checkout on the night. In a change from last season there will not be bonus points for the highest score and checkout.

Thank you to everyone who has taken part, and I'll see you next week!