| England Call Up for Devon Captain | Devon Ladies Captain Merryl Dennis was finally given the international recognition that she so richly deserved when the 2012 England squad was announced on Sunday. Merryl joins seasoned campaigners and former world champions Trina Gulliver and Deta Hedman in the 6 lady squad to compete in Wales for the home international title in April. Now in her 10th season for Devon, having previously played for Somerset, Merryl has a playing average of 20.43, she has surpassed the best unbeaten run by a Devon player of 17 (set in 1983 by Gerald Verrier) with a 24 game winning streak and when she won her 65th game to have won more A team games than any other Devon lady in history she had played only 72 games, the previous record holder had played 116. Merryl’s record for Devon on the county stage shows her as head and shoulders better than any other player, man or woman, in terms of games won and lost but it is not only on the stage that Merryl contributes. In Merryl’s first season Devon were relegated from Division 2 to Division 3 and it is no coincidence that since she took over the captaincy of the Devon ladies a few years ago the ladies squad have become one of the best in the country, Merryl leads by example and where she leads the other ladies follow. Devon currently sit second in Division 1, the first season in Division 1 in their history and the ladies currently sit very proudly at the top of the A league. This in no small amount is due to the hard work of Merryl Dennis. Off the board as well as on it Merryl gives 150%. She will sit at the top table for long periods of time at county matches and will sit and do the computer at her teams’ super league games only breaking to play, call or mark. If the ladies don’t have a game she will come and offer to do the computer or mark for her husbands’ team. On April 14th/15th there is likely to be a Devonshire invasion of Wales to support as the Devon captain becomes the first player in over thirty years to be selected for England whilst playing for Devon. |
last modified: January 27, 9:37 pm |
| Last 8 Teams in the KO CUP Sunday 25th March @ Heavitree | KER ST v BIDEFORD ROYALS A YEOMEN v FILO BEER BOYZ GLADSTONES v EXETER EAGLES ROSE & CROWN v EAST DEVON SUPERLEAGUE |
last modified: January 23, 8:46 pm |
| Close but no cigar on away trip | Top of the table Devon made the trip to Surrey for their 2nd away game of the season in Division 1 of the BICC. Devon were looking to consolidate their position in the promotion zone after winning their opening three games of the season and Surrey, relegated from the premier Division last season, were keen to make progress back towards the top of the league having won their previous two matches following on from a poor result first time out. In a rarity, the Devon Ladies B team went 4-0 down and were left ruing numerous missed doubles before Karen Atkinson took to the stage. Having watched three of her team mates lose from having been 2-0 up Karen went 2-0 down but turned tables on her opponent winning the next three legs for a 3-2 lady of the match win (17.95). Inspired by her team mate Joyce Wilson pulled another game back with a 3-1 win (14.82) to end the match 4-2 in Surrey’s favour. The Men’s B team seemed to start off in the same way as the women losing the first two games before debutant Wayne Tucker took the stage. Showing nerve and composure way beyond anyone would have expected Wayne coped brilliantly with a very animated opponent and held his nerve to win a last leg decider for a 3-2 win (23.42). Surrey took the next game before Matt Dickinson turned the clock back with a great display, the sort of which had deserted him in the last 12 months or so with a man of the match 3-0 win which included a 180 (27.83). John Imrie followed in Matt’s footsteps with a second great performance on the trot but, unlike last time out, this one was rewarded with a win, 3-0 (26.84). With the score of the men’s match tied at 3-3 the hosts took the next three matches, the second of which saw the return to a Devon shirt for Martin Horn for the first time in 6 years, Martin hit a superb 165 to set up a double in one leg but narrowly went down 3-2 (25.33). With Devon now needing the last three matches of the day to draw the men’s match Ian Knight drew on 146 matches worth of experience to come through 3-2 (21.78) to be followed by Paul Godbeer, drawing on 103 games worth throwing an almost perfect last leg of darts before missing over 20 darts at doubles, clinging on for a 3-2 win (19.38). The comeback could not be completed however as Surrey took the final match of the day to win the men’s match 7-5 and lead 11-7 overnight. Day two started in the same way as day one, this time with Maria O’Brien surrendering a 2-0 lead to England International Apylee Jones to lose 3-2. Christine Kinnaird hit a 180 on her way to a 3-2 game in her favour (18.46) and Tracy Ware, unusually not drawn last, took a straight legs 3-0 win (15.34). Michelle Andrews started slowly, dropping the first leg before rattling off the next 3 for a 3-1 win (19.25) and Annette Lord continued her progress in the A squad with yet another performance better than the last and a great 3-0 win (20.04). This left the score line at 4-1 in Devon’s favour and the Surrey lead had been reduced to a single point. It was up to Devon’s brilliant captain Merryl Dennis to put in yet another lady of the match performance with a superb 3-1 win (23.28) proving yet again that she should feature very heavily in discussions when the England selectors meet during January. The 5-1 victory for the visiting ladies had brought the teams all square again at 12 points each leaving the overall match now in the hands of the two men’s A teams in what was now effectively a straight 12 game shoot out. Devon were to lose the first game again in the men’s A match meaning that Surrey had won the first point in all of the four matches of the weekend. Devon came back though in what was arguably the best game of the weekend Surrey’s Ronnie Godbeer hitting a 180 and 174 winning legs 1, 3 and 5 and Devon’s John Syvret hitting two many 140’s to remember winning legs 2, 4 and 6 before Ronnie missed a shot at doubles allowing John the chance to shoot out on 111 to take the match 4-3 Ronnie’s 28.27 average being narrowly beaten by John’s man of the match winning 28.51. With Devon back in the match Gary Whittles was next up making his A team debut and what a dream debut it was, with a 4-0 win (28.23). Next up Andy Steed was outscored by his opponent Jimmy Mann who hit 2 x 180, 177 and 165 on his way to a man of the match 4-2 win (31.37). With the scores level again it was Devon who took the advantage again through Ant Hayman, keeping his unbeaten A team run going having now won 5 out of 5, this time with a 4-1 win (25.99). Next on stage for Devon was Martin Davey, making a welcome return after a few season’s away due to work commitments but a 180 was not enough to save him from a4-2 defeat and the scores were level yet again. With the scores now 3-3 in the men’s match and 15-15 overall the match was now