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.

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!

Knockout - 9th July 2013

A different format from usual for this knockout: it was that old favourite double-in. Good practice on the all-important doubles, plus the format tends to prove a great leveller! I must apologise because I've not had much time to write the report this week, so it's just the results.

First Round
Darren 1-2 Ben
Nick 2-0 Sam
James 0-2 Ram
Tom 1-2 Glen

Semi-finals
Ben 1-2 Nick
Ram 2-0 Glen

Final
Nick 2-3 Ram

Well done Ram: second win in a row and the £12.50 first prize. Congratulations to runner up Nick who took home £7.50.

See you all next Tuesday for the last knockout before the new league starts!

Knockout - 2nd July 2013

It was a good turnout for Tuesday night's knockout with eight players including another new player, Claire, joining in for the first time.

Match Report

First Round

James v Tom

First on the oche to get the night under way were James and Tom. A steady performance from James was enough to see him through 2-0.

Sam v Darren

Sam was much quieter than usual as she took on Darren, who hadn't played for a couple of weeks. Some good scores from Sam in a match that went into a deciding third leg which you'd have fancied her to win, especially after Darren scored a personal worst zero in the second leg with all 3 arrows out of the board! But Darren turned things around and finally found his focus to win the third leg convincingly.

Ram v Ben

A confident Ben built up what should have been a decisive lead over Ram in the first leg, helped by a personal best 174, but some loose throws at the finish let the big man back in. It was neck and neck in the second leg with both players scoring well, but it was Ben who checked out to level the match. Ram just had the edge in the equally-close third leg and finished with 24 darts to gain his semi-final spot.

Glen v Claire

Last week's winner Glen took on new player Claire in the last match of the first round. In a low-scoring match it was Claire who had the narrow advantage leading up to the checkouts but with both players having some double trouble it could have gone either way. In the end it was Glen who threw the lucky dart to win 2-0.

Semi Finals

James v Darren

A difficult one to predict with the under-par James against Darren who had such a shaky start in his previous match. In the event Darren threw well, finding his favourite treble 19 regularly and yet again proving to be James's bogey player with a 2-0 win for a place in the final.

Ram v Glen

A Simmonds family affair as Ram took on nephew Glen. Although Glen played better than in the previous round it was not enough to match Ram who appeared to be coasting after his first round battle. A convincing win for age & experience over youth.

Final

Darren v Ram

It was Darren's first appearance in a knockout final as he stepped up against Ram, but any dreams of a fairytale ending were quickly dashed as Ram showed the same form as his previous matches. Darren threw some decent arrows but there only looked like being one winner: 2-0 to Ram.

Next Week

There will be another knockout next Tuesday night and I'm thinking about a different format, possibly double-in... See you all next week! 

Knockout - 25 June 2013

It was back to the darts last night after a week off and we had the pleasure of welcoming a new player, Glen. With six names in the hat, Sam did the honours of the draw (so she only had herself to blame for how it turned out - only joking!).

Match Report
First Round
Tom v Sam
The action got under way with Tom playing Sam. Not a high-scoring match but close with both players reaching their final doubles. There was a bit of good-natured argy-bargy on the oche - I've seen less pushing at the January sales - but it didn't affect the outcome which was a 2-0 win for Sam.

Ram v James
A good performance from both Ram and James saw the best scoring of the night with both achieving ton-plus totals. James had the edge in the first leg but it looked like Ram was set to draw level in the second as he built up a lead on the scoreboard. An excellent 86 checkout from James put paid to that and booked him a place in the semis.

Ben and Glen both received a bye into the next round.

Semi Finals
Ben v Glen
Ben threw first but some wayward arrows let Glen establish a lead with some decent scores in the 60-70 range. Both players had trouble with their aim on the doubles but it was Glen who hit the target first to go ahead. Ben had a shaky start in the second leg but picked up to stay close until Glen scored Shanghai 120 which gave him the edge he needed to take the leg and go through to the final.

James v Sam
With both players warmed up by matches in the first round this promised to be a quick match. Sam threw steadily but couldn't match an in-form James who eased into a comfortable 2-0 win.

Final
Glen v James
James won the throw and opened the match with a disappointing score, putting himself under pressure from the off. He held his throw to win the leg and with the second leg also going with the darts it went into a third deciding leg. Although James threw first he was uncharacteristically inconsistent and Glen was first to the finish to win the knockout and the prize of £10  with James getting the runner-up prize of £5.

Next Week
There will be another knockout next Tuesday from 8pm. I hope to see you all there!

Bank Holiday Knockout - 27th May 2013

It was a quiet night as a couple of our regular players were suffering the effects of over-indulgence at the weekend but we did have a new player join us: welcome to Nick, who's interested in joining in the next league - more about that over the coming weeks. But first it's the...

Match Report
With just five players it was a fairly short competition with just one preliminary match before we went straight into the semi-finals.

Tom v Sam
Tom started well and won the first leg with a sharp checkout but Sam came back in the second with some steadier throwing to level the match. She continued to throw consistently in the deciding leg, winning it comfortably to go into the semis.

Semi Finals
Ben v Nick
New player Nick was drawn against Ben and it was a close match with both players scoring well and Ben checking out 52 to take the first leg. The second leg started well for Nick who edged ahead before a 134 from Ben put him back in the race. Both players struggled to find the final double but it was Ben who finally hit the target to win 2-0 and go through.

Sam v Ram
It was a good first leg from Sam as Ram initially struggled to find the target, but he got his eye in in the second leg, finishing in 20 darts (a 3-dart average of 75.15!) to level the scores. Sam picked things up in the decider and put in some good scores but Ram was too hot on the finishing and won 2-1.

Final
Ben v Ram
Both players looked on decent form in their previous matches so a close contest was on the cards. Despite a couple of loose throws, Ben led the scoring in the first leg which gave him enough breathing space to find his double. Ram was throwing consistently in the second leg with a couple of tons to draw ahead but a timely 138 from Ben brought him back in range of a checkout. With Ben on 50, Ram reduced his total to 8, putting the pressure on Ben's next throw. His first, aimed at 10, dropped low and landed in the 15. The next was on target for a big 3 leaving 32 which he hit squarely with the last dart to win 2-0 and secure his first knockout win.

Next Week
It's back to the league next Tuesday for Round 6. There's been a bit of rearrangement of fixtures following John's departure, so here are the remaining matches. We will play as many of the matches as possible (three obviously depend on whether Anne is fit enough to play next week).

Anne v James

Ben v Tom

Darren v Ben

Ram v Anne

Ram v Sam

Sam v Anne

The revised league table and fixtures are here:

• Results & Fixtures - 28th May 2013
• League Table - 28th May 2013

 

Bank Holiday Knockout - 6th May 2013

The sun was shining on this lovely Bank Holiday Monday but we still had a good turnout for the darts, including James who was still recovering from the previous day's Sunday Football League Cup Final in which he represented the Royal Standard FC. Darren didn't manage to conquer his hangover and come out but we were joined by Mark, who had competed in previous knockouts.

Match Report
First Round
John 2-0 Sam
Getting us under way were John and Sam. Sam was hampered by an injured left wrist and had to rely on John to hold her darts during her throw. This affected her throwing rhythm and she didn't have her usual consistency. John didn't give any chances and powered ahead in the scoring (three ton-plus scores back-to-back in one leg), winning both legs easily.

Ram 1-2 Mark
Mark looked very composed as he took on the experienced Ram and with good reason as he took the first leg and appeared to be set for the second, but discount Ram at your peril as he came back to level on 1-all. The deciding leg went Mark's way as Ram dropped behind in the scoring, taking the pressure off Mark as he checked out.