reduced to a 6 game shootout and it was Devon who were to draw first blood through Lee Watts who hit a 180 on his way to a 4-2 win (27.94) to give the visitors a 4-3 lead. The next match saw the lows and highs for Devon as Paul Milford first went 3-0 down then hit a 180 and 111 out on his way to coming back to 3-3 before finally missing doubles in the last leg and losing 4-3. Scores level, again! This time the home side took the advantage, Richard Dennis’ 180 not being enough to avert a 4-1 defeat but this time Surrey kept the momentum going and took the next game 4-1 too, despite a 101 out from Andy Aspinal. With the score line now standing at 18-16 overall in Surrey’s favour the visitors needed to win the last 2 games of the weekend to force a draw. The pressure of the situation and the fact that he sat top of the divisional men’s A team averages seemed to affect Lee Bryant to begin with but not enough to stop him hitting a 180 on his way to a 4-2 win (24.71) and Mike Beal seemed to be well on his way to completing the job at 2-0 up against youth player Kirtis Atkins when the pressure of the situation coupled with the fearlessness of youth saw the Surrey youngster turn the game on its head and win 4 legs on the trot for a 4-2 win and complete the win for both the Surrey men’s A, 7-5 and overall 19-17. With a mixed bag of results elsewhere Devon now site second in division 1, six points behind Cornwall but with a three point lead over Gwent. The Devon ladies A team now sit proudly on top of their division and both Marryl Dennis and Lee Bryant have retained their positions at the top of the divisional averages, Merryl sitting 3rd nationally behind England internationals Lisa Ashton and Deta Hedman and directly ahead of three World Champions Trina Gulliver, Anastasia Dobromyslova and Lorraine Farlam. With Devon’s next game at home to local neighbours Dorset at the end of January they will be looking for a repeat of the victory they had over their local rival last season, when both teams were in division two. |
last modified: January 3, 6:52 pm |
| A game of two halfs | Buoyed from a fruitful trip to the West Midlands Devon hosted Derbyshire in Division One of the Inter Counties Darts Championships. Having dominated the B team matches the previous month Devon were looking for more of the same and when lady of the match Marie Martin won 3-0 in the opening game (20.59) things were looking good. Derbyshire hit back to take the 2nd game before debutant Tegan Jones played out a competent though nervy debut with a 3-2 win (16.64). The visitors hit back again before Karen Atkinson, going through a puzzling loss of form, remembered what it felt like to win on the county stage and, having struggled a little through the first leg, grew in stature and confidence to win 3-0 (19.03), Joyce Wilson, as often, drawn last, ground out her normal five leg marathon and, as often, came out on top 3-2 (15.42). A 4-2 win for the ladies was the perfect start and Devon were now looking for the men to produce the same form as they had in their previous 8-4 and 9-3 victories and open up a big day one lead. What happened over the next few hours was confusing for the Devon players and management to say the least as one by one players who had been in superb form previously seemed to lose their way completely and it was little consolation at two wins came along from man of the match Gary Whittles, 3-1 (26.05) and Matt Dickinson, 3-0 (21.78) in a dire 10-2 defeat. This left the overnight scoreline at 12-6 in the visitors favour and Devon going to bed in the knowledge that they had never come back from such a position before and any dreams of promotion were lying in tatters. Day two started with thoughts turning to how Devon could fight back and the initial fight had to come from the Ladies A team. First on stage was Maria O’Brien who got the ball rolling with a 3-0 win which included a 99 shot out (20.04), next up was Christine Kinnaird, back in the A team for the first time since having a baby at the tail end of last season but looked like she’d never been away, hitting a 180 on the way to a 3-1 win (18.37). With a 2-0 lead everyone’s choice of the player to keep the ball rolling would have been captain Merryl Dennis who had shots out of 96, 114 and 80 in legs of 18, 21 and 18 for a scintillating lady of the match 26.37 average and a 3-0 win and, just as importantly, Devon had halved the Derbyshire lead. The visitors took the next match before Michelle Andrews took the stage. Michelle, without a win in her first two outings of the season played out a fantastic game with the vastly experienced Jane Densley, and, rather than looking like the player under pressure looked the more confident in a brilliant 3-2 win (23.23), a win which was to later gain her the lady of the weekend award from the selectors. With the home side now leading 4-1 the vital final game was won 3-2 by Annette Lord (19.86 who wasn’t phased by her opponent hitting a 157 out and looked far and away the most comfortable she’s looked on the A team stage so far. The ladies team average of 20.90 was, subject to confirmation, the highest ever hit by a Devon ladies team but more importantly the 5-1 win had narrowed Derbyshire’s lead to 13-11. It was now the turn of the often unpredictable men’s A team to stand up and be counted, just as the women had and the initial aim was to win the first two points to level the match and effectively make it a 10 game shoot out. Things couldn’t have started better for the home team as Lee Bryant put in a man of the match performance which included two 180’s and a 141 shot out in a 4-0 win (33.97). Next up was Richard Dennis who found winning ways again just at the right time hitting 180 on his way to a 4-2 win (24.57) and the scores were level at 13-13. Having fought back Devon now needed to keep the momentum swing going and, although a little below par, Lee Watts did just that with a 4-0 win (21.78). Lee was followed by Ryan Searle who added another point with a 4-1 win (23.16) and Devon were now realistically looking at an aggregate win, needing 4 points from the next eight games. The next point came with immediate effect courtesy of Ant Hayman keeping his unbeaten season going with a 4-0 win (23.03). With the opposite to Ant, Paul Milford was winless for the season but pulled off a win in probably the men’s match of the day 4-3 (23.88) and the home side were now 17-13 up and 6-0 up in the men’s match. The point that guaranteed that Devon couldn’t be beaten came in the next game from Andy Aspinall who won 4-1 (26.76). It looked like the run was about to come to an end in the next game as Mike Beal slipped 2-0 behind, but this was Devon’s day and Mike came storming back, hitting a 174 on the way to winning the next 4 legs (25.99) and the 19th point, so unlikely a few hours earlier was on the board. This fight back coupled with the fact that it was the point that won Devon the match was to give Mike Beal the man of the weekend award although a case could have been made for almost every player in the team. With the score now 19-13 and the men’s score 8-0 thoughts of promotion were back and every point was now a vital prize. Andy Steed kept the steamroller going with a 4-2 win (24.25) and Devon had now won 14 out of 15 games on the day. A rather shell shocked Derbyshire team were to take the next two points before Andy Jackson won his third game from three this season 4-2 (24.06) to wrap up probably the most incredible day of darts ever seen in the County. Devon had won 21-15, the men had won 10-2 and no one could ever remember a comeback of such proportion in Devon’s history. The win had lofted Devon to the top of the league, two points clear of a host of teams in equal second place and if Devon manage to hang on and achieve their dream of premiership darts next season, Sunday 20th November will be the reason. Merryl Dennis sits proudly at the top of the Division 1 ladies averaged, 3rd in the country for all divisions and Lee Bryant sits equally as proud at the top on the men’s division 1 averages. |