Anne 1-2 Tom
Anne took the first leg after building up a lead on the scoreboard followed by a good checkout but trouble on her double in the second leg allowed Tom to catch up and even the scores. Anne had the advantage again in the deciding leg but couldn't capitalise on it as the double again proved elusive, and Tom checked out to go through.

Ben 2-1 James
James wasn't on his usual form and this match was a close one. Some uncharacteristic accuracy on his doubles gave Ben the edge he needed in two of the legs to go through.

Semi-Finals
John 2-0 Mark
In a match that saw probably the best darts of the night both players started well, hitting good scores in a close first leg. Mark had the advantage of first throw, but although he reached a finish he failed to nail it and John checked out with his next throw. John had the darts in the second leg and continued to score well, while Mark slipped a couple of times and fell behind. John didn't leave any chances as he sealed the victory with a quick checkout to go through to the final.

Tom 0-2 Ben
Ben tightened up his throw to gain a decisive advantage in scoring, and although Tom kept steadily on, even hitting two bullseyes with one throw, it wasn't enough and Ben went through.

Final
John 2-0 Ben
It might have been tiredness, but John didn't find the consistency he showed in his earlier matches, and his scoring average was down which left Ben in with a chance. Both players had a bit of double trouble in the first leg, throwing repeatedly to checkout and it was John who hit the target first to go ahead. Ben had the darts in the second leg and hit a couple of good scores to take the lead, but he couldn't capitalise on it, allowing John to come back while he failed to find the last double. John took the second leg to win the competition and £10 in prize money; Ben received the consolation of £5 for the runner-up.

Next Week
The League returns next week and it's Round 4, the half-way point. Don't forget that league fixtures are now on Tuesday nights to avoid clashing with pool matches. The fixtures for Tuesday 14th May are:

Ben v James
John v Darren
Ram v Anne
Sam v Tom

Pre-Season Knockout - 8th April 2013

Match Report
It was a good night of darts to get everybody in the mood for the new league starting next Monday. We had eight players altogether which is ideal for a knockout, including newcomer John. First round and semi-final matches were played as best-of-3 legs from 501, while the final was best-of-5.

First Round
Getting the competition underway were James and Ben. James threw steadily while Ben was slow off the mark, barely reaching a possible 3-dart checkout total before James took the first leg. A good start in the second leg saw Ben take an early lead on the scoreboard but his inconsistent throwing allowed James to catch up and check out to go through 2-0.

Joining us for the first time was John who played Darren, returning after a couple of weeks off. Darren threw some decent darts but was eclipsed by power scoring from John who hit at least one treble-20 with almost every turn at the oche. An impressive performance and a well-deserved 2-0 win for John.

Ram had been drawn against Anne in the third match, and he got off to a pedestrian start which allowed Anne a chance to seal the first leg with a quick checkout on her last double. The second leg was also close with both players having chances to take it before Ram checked out to level the match. The deciding leg was less close as Anne started to lose her focus and Ram got into his rhythm to win 2-1.

Concluding the first round were Tom and Andy. Scores were close in the first leg and both players suffered from double trouble as they ended up stalled in the madhouse, double-1. It was Tom who broke the stalemate in the first leg, but there was a repeat of the double-1 shootout in the second leg as well which Andy won to equalise. It was a better performance from Andy in the deciding leg as he reached his last double first and checked out with little delay to go through 2-1.

Semi-Finals
James faced John in the first semi and didn't sound confident going into this match after seeing John beat Darren earlier. However James continued to throw steady darts and John, although hitting decent scores again, didn't match the heights of his first match. Both legs were close but it was James who held his nerve on the checkouts to go through to the final 2-0.

Ram played Andy in the other semi. Andy didn't look like the same player who topped the table in the last league as Ram banged in 80+ and ton-plus scores and built up a lead of nearly 400 in one leg while Andy struggled to find even single-20 at times. A comfortable 2-0 victory for Ram.