last modified: November 30, 2:31 pm |
| Win for Devon on the road | Devon travelled to Willenhall in the West Midlands for their first ever away game in national division one with the knowledge that the last time they played West Midlands away, in division two, two years previous, it resulted in a win for Devon. It was vital for the visitors to get off to a good start in the ladies B match and they couldn’t have asked for a better draw than Christine Kinnaird on first, putting in a lady of the match performance with a 3-0 win (19.03). Devon took the next game by the same margin and but for some missed doubles Marie Martin (15.82) would have been challenging Christine’s average. West Mids took the next game by a 3-2 margin through Tammy Chance (15.19) but Devon came storming back with back to back 3-1 wins from Mo Mortimer (14.73) and Trish Penberthy (18.07). With the win for the Devon ladies guaranteed it was the home side that took the final match 3-1 through Sam Maiden (16.50) to reduce the arrears to 4-2. With a lead under their belts the Devon men took the stage confidently and Gary Whittles (24.19) hit a 180 and powered through the first leg before losing the nest three to Lance Hackett (25.25). Thom Humphreys (25.00) put himself into a winning position twice before succumbing 3-2 to Jason Kesterton (23.40) and Shane Joslin will rarely lose a game having hit a 27.88 average but this one went 3-0 toi his opponent, West Mids man of the match Chris Stanley (28.90). Having seen a 4-2 lead turn into a 5-4 deficit alarm bells were starting to ring in the Devon camp but it was Jason Hill (21.86) who stepped up to steady the ship, hitting a 103 out on his way to a 3-2 win, which was later to earn him the man of the weekend award from the men’s selectors. Phil Stewart (22.87) was next up and turned around a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 and the momentum had swung back to Devon. A man of the match performance from John Syvret (29.10) with a 3-1 win restored the two point advantage that the ladies had earned earlier in the day but the men were far from finished. Michael Whatley (28.90) added another point with a 3-0 win. Matt Dickinson won 3-1 (22.75) and Paul Godbeer came from two down to win 3-2 (20.14). Devon were now truly in command of the match with the men leading 6-3 and the overall score 10-5 in their favour. So buoyant were the visitors that the hosts were to only manage one more leg for the rest of the day as Liam Goyne (24.64) and Ian Knight (29.00) both ran out 3-0 winner and Terry Ashton (25.92) won 3-1 to give the Devon men a 9-3 win and give the squad a 13-5 lead overnight. The Devon men had won the final nine games of the day, an incredible achievement against a West Midlands team that had won the Division 1 men’s B team title the previous year. First on stage for the ladies A team was Maria o’Brien (14.52), who turned what could have been a comfortable victory into a 3-2 slog by missing doubles but it is the points that matter, not the way they are earned. The next game was a great encounter between the best players of both sides, Devon’s captain Merryl Dennis (20.33) coming out on top 3-1 over Jackie Crew (19.17) with a lady of the match performance. West Mids took the next game through Dianne Tolley (19.17) before Annette Lord (18.56) showed why the selectors had chosen her for the A team at the start of the season with a 3-0 win in her second match, this and the fact that her point ensured the Devon ladies could not be beaten earned her the lady of the weekend award from the lady selectors. The home side were still fighting back though and lady of the match Sarah Robbins was to take the £50 on offer for the highest ladies average of the weekend with a 3-0 win (21.17). As it quite often is, it was left to Tracy Ware, drawn last again! to pick up the winning point for Devon. Tracy won a 3-2 encounter (15.21) to make the final score 4-2 in the visitors favour. With the overall score now looking very healthy from the visiting teams perspective, 17-7 in front it was not up to the Devon men’s A team to finish off the job. In the first match of the day, West Mids Nick Fullwell was to pocket himself £150 for the highest mens average of the weekend, hitting three 180’s on his way to winning 4-2 (29.77). As Ryan Searle slipped 3-0 behind in the next game the visitors were starting to look a little on the worried side but Ryan, aided by a 125 out, became the first player in the history of Devon County Darts to come back from 3-0 down to win, putting in a man of the match performance to boot (27.44). That point guaranteed Devon at least a point with 10 games remaining. The next however went to the home team, Jamie Hughes winning 4-2 (28.47), to be followed by Peter Wyse winning 4-3 (24.95). This gave the home side a 3-1 lead in the men’s match and narrowed the overall score to 18-10. Devon didn’t have to wait much longer though for the match winning 19th point as Ant Hayman hit a 180 and a 130 out on his way to a 4-2 win (25.14) to secure the overall win for Devon. The hosts took the next two matches through Mark Rollinson, 4-3 (25.09) and Andy Forrester, 4-2 (27.07) before Devon put another point on the board, Andy Jackson in a closely fought 4-3 win (23.68) making the score 20-12. Next up Andy Steed also won 4-2 (23.54) to give the Devon men a fighting chance of an A team win too, from 5-4 behind but West Mids were not going to lose this match and reeled off the last three games through Matt Dicken 4-2 (28.09), Ian Jones, who hit four 180’s, 4-2 (28.82) and Jake Jones 4-0 (24.74). The 8-4 win to West Midlands reduced the overall margin but it was Devon who took the match 21-15. |
last modified: October 28, 4:53 pm |
| Mens KO CUP 22nd OCT 2011 Prelim | Mens KO CUP 22nd OCT 2011 Prelim TORBAY V HARBOUR VIEW KER ST V RAYS BEYS BIDEFORD ROYALS A V SOUTH MOLTON STAGS RAILWAY BOYZ V COCKNEY REBELS KINGS CREDITON V YEOMEN MANOR HOUSE V GRENNY GREMLINS |
last modified: October 4, 2:13 pm |
| Devon off to a winning start in Division One | Newly promoted Devon hosted London in their first division 1 fixture since inter county darts became nationalised, coincidentally London were the last team to inflict defeat on Devon some eighteen months previously. On that occasion, in London, the hosts come out with a comfortable 23-13 victory and Devon, beaten only once at home in the last seven seasons were keen to settle that score. The Ladies B match started with a fantastic first leg from Marie Martin (18.77) but opponent Tina Hamilton (19.06) was not put off and came back with power scoring of her own to win the match 3-2 and put the visitors in front. The visitors were to stay in front, winning the next match 3-1 through Kelly Bobby (18.95) and with Lisa Dunford (16.23) coming from 2 down to beat Jane Wiltshire 3-2 it was fast turning into a nightmare for the newly promoted side. At 3-0 down it was Christine Kinnaird, back in the side after missing the last couple of games of the previous season whilst pregnant, who put Devon’s first Division 1 point on the board. With her normal mixture of high scores and missed doubles Chrissie put in a lady of the match performance, winning 3-1 (17.59). London took the next game through Lynne Biondini (15.08) to lead 4-1 before Joyce Wilson (15.37) ground out a 3-2 win to leave the hosts 2 points adrift going into the mens B team match. First onto the stage for the men was debutant Gary Whittles who put in a solid, if slightly nervy performance for a 3-2 win (24.54). On the opposite end of the scale Paul Godbeer was next on to become only the eleventh man in Devon’s 38 year history to make 100 appearances on the county stage and Paul started off in style with a 180 with his first throw of the match before stuttering to a 3-2 win (22.49). Liam Goyne was next on for the home side and his 3-1 win (21.49) was to put them in front, overall, for the first time in the match whilst giving the men’s side a 3-0 lead. John Syvret was the next Devon player to the stage, making his return in a Devon shirt after a gap of more than 20 years, and John was to extend the lead with a 3-0 win (20.59). With the mens score standing at 4-0 to Devon it was the turn of another debutant to take the stage but a mixture of nerves and missed doubles cost Michael Whatley a debut point and Tom McGurn put the first point on the board for the London men. Matt Dickinson was to restore the Devon men’s four point gap, hitting a 180 on his way to a 3-1 win (25.46) but Jimmy Foster took the next game for the visitors to leave the overall scoreline at 7-6 to Devon. As the game continued to see-saw Ian Knight put in a man of the match performance for Devon with a 3-0 win (25.91) and Chris Copeland won a point back for London in the next game to reduce the hosts lead to a point again. With the men’s score standing at 6-3 now it was the chance of Shane Joslin to give the Devon men a guaranteed win and he didn’t disappoint, with a 3-1 win (25.82) a performance that was to get him the nod of the selectors for the man of the weekend award. London came back again taking the next game 3-0 through their man of the match Tony Hamit (22.43) before another Devon debutant, Phil Stewart, took the final game of the day with a 3-0 win (21.17). At the end of the day it was an 8-4 win to the Devon men’s B, slightly erasing the thoughts of the 10-2 drubbing they had suffered at London’s hands on their previous meeting but more importantly, giving Devon a 10-8 lead overnight. On the previous occasion that the ladies A teams had met, a 4-2 win to London was the Devon ladies only defeat of the season and would ultimately cost them the Ladies A team title and Michelle Andrews (20.54) was to open the day narrowly losing to the same opponent, Claire Bywaters (22.76) by a 3-2 score. Maria O’Brien was second on the stage though to tie the scores with a 3-0 win (18.33). Next up Annette Lord (19.48), on her debut in the A team was outplayed by her more experienced opponent Sue Holt (22.10). The forth game of the day was the one that had caught everyone’s attention when the draw was announced, Devon’s Captain Merryl Dennis, fresh from reaching the semi-finals of the World masters and London’s Kerry Simmons, fresh from winning the British masters and the game lived up to its expectations, particularly for the home side, both players hit 180’s but it was Merryls finishing of 101 and 106 that made a difference in winning 3-1. Merryl’s Average of 27.37 earned her £50 as the top lady performer of the weekend. Kerry played her part in a brilliant match too and ended with a 21.93 average. With the ladies score now standing at 2-2 Tammy MacKenzie (21.47) proved far too strong for Devon’s Karen Atkinson with a 3-0 win but it was Devon who had the final say of the match with Tracy Ware (15.31) winning the final game 3-2 to ensure the Devon ladies got a share of the points. This was to earn Tracy the nod from the lady selectors as Devon’s lady of the weekend. With the overall score now standing at 13-11 in the hosts favour it was the turn of the men’s A team, who poorly underperformed last season, to stand up and be counted. The first player on the stage, Andy Aspinal (26.90) hit a 180 on his way to becoming the first Devon player to ever win a 7 leg county match, the new format for the men’s A team in Division 1 this season, with a 4-3 win. London hit back with a 4-2 win from Jason Wiles (24.79) before Lee Bryant took to the stage on his A team debut for Devon and put in a man of the match performance with a 4-3 win (30.57), this was also good enough for Lee to pick up the £100 for the best man’s performance of the weekend. With the score at 2-1 to Devon Andy Steed hit a 180 on his way to a 4-2 win (26.45) to increase the hosts lead. The visitors were not going to be shaken off easily though as they took the next two games through Paul Wright (23.25) and Paul Killington (23.63), both by a 4-3 margin. Now half way through the men’s match and the overall scoreline was still by two points in favour of Devon and Lee Watts was about to make that 3, hitting a 180 on his way to a 4-0 win (27.45). London again hit back with Richard Angelo winning 4-1 (25.75) to level the scores in the men’s match again but the visitors were running out of games as Andy Jackson put the 18th point on the board for the hope team with a 4-2 win (26.24) and it meant that London needed all of thelast three games to force a draw. Chris Stevens took the first of the three with a 4-2 win (25.29) to make the overall score 18-16 to Devon but it was the home side who took both of the remaining games to come out as 20-16 victors overall. Mike Beal won 4-2 (21.58) and Ant Hayman hit a 180 on his way to a 4-1 win (23.30) and this also meant a 7-5 win for the Devon mens A |
last modified: September 24, 9:11 am |