Final
Two well matched players in the shape of James and Ram, it was James who won the throw in the first leg, but Ram who delivered the goods and took the second leg as well to go 2-0 ahead. James was looking at a whitewash and this spurred him to pick up his game and he took the third leg with the throw, breathing a sigh of relief at not having a zero on the scoreboard. His momentum continued and he won the next leg as well to set up a tense deciding leg at 2-2. Tiredness was evident in both players and their aim wasn't as tight as earlier legs, but both showed a real determination and kept the scores close right to the finish. In the end it was Ram who brought home the bacon, winning the fifth leg for a 3-2 victory and £12.50 prize money. An impressive effort from James as well, who took home the second prize of £7.50.


Summer League
Next Monday sees the return of our Premier League darts for the summer season. Most of last season's players have already signed up - Anne, Ben, Darren, James, Ram, Sam and Tom - and I was pleased that John accepted my invitation to join us. There are still a couple of places available if anybody wants to join in - send me a message or speak to me in the pub before Monday if you're interested.

There will be a small change to the points system next season. Bonus points will remain for the highest score and highest checkout in each round, A draw (2-2) will be 1 point, a win will count for 2 points but there will be an extra bonus point for winning 3-0. I am keeping the entry fee at £2.50 a week: no price rises for darts night at least!

Easter Monday Knockout

What better way to round off the long Easter weekend than a darts knockout? Well, it worked for ten of us on Monday night: a good turnout. But would the effects of four days of partying (in some cases) tell in the darts? Read on...

Match Report
Preliminary Round
Tom v James
Sam v Anne
To narrow the field to 8 the first two pairs of names out of the hat played each other in a preliminary round. Starting the night's action were Tom and James in a slow-paced match where neither player managed to score consistently, and both had some trouble with accuracy on their doubles as the match went to a deciding 3rd leg which James won to finish 2-1 up.

Sam played Anne in the second preliminary match, and neither player showed the form they had demonstrated in recent weeks: it looked as if the 4-day weekend had taken quite a toll, but Sam led in the scoring and took advantage of that to win 2-0.

Quarter Finals
Andy v Bev
Matt v Ben
James v Mark
Sam v Ram
It was great to see Bev back on the Monday night oche after so long as she took on league regular Andy. Bev obviously hadn't lost her touch and hit some steady scores, outperforming Andy who has not managed over the last few weeks to regain the form he showed during the regular season. This was another match that went to the deciding leg but Bev's finishing was decisive and she won 2-1.

Matt and Ben played next and Matt scored well, drawing ahead of Ben, who started slowly, in the first leg before getting stuck on his double to finish. This allowed Ben to catch up and take the leg. The second leg saw Matt score an impressive 132 but he couldn't maintain that consistency. Again it came down to a shootout on the doubles which Ben won to go through 2-0.

First qualifier James had drawn Mark, Bev's partner, who plays regularly in his home town of Weybridge. Mark looked confident and threw a steady game but James was up to the challenge and they went into the deciding 3rd leg looking evenly-matched. A dip in James's form gave Mark enough of an advantage to take the leg and his place in the semis.

Rounding off the quarters was second qualifier Sam who had drawn Ram. Despite having played one match already, Sam couldn't find her usual form and Ram dominated the match to win 2-0.

Semi Finals
Bev v Ben
Mark v Ram
Because earlier matches had taken longer than expected I took the decision to reduce the total in the remaining rounds from 501 to 301.

After her first round victory over Andy you had to fancy Bev's chances against Ben who had not shown consistent form in his earlier match. In the event, however, Ben hit the totals when needed to catch up, set up a finish and take the first leg. Bev came right back in the second leg, dominating the scores and checking out to force a decider. Steady darts in the third leg from both players but it was Ben who found the finishing double to gain his place in the final.

Some quality darts next as Mark met Ram in a match that saw the best scoring of the night with the players hitting the treble-20 regularly. The shorter format left little room for errors and Ram was punished for missing his double and leaving the door open for Mark to win 2-0 and go through to face Ben in the final.