| Devon Captain Close To World Championship Glory | Devon Ladies Captain Merryl Dennis became the first Devon player ever to reach the stage finals of a world championship when she reached the semi finals of the World Masters last Thursday. Having qualified through the Devon qualifiers in July Merryl moved on to Gloucestershire a few weeks ago where she took the solitary qualifying spot for the finals, out of a field of 48. In the finals at Hull Arena Merryl beat Claire Stainsby of Cleveland 4-1 in her first match before disposing of Welsh International Christine Savvery 4-3 in her second. Next up was the small matter of world number 1 Deta Hedman and Merryl pulled off probably the best win of her career to reach the last 16 with a 4-1 win. Another 4-1 win against Mayumi Ouchi of Japan saw Merryl into the quarter finals where her opponent was Yorkshire's Dee Bateman who Merryl beat 4-2 to earn herself a place on stage for then semi finals on Saturday night. In front of the TV cameras and a packed audience Merryl Took to the stage to play England International Lisa Ashton, from Lancashire. It was Lisa who took the first leg in 24 darts before Merryl hit back to take the second in 20, Lisa edged infront again with another 24 dart leg but Merryl tied the score again at 2-2 with a 25 darter. It was Merryl's turn to take the advantage next with a 95 shot out to lead 3-2 and put her within a leg of the final but Lisa called on all her big stage experience to take the final two legs of the match in 17 and 21 darts. Both ladies returned very respectable averages for such a tense match Merryl 22.13 and Lisa 22.60 and Merryl can at least take comfort from the fact that she took the eventual winner to a sudden death leg, something that 14 time world champion Trina Gulliver was unable to do in the final going down 4-1. |
last modified: September 5, 5:39 pm |
| Devon, Champions of Division Two | Lying in second place in the league, a point behind leaders Dorset and 14 in front of third placed Suffolk, Devon felt that it would take a catastrophe for promotion to slip away as they hosted mid table Staffordshire in their final match of the season in their inter-counties darts division two encounter. With Dorset away to relegation fighting Hertfordshire, Devon also knew that scoring one point more than the team from across the county boarder would also result in the Division 2 title coming their way. There were other fish to fry too as the match got underway, firstly the matter of the Division 2 ladies B team title with Devon lying a point behind Notts who had a hard away game at Montgomery and Radnor. First up for the Devon ladies team manager Trish Penberthy set the scene with a cool 99 shot out in the 1st leg but was unable to repeat the feat as her young opponent Katie Jones ran out a 3-2 winner. Next up for Devon was Joyce Wilson who ground out a solid 3-1 win (16.53) to tie the scores. Marie Martin had only lost once all season and had no intention of changing that as she took the only 3-0 win of the ladies match (16.34) for a commendable 8 out of 9 wins this season. With Devon edging in front it was the turn of Annette Lord to take the stage. Annette put in a lady of the match performance with a 3-1 win (18.71) to put Devon 3-1 up and the hopes of the B team title were very much alive. The next game saw Mo Mortimer call on all of her experience, and a little luck as her opponent missed doubles, as she battled to a 3-2 win (11.72) which was to be the point that brought the Ladies B team title to Devon. With the score standing at 4-1 to Devon it was the turn of Cath Coysh to take to the Heavitree stage for the 1st time in 5 years and she proved that she hadn’t forgotten how to win too, picking out an outstanding 144 shot out when 2-1 down in legs and backing it up with a steady last leg to win 3-2 (14.91). The 5-1 win was the start that Devon were looking for as the men were about to face the team 6 points clear at the top of the B division. The Devon men knew that an unlikely scoreline of 9-3 in their favour would put them above their visitors and give them a chance of snatching their title too but this seemed even more unlikely after Staffordshire took the first game of the match. The hosts hit back though through Lee Bryant, winning 3-0 (26.84) and Jason Hill, also 3-0 (21.47). The visitors levelled at 2-2 though winning game 4. The Devon men were in no mood to let their visitors walk away with the divisional title and Shane Joslin took the next game 3-1 (20.67). Staffordshire were starting to look a little nervous when getting to doubles though and this was highlighted in the next game as Paul Godbeer took advantage of missed doubles by his opponent in the first two legs, the second with a 104 shot out, and went on to a 3-0 win (22.10). The score was back to 4-3 though after the next game before Paul Milford cruised to a 3-0 win (25.47). Staffordshire were to make sure that they couldn’t be overtaken by their hosts as they took the 9th game of the match to make the score at 5-4. It was to be the visitors last point of the match though as they continued to suffer missed doubles and the Devon players took advantage. Ian Knight took a 3-1 win (22.66) to be followed by Matt Dickinson 3-2 (21.68). Man of the match Lee Watts finished up the match and didn’t need any luck on his way to a 3-1 win (28.17). The 8-4 win was to leave Devon in 3rd place in the men’s B league behind Staffordshire and Lincolnshire who finished 1 point above them. More importantly though the overall 13-5 scoreline was to have put Devon three points above Dorset at the top of Division 2. Day two saw the Devon team in high spirits knowing that although mathematically not certain they would almost definitely be playing their darts in Division 1 next season and the ladies needed only a point to guarantee winning the ladies A team title. However, like the Staffordshire men the previous day, the Devon ladies were to find that they had to battle for their league title as the visitors took the first two matches . It was down to Michelle Andrews to take the vital point, her seventh out of nine in the A this season, with a 3-1 win (19.44). The visitors took the next point to lead 3-1 and then it was the turn of the top two ladies in the divisional averages to take the stage. Sarah Cope took the first leg with the throw before Devon’s captain Merryl Dennis took the next two, now with the throw Merryl couldn’t find the big scores she had just hit in the previous two legs and Sarah hit back to tie the match at 2-2 before taking the final leg with a brilliant 151 shot out. A quite superb game by both ladies ended with Merryl with a 21.04 average and Sarah with 21.57 and nine wins out of nine for the season. With the Devon ladies now 4-1 down it was the turn of Maria O’Brien to take to the stage and put the smiles back on the Devon faces with a lady of the match 3-0 win (21.17). A point that thanks to the technology of the internet and text messaging meant that results from other matches at the time confirmed Devon’s promotion and Maria was also rewarded with the lady of the weekend award. With the overall scoreline now at 15-9 in the home teams favour, Devon were to learn that their lead at the top of the table had been cut by Dorset’s 3-3 draw at Hertfordshire so the men’s A team match was to be a very tense affair. Staffordshire were in no mood to let Devon have a promotion party quite yet and in the first 4 games hit six 180’s on their way to taking a 4-0 lead. Mike Beal hit a 122 out in the next match but