Final
Mark v Ben
These two hadn't faced each other on the oche since a friendly game on holiday in 2009, and the atmosphere remained friendly despite the evident concentration. Mark threw as steadily as he had through the earlier rounds and Ben kept pace with consistent scoring, but it was Mark who proved to have his eye in for the doubles where his accuracy gave him the first leg. After a steady opening in the second leg, Ben lost his focus while Mark built a lead to gain a good advantage which he pressed home to win 2-0.

All that remained was to present the prizes: £17.50 to the winner Mark and £7.50 to runner-up Ben. Honourable mentions to losing semi-finalists Bev and Ram, and a big thank you from me to everybody who turned up and took part.

Next Week
With the next league starting on the 15th April, it means that the next knockout fixture, on Monday 8th, will also be your chance to register with me for a place in the summer league. We're always on the lookout for new players to join us on Monday nights so if you fancy having a go just come along. Monday's knockout is open to everybody as usual and entry will be £2.50 per player.

Pairs Knockout - 18th March 2013

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!

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.

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

League Results - 28 January 2013

Match Report
We gained a brand new dart board this week: thanks to landlady Sam (not to be confused with our darts-playing Sam) for ordering this, and also for laying on sausages and chips.

There was one rearranged fixture this week because Sam was unable to play: Andy played Darren instead as I swapped his fixture with one from Round 4.

James and Natasha got Round 3 under way with the first match of the night. A plucky performance from Natasha who was unlucky not to win a leg after reaching her double, but James was steady with his scoring, including the night's highest of 140, to win 3-0.

Darren and Ben were second on the oche. A good start from Ben saw him scoring well to go 2-0 ahead before the wheels fell off after narrowly missing an 85 checkout in the third leg. It was all Darren after that and he cruised home with a draw 2-2.

Next to play were Tom and Anne. Steady scoring from both but Anne had the edge on the doubles to take an early lead 2-0 before Tom came back to level the match 2-2.

Ben's second match of the night was against Ram. Ben's poor form from the second half of his previous match appeared to have gone as he went well ahead in the scoring in the first leg, but his doubles let him down and Ram came back to steal the leg. Ram was scoring steadily and left Ben well behind to win the match 3-0.

In the last match of the night Andy took on Darren, and despite Darren throwing steadily after his earlier match he couldn't keep up with a return to form by Andy who also hit two successive highest checkouts, a 50 followed by a 58, to win the highest checkout of the night. The match finished 3-0 to Andy.

• Results & Fixtures - 28 January 2013
• League Table - 28 January 2013

Next Week
Next week will be an open knockout, played as pairs if we have an even number of entrants. Pairs will be drawn at random and the winning pair will share the prize money.

Match Report - 21 January 2013

It might have been icy outside but we still had a full turnout last night - super smashing great!

Match Report
First match of the night was Sam and Ben, a close match that saw each leg go against the throw to finish 2-2 - a fair result. Only one 100+ score, a 101 by Sam, as that treble-20 proved elusive yet again but some sharp throwing on the doubles made it a quick match.

The same can't be said for the next one as Darren took on Anne in the longest 4 legs of darts I've ever seen! I don't keep a record of the number of darts thrown in each match which is just as well because in a couple of the legs both players were trying to hit their doubles for nearly 20 minutes! We even had a change of scorer during the 3rd leg because it had taken so long. No wonder both players needed a lie down afterwards. Oh, and the eventual result was 3-1 to Darren. Well done to Anne for hitting a 111 score and winning her first leg of this season.

Tom played Natasha in the third match. Despite Natasha continuing to show improvement and getting in reach of a finish, Tom threw more consistently, winning 3-0 after checking out the final leg with 77, the highest checkout of the night.

That left Ram to play James and then Andy. Strong scoring from these players saw the highest score raised first to 125 by James and then to 140 by Ram - the highest of the night. Ram had chances but was unsteady on his checkouts and James took his match 3-1. It was a similar story against Andy, who took advantage of Ram's below-par finishing to force a draw even though his scoring was not up to his usual standards. As Bobby George said, scoring for show, doubles for dough.