it was to no avail at the visitors went 5-0 up. Devon were in need of someone to steady the ship and the welcome sight of Andy Steed hitting a 174 on his way to a man of the match 3-1 win (27.53) was exactly what they needed. Next up Andy Aspinal took out a 3-0 victory, his 8th out of 10 on his debut season (27.53) and Andy Taylor added a third point on the trot with a 3-2 victory (21.63) for 7 victories out of 9 in the A this year. The three Andy’s had brought up the 18th point for the home team and with a lead of 18-14 the phone lines between Devon and Hertfordshire were red hot as news of both games was swapped between players. Staffs were still intent on spoiling the party though as they took the next two games by a 3-2 scoreline to lead 7-3 in the men’s match. At this point Devon were aware that Dorset were on equal points with three games to play but equal points would hand Devon the title. Whilst Steve Rice was playing his match Dorset took a one point lead but Steve’s 3-1 win (22.22) was to be worth 4 points as it was the 19th point of the match and with it came the three bonus points for winning the match. Like Andy Aspinal before him, this was Steve’s 8th point out of 10 on a brilliant debut season and his match winning performance was to be rewarded with the man of the weekend award. Unbeknown to Ant Hayman, making his A team debut, Dorset had added another point to their tally but this only gave them 18 points (plus 1 bonus for a draw) so they needed to win the last game of their match to pip Devon to the title. Ant was oblivious to all of the title talk as he took a 3-1 win (20.55) to leave the result of the men’s A match 7-5 in Staffordshire’s favour and the overall result 20-16 to Devon. It took about 10 tense minutes before news of Dorset losing the final match filtered through and their 18-18 draw left Devon as Champions of Division 2 by three points. The ladies had won both the A and B divisions in what was an outstanding season for the women who had been the backbone of the promotion push all season. Husband and wife partnership of Richard and Merryl Dennis finished as the top players in the Devon men’s and ladies county averages respectively. A brilliant season saw Devon unbeaten, their last defeat coming in London, in the previous season, who by co-incidence they will host when they play their first ever game in national division 1 in September. |
last modified: May 18, 2:19 pm |
| Devon within touching distance of promotion | Top of the table Devon visited Slough to take on Berkshire in the penultimate match of the season in Division 2 of the Inter Counties Championships looking to consolidate their position in the promotion zone. With Sue Horn (5 wins out of 6 this season) missing following a recent operation and Jane Wiltshire (5 out of 7) promoted to the A team to replace Chrissie Kinnard (missing due to imminent childbirth) the Devon ladies had to make changes to the B team that was sat in 2nd place in the division. Cath Coysh was playing her first game for 5 season and went down to a 3-1 defeat before Joyce Wilson (15.15) levelled the scores with a 3-1 win. The hosts took the next three games the final of which saw Janet Singletons return to the county stage for the first time since 1982. It was lady of the match Marie Martin who took the final game however with a 3-0 win (18.99). By strange coincidence Nottinghamshire ladies B team also lost 4-2 so Devon remain in 2nd place in the division a single point behind Notts. The 4-2 defeat for the women left the men in a position that they had not been in all season, thanks to the brilliant previous results the men had never started a game with a deficit. Lee Bryant set off on a mission to claw back the first point with a 3-2 win in which he watched his opponent hit two 180’s but Lee won all of his legs with the throw to come out on top (23.60). The home side took the 2nd game though before Ian Knight reduced the lead to a single point again with a very controlled 3-0 win (23.48). Berkshire then opened the lead again by winning the next 2 matches to lead the men’s match 3-2 and overall 7-4. This was the signal for a Devon fightback as man of the match Anthony Hayman took to the stage for a 3-1 win (27.05) to be followed by a 3-1 win for Chris Hunt (23.89) and a first win in a Devon shirt for Tom Humphrey, 3-2 (24.26) on his away debut. With the scores now level overall it was Berkshire who took the lead again by taking the next match but it was to be the last time that they would lead for the rest of the weekend. With the men’s score standing at 5-4 to Devon Liam Goyne took to the stage to face Berkshire legend Roy Barton. Roy outplayed Liam completely for the first two legs but Liam didn’t let his head drop and came back to win 3-2 (23.32). This was the catalyst for the rest of the afternoon as Terry Ashton took the next game 3-2 (22.73) and Jason Hill took the final one 3-1 (22.06) for an 8-4 win for the visiting side and an overall 10-8 lead. The second day of the match was to involve the team top of the ladies A league, Devon, and the team top of the men’s A league, Berkshire, and the Devon squad realised that they were in need of something special from the ladies to give their men a cushion to complete the weekend win from. Something special was exactly what they got too as one by one the Devon ladies returned from the stage with a win to prove exactly why they are top of the ladies A team table. Tracy Ware, 3-0 (17.68), Michelle Andrews, 3-0 (17.68), Jane Wiltshire, 3-1 (16.39), Karen Atkinson, 3-1 (17.88), lady of the match Maria O’Brien, 3-2 (20.39) and Merryl Dennis, 3-0 (17.08) were to give Devon a 6-0 win and increase the Devon overall lead to 16-8. The outstanding 6-0 win now gives the Devon ladies a 5 point cushion at the top of the ladies A league with only a single game remaining. The superb win from the women meant that the Devon men needed just 3 points from the remaining 12 games to take an overall victory and that task was about to become easier as Richard Dennis proved that his first defeat of the season last time out was just a minor blip on his season as he came away with a quality 3-0 win (28.36). Andy Aspinal was next up and hit a 177 on his way to a 3-0 win (26.37) to leave Devon guaranteed at least a draw and with 10 games remaining only a single point away from overall victory. Berkshire are not runaway leaders of the mens A division for nothing though as they were about to prove as they started to reel off win after win in the next seven matches. One particular performance of the many outstanding ones being that of Stephen Rose who hit a 170 in the first leg and a 180 in each of the next two on his way to a 3-0 win. His 8th 3-0 win of the season in 8 matches. The tenth match of the session was to bring Devon the spoils though as man of the match Ryan Searle hit a 180 on his way to a 3-0 win (31.31) to give the visitors the all important and for a while elusive 19th point. Berkshire were to take the final two games of the match for a well deserved 9-3 win to prove, like the Devon ladies, why they will deservedly finish the season as A team divisional champions. The ladies selectors were to pick Jane Wiltshire as their lady of the weekend for answering the call to step up to the A team to replace the missing Christine Kinnaird with a win and the men’s selectors were to pick Liam Goyne as man of the weekend for his fightback from 2-0 down to win 3-2 and start a run of games where Devon were to win 11 games on the trot, a run that would see them go from 8-7 down to 18-8 up. With Dorset winning 22-14 Devon have dropped back to second place a single point behind their county neighbours but the crucial thing as far as promotion is concerned is that Devon sit 14 points clear of 3rd placed Suffolk with a single game remaining. This 14 point cushion should hopefully mean that the calculators will not be needed on the final day of the season and barring a total catastrophe in that final game at home to Staffordshire on May 7th/8th Devon should be lining up in Division 1 for the first time in their history come September. |
last modified: April 6, 8:52 pm |
| Devon back to the top of the table | Second placed Devon played host to top of the table Dorset in an intriguing Division 2 clash of the inter-counties darts championships, where both ladies teams were equal on points in their respective divisions prior to the match and only three points separated the combined men’s teams. Devon took the lead in the ladies B team match with a hard fought win from Jane Wiltshire 3-2 (17.25) this was followed with a 3-0 win from Marie Martin (16.89) and a lady of the match 3-0 performance from Sue Horn (18.13) in probably her last match of the season due to impending surgery. Dorset hit back with a win in the next match before Mo Mortimer weighed in with arguably her best performance of the season with a 3-0 win (16.34). The visitors took the final game of the match but it was Devon who came out on top with a 4-2 win which keeps them in 2nd place in the B team table, a point behind leaders Nottinghamshire. With the cushion of a two point advantage given to them by the ladies the Devon men’s B team shot out of the blocks with Liam Goyne hitting a 180 on his way to a 3-1 win in the opening encounter (25.82). Liam was followed by Lee Bryant who hit two 180’s in his man of the match 3-0 win (26.84) and third up Trevor Perry added another two 180’s to the count in a hard fought 3-2 encounter with outstanding youngster Carl Beattie (23.75). With Devon opening up a lead the confidence seemed to be flowing and Roger Wright added a 4th point to the men’s total winning 3-1 (22.18). There seemed no stopping the home side at this point as first Terry Aston 22.04) returned from the stage with a 3-1 win and then Jason Hill swapped 180’s with opponent Nigel Lamb on his way to a 3-2 win (24.52). A 6-0 lead at the half way point of the men’s B match was things that dreams were made of for Devon but Dorset fought back by taking the next match through another outstanding youngster Tom Chant before Chris Hunt made the score 7-1 with a 3-1 win (23.74). Dorset were not going to lie down though and took the next three games although there were promising Devon debuts from Tom Humphreys, who hit a 180, and Matt Young. It was all down to Ant Hayman to finish off a great day for the hosts, winning 3-0 (24.64), who won the men’s match 8-4 and won the day 12-6. With Devon in a buoyant mood from day one it was up to Karen Atkinson to get the home side off to a great start and no-one was disappointed as she delivered with a 3-1 win (17.11). The next game went to the visitors with an exceptional 3-1 win from Alison Dibdon with a 22.34 average and a cracking third game saw Devon’s Maria O’Brien (20.93) take a 2-0 lead before being overhauled by Trina Perry (20.33) to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. The fourth game of the match saw the home team's Michelle Andrews overcome the previously unbeaten Trudy Archer 3-1 (17.10) before a match between two vastly experienced and talented dart players ended with a 3-1 win and a lady of the match performance from Devon captain Merryl Dennis (21.74) over Julie Bogust. With the score now at 3-2 to Devon, Tracy Ware took a 2-0 lead against Dorset’s top ranked player Cathryn Campbell only to see that lead disappear during the next two legs. Tracy took the final one however for a 3-2 win (16.10) that saw her take the winning point for the Devon ladies and with it earn her the lady of the weekend award from the selectors. The 4-2 win keeps Devon top of the table, now with a 2 point advantage over second placed Dorset. With the overall score now standing at 16-8 to the home team Dorset would have been glad to see their top two ranked players take to the stage in the first two games but Mark Stock (28.81) was given a shock by Devon’s John Imrie (27.44) who took the first two legs before Mark eventually took the game 3-2. Devon’s Stewart Jones (26.46) led twice in his match, including a 101 shot out, against Scott Mitchell (28.78) before the England international showed his experience in the final two legs to also win 3-2. It was down to Andy Taylor to put the Devon men on the board with a 3-2 win in the third game of the match (21.13). This left the match score at 17-10 in favour of the home side but Dorset were about to prove that they were not intending to concede the league top spot without a fight and they reeled off four consecutive wins to take the scoreline to 17-14 and take a 6-1 lead in the men’s match. It was Mike Beal who stepped up to steady the Devon ship winning by the odd leg 3-2 (26.15) to guarantee Devon at least a draw. It was not a draw that Devon were looking for however and, although Dorset took the next game it was Devon who won all of the remaining three starting with a man of the match performance from Andy Steed whose 3-2 win in a great game with Tim Clothier. Andy’s win with a 31.27 average earned him the man of the weekend from the men’s selectors for adding the crucial 19th point to the home team side. The 20th and 21st were soon to come though as Andy Aspinal continued a fantastic debut season with a 3-2 win (23.48) and Steve Rice also continued a fantastic debut season coming back from 2-0 down against the vastly experienced John Clark to win 3-2 with a quality under pressure 82 shot out to win the game. Dorset took the Men's match 7-5. Devon’s 22-14 win hoists them to the top of the table for the second time this year and they hold a 4 point lead over Dorset with Lincolnshire a further 6 points behind. With two games remaining Devon have a tough away match at Berkshire to contend with next before hosting Staffordshire in the final game of the season. |
last modified: March 18, 10:35 pm |