• League Table - 21st January
• Results & Fixtures - 21st January

Next Week
Round 3 next week, the 28th January:

Andy v Sam

Darren v Ben

Natasha v James

Ram v Ben

Tom v Anne

Knockout
The first Monday in February, the 4th, will be an open knockout. £2.50 to enter with cash prizes going to first and second places. Everybody welcome.

Knockout Results - 7th January 2013

Match Report
It was a respectable turnout for the first Monday of the new year with 8 players competing in our opening knockout.

First Round
Tom played Ben in the first match and outscored his opponent to reach his out first, but double trouble struck. Ben steadily reduced his total to set up a checkout and stole the legs: slow and steady won the match 2-0.

Second up were James H and Anne. Some good, steady scoring from James, including a 120, gave him a comfortable lead and he took two legs to book his spot in the semis: 2-0

They were followed by James Y against Darren. Forced to use a spare set of darts after losing his own, James looked uncomfortable and struggled against Darren's more consistent throwing. Result: 2-0 to Darren.

The fourth and final first round match pitched Ram against Andy in a close-fought encounter. Andy had the edge in scoring but it was his sharper finishing that proved the deciding factor, Ram missing the double for a 113 checkout in one leg, and Andy won 2-1.

Semi-Finals
In a change inspired by the FA Cup 4th Round draw the previous day the pairings for the semis were drawn at random. Ben was drawn against Darren, a pairing that both players relished, especially with the addition of a friendly side bet involving a pie for the winner. I'm not suggesting it was all down to the prospect of the pie, but Ben's darts were much more consistent than in the previous round and he had the edge in scoring over Darren. This in combination with a steady eye on the doubles was enough for a 2-0 win to Ben and the first final spot.

The other semi saw James H play Andy. Despite James's best performance so far, Andy's experience showed and he did enough to keep his nose in front, gaining the second berth in the final with a 2-0 win.

Final
Regular finalist Andy had to be the favourite against Ben, making his first appearance in a knockout final for quite some time, but it was Ben who got the advantage of first throw and put in some good scores, keeping the first leg fairly level. However Andy edged it and made the throw for his finishing double count to take the first leg. A shaky start by Ben in the second leg didn't help much, but there was no arguing with Andy's 180, followed shortly after by a 140 to set up a 2-dart out shot for a 22 dart leg - probably the best of the night - to win the match and the competition in style.

Congratulations to the winner Andy who took home £12.50, well done to Ben who trousered the runner-up prize of £7.50, and a big thank you to everyone else who took part. Thanks to those who came along to watch and support, and finally a big thank you from everybody to Anne for the lovely food: it had been missed.

Next Week
The Royal Standard Premier League Darts returns next Monday 14th and all the players from tonight have signed up. There are still places available if anybody else is interested: it is a friendly individual league involving a round-robin draw of matches against the other players in the league. This will be the third year I have run this league and it continues to be a lot of fun for everybody who takes part. See you next week!

Christmas Knockout - 17 December 2012

Well, that's it for 2012. Last night's Christmas Knockout rounded off the year, but before we set our sights on the new season there's the small matter of the match report.

Match Report
Nine players took part, a good turnout considering this was only the second week that the darts had been back up and running after the extended break since summer, and it was great to see two new faces. A big welcome to Tom and James H.

Matches were played as the best of 3 legs of 501: the usual format. The draw involved one preliminary round match to reduce the field to 8, the winners of that round going forward to the semi-finals and so on to the final: 8 matches in total.

Preliminary
Tom v Ram
Tom started well, getting a good lead over Ram in the first leg but experience tells and Ram carried steadily on while Tom struggled with his finishing. 2-0 to Ram.

First Round
Ram v James H
New player James H was more than modest about his throwing skills but put in a creditable performance against Ram, scoring consistently and reaching a finish in both legs; however Ram proved too strong and won the match 2-0.

Ben v James Y
After a cracking start - 75, 85, 125 - to build up a decent lead in the first leg Ben suffered yet again from the inconsistency that has dogged his game and allowed James to catch up. He put the pressure on by reducing his total to 40 but James responded in style by checking out 85 with a confident 15, 20, bullseye. The second leg followed for a fairly comfortable 2-0 win.

Anne v Andy
If there was a prize for entertainment value Anne would win hands down: a real crowd-pleaser who always gets the audience behind her. Unfortunately she didn't manage to exert the same influence over her darts and her scoring, usually decent, let her down. Andy put in a slightly below par performance - not as many treble-tops as we are used to seeing - but in the end it was more than enough and he won 2-0.

Matt v Darren
Matt has played in a few of our knockouts over the past couple of years and showed a marked improvement over time so Darren couldn't underestimate his opponent here. Scoring-wise Matt looked steadier but was weak in the finishing: when the first leg got down to both players in the madhouse (double-1) it could have gone either way. Shades of last week's opening leg for Darren - he was in a similar position - but he managed to find the bed eventually to take the longest leg of the night. The scores in the second leg were also close but Darren's finishing proved much better this time and he won 2-0.

Semi Finals
Ram v James Y
Strongbow- and Doritos-fuelled James was confident enough going into this match and with good reason after winning last week's knockout. However Ram had found his range by this point and simply threw better than James to win 2-0.

Andy v Darren
I don't know whether it was the pressure of the match or the pressure on his bladder that got to Darren but he couldn't find the form that he showed last week when he put dart after dart into the treble-19. Against scoring like Andy's that proved fatal and Andy won 2-0 to book his spot in the final.

Final
Ram v Andy
Twenty to eleven and the two finalists were ready on the oche. Andy landed nearest the bull to secure the opening throw and we were away. Both players showed a little more inconsistency than we have come to expect but it was a close first leg that Andy won to gain the advantage. Ram opened in the second leg but fell behind in the scoring as Andy tightened up his throw. Despite a little shakiness on the checkout Ram was too far behind to mount a serious challenge and Andy sealed the match and the title 2-0. Ram was presented with the runner-up prize of £7.50 while Andy received £15 and the trophy. Many thanks to everybody who played and also to those who came along to watch and support.

Winner Andy is presented with the trophy

New Year, New Season
There will be no darts for the next two weeks as it is Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and other events are taking place in the pub (and elsewhere no doubt), so we will return on Monday January 7th for a knockout and to sign up for the new Premier League season. If I don't see you before then have a great holiday and I hope to see you in the New Year.

A Final Note
I've been asked by Tom to put out a request for people who are interested in playing competitive darts in a local league (Aldershot & District) to get in touch. The winter league has already started so this will be for the summer league. You can contact me directly or via the Royal Standard and I'll pass on your details to Tom. Thanks.

Knockout - 10 December 2012

Darts returned on Monday night with surprisingly few teething problems. The board had been replaced two inches too high and the new carpet meant that the rubber mat with the oche wouldn't stay put. It didn't take long to reposition the board but we spent some time experimenting with taping the mat in place before resorting to a simple strip of tape on the carpet at the appropriate distance. I'm happy to report that a more permanent solution has been found: two metal strips are now in place at 7' (for the ladies) and 7' 9¼". The lighting in that part of the pub is poor - I couldn't see well enough to fit the flights on my arrows - and we had to appropriate a table from elsewhere, but otherwise it's not a bad location.

Match Report
Six of us played in this opening knockout, not a bad turnout after the unexpectedly long break. James and Andy were drawn first with Andy hitting some very respectable scores including a 132 but his finishing let him down and James won 2-1. Darren and Ben played next; Ben's darts were all over the place with a 3-dart average that must have been hovering around 20! but when Darren failed time after time to hit double-1 Ben sneaked in a finish to take one of the unlikeliest legs ever. There was no way that was going to be repeated and Darren finished up the winner 2-1, scoring three 133's along the way.