| Devon Win On The Road | Second placed Devon travelled to Mid Wales to play Montgomery and Radnor in Division 2 of the inter counties darts league and came away with their first away win of the season. First up for Devon on day one was Marie Martin who won a hard fought game 3-2 (17.45) before the hosts took the next two games to open up a 2-1 lead. Next up for Devon was Jane Wiltshire who, for the second match running, raced to a 3-0 win (17.89) and a lady of the match performance. With the scores level Mo Mortimer battled hard to earn a 3-1 win (12.21) and put the Devon ladies in front again before Sue Horn capped off a great 4-2 win for the visitors with a 3-0 win (16.34). This win puts the Devon ladies in 2nd place in the ladies B league, a couple of points behind leaders Nottinghamshire. In the mens B team match the hosts wiped out the visitors lead by taking the first two games before Terry Ashton hit back in the third with a 3-1 win (23.66). The home team took game four and Devon hit back again in the 5th with a win from Mike Beal, 3-1, (22.10). It was starting to look like the Devon men were only liking the “odd numbered” games as the home team took game six and the visitors hit back in game seven through captain Trevor Perry with a 3-1 win (21.76). The trend continued as Montgomery & Radnor took game eight and Devon won game nine through man of the match Liam Goyne, 3-2, (24.97). Once more the hosts took the “even” game in the tenth to open up a 6-4 lead before Chris Hunt hit finishes of 100 and 120 on this way to a 3-0 win (24.24) a performance that was to earn him the selectors nod as man of the weekend and, finally Devon won an even game in the last game of the day with a 3-1 win from Lee Bryant (22.45) to ensure a draw for the Devon men and to take an overall 10-8 lead into the second day. Day two started with the in form Christine Kinnaird winning her fourth game on the bounce on her fiftieth appearance for the county by a 3-0 margin (18.33). Next up Michelle Andrews extended the Devon lead and had to throw a 180 and finish the last leg with a 120 shot out before coming out on top 3-2 (18.90). The hosts took the next two games to tie the ladies match before Maria O’Brien put the Devon Ladies in front again with a 3-0 win which was to earn her the selectors nod as lady of the weekend (20.88) with her first of hopefully many 20+ average on the county stage. The match was finished off by captain Merryl Dennis with another sparkling display and a 3-1 win with a lady of the match 23.62 average which was to be the second time this season that Merryl has hit the highest ladies average in the division. A 4-2 win from the Devon ladies keeps them equal top of the A division with the prospect of a mouth watering clash with the team that they are equal with in March. The win from the ladies also gave the visitors a 14-10 lead going into the men’s A match. The home side took the opening match of the men’s A and looked well on course to take the second until Steve Rice hit a stunning 127 shot out with his opponent sat on a double and the score at 2-2. Steve’s 3-2 win (25.06) set Devon on a run with unbeaten John Imrie (23.48) and A team debutant Stewart Jones (22.10) both winning 3-0 to open up a 3-1 lead in the men’s match. The hosts hit back by winning the next two games to tie the match again before Richard Dennis continued with his unbeaten season with a 3-1 man of the match win (25.24) to guarantee Devon at least a draw and Andy Steed took the next match by the same margin (24.32) to leave the visitors in an unassailable position at 19-13 with four game to go. Unfortunately for the Devon promotion push this was to be the last win as, for the second time this season, their opponents took all of the last for games. The 19-17 win leaves Devon in second place in the Division 2 table behind Dorset, whom they host on 5th/6th March in what promises to be a classic local derby with little separating any of the four teams in their relative divisions. |
last modified: February 28, 2:57 pm |
| Promotion hopes boosted by A team displays. | Second placed Devon played host to Nottinghamshire in the Inter-Counties Darts League Division 2 looking to extend their unbeaten season. The hosts hopes took a battering in the first three games of the ladies B team match as the visitors raced into a 3-0 lead with all three games won with excellent 18+ averages but it was lady of the match Jane Wiltshire who stepped up to stop the rot with a clinical 3-0 win (18.11) followed by Sue Horn who swapped missed doubles with her opponent in a tense final leg on the way to a 3-2 win (15.59). Finally the comeback was completed by another steady win by Annette Lord 3-0 (17.28) for her 5th win out of 5 this season. The comeback from 3-0 down showed a lot of the fighting spirit that has built up within the Devon Ladies in the last few seasons and is also a factor in why the Devon ladies sit equal top of the B team table. Like the ladies match the Men’s B games started with first blood to Notts as they took the 1st game this was soon countered by wins from man of the match Ant Hayman with a 3-0 win (26.37) and Andy Jackson with a 3-2 win (25.61). Notts hit back to level at 2-2 despite a 125 shot out by team manager Paul Godbeer but Devon took the lead again through Terry Ashton, who this season is bringing his super league game to the county stage, winning 3-0 (25.05). With Devon in the lead again the pendulum swung again with Notts taking the next two games to lead 4-3 before Colin Greenslade battled back from 2-0 down to win a crucial game 3-2 (18.80) and Stewart Jones hit a 156 out on his way to a 3-1 win (25.91) for Devon to lead again, however, as they had with the first three games of the day, the visitors took the last three games of the day to force a 7-5 win out of an extremely close men’s B match. With the score standing at 10-8 in Nottinghamshire’s favour day 2 started with Christine Kinnaird playing a typical “Chrissie” game which featured the usual power scoring alongside the usual missed doubles before coming out on top 3-2 (18.86), this 3-2 win was followed by another for Devon from Tracey Ware (15.73) who came from behind for the win. Captain Merryl Dennis was next on stage and added another point to the cause with a 3-0 win (17.48). With Devon leading 3-0 is was turn of lady of the match Karen Atkinson to take the stage with a superb 3-0 win and a 22.77 average which was the highest ladies average of the division and takes Karen to the top of the Division 2 Ladies A averages. The Devon support was now buzzing and Maria O’Brien became the 3rd Devon lady of the day to come out on the right side of a 5 leg game winning 3-2 despite her opponents 101 shot out to level the scores in the 4th leg (17.25). With the Devon ladies looking for a whitewash their hopes appeared dashed as the vastly experienced Helen Harvey raced into a 2-0 lead for Notts, Michelle Andrews wasn’t giving up without a fight though and hit a 100 shot out in the 3rd leg to pull back to 2-1 before missing an 80 out to level the match and going out on double 5 next throw to tie the match, no such miss in the deciding leg though as Michelle checked out 80 in two darts to win the match 3-2 (19.40), give the Devon ladies a 6-0 win and earn herself a well deserved lady of the weekend award from the selctors. With a healthy lead built up again by the Ladies it was down to the men’s A team to finish the job, they would require 4 points for an overall draw and 5 for a win but Nottinghamshire were