With the preliminary round out of the way it was on with the semis. First up were Ram and Anne who received byes in the draw. After a shaky start by Ram this settled down into a familiar pattern with Anne scoring some decent totals along the way but not able to keep up with Ram's more consistent darts: 2-0 to Ram.

The two qualifiers, James and Darren, completed the semi-final line-up. I don't know whether it was through warming up in the previous round or the effects of the cider but James certainly found his form this time. Darren continued throwing consistently, hitting another 133, but James was ahead all the way, achieving the night's highest score of 140 along the way to a 2-0 victory and a spot in the final.

All James had to do was keep on throwing that consistently and against Ram in the final that was exactly what he did. Ram looked a little rusty after the months away from the oche, as did most of us compared to the heights of last season, but James seemed to find his old form and won convincingly 2-0.

Next Week
The Christmas Knockout is next Monday, the 17th. Starting between 8 and 8:30 it will be £2.50 per player to enter and is open to everybody. Even if you don't play why not come along and watch?

Back In Business

After a longer than planned break, Monday Night Darts returns to the Royal Standard on the 10th December, the first Monday after the pub reopens following the refurb. There will be an open knockout competition on the 10th - all welcome, £2.50 to enter, starts at 8pm.

Annual Christmas Knockout
Monday 17th will be the Christmas knockout. Entry will be £2.50 as usual with cash prizes for the winner and runner-up.

I hope to see you all there for a super, smashing, great night of darts fun!

Finals Night Match Report - 9th July

Match Report
The league was wrapped up in fine style last night with the Finals Knockout followed by the presentation of prizes.

The draw was based on league position with the top 4 getting the advantage of a second chance if they lost their opening match.

Ben and Sam played first with Ben taking the first leg for an early lead. However Sam came back strongly with consistent scoring to win the match 2-1 and knock Ben out. Andy and James were next up. Andy's finishing letting him down and James won 2-0 with an excellent 113 checkout.

Darren took on Anne and despite a close match scoring-wise he hit his doubles first and knocked Anne out: 2-0. Completing the first round were Ram and Craig. Ram started strongly while Craig took longer to get up to speed and won 2-0 in a fast-paced match.

That set up the elimination quarter-finals between Darren and Andy, Sam and Craig. In the first eliminator Andy struggled to find the form he showed through the league season and Darren proved to be the sharper finisher to book his slot in the semis with a 2-1 win, knocking Andy out. Sam put in her best performance of the season in a very close match against an improving Craig but lost narrowly in the deciding leg, going out 2-1.

Into the semi-finals and first up were Darren and Ram, both undefeated so far. Darren fought hard and put in some good scores but Ram was steady and powered into the final with a 2-0 victory. James, like Ram, had gained his place in the semis by winning in the first round while Craig had to battle through two matches to get here; however he suffered a dip in his form at this crucial stage and Craig won fairly comfortably 2-0.

It was after time had been called at the bar when our two finalists stepped up to the oche. The pairing might have been a repeat of their first round meeting but the result was not. Ram's aim was not tight enough this time around, while Craig looked very sharp and was obviously not tired after playing three rounds to get here. The final scoreline was 2-0 to Craig, a quality performance and a well-deserved win.

Prizes
For scoring the highest checkout on the night, 113, James won £5. He added to this his half of the £5 for highest score, shared with Darren who also hit a 140.

James also won £10 for the highest checkout throughout the league with 121, while Sam won £10 for the league's highest score of 165.

Ram as runner-up received £20 while last but certainly not least was our overall winner Craig who received the trophy and £40.

A big thank you from me as the organiser to everybody who took part, and to Trevor from the RNLI for agreeing to present the prizes. I had a lot of fun taking part as well as running the show and I hope you will all be back for the next league.

Coming Up
The league will take a break for a few weeks but there will be various knockouts and other friendly competitions over the coming weeks until the league starts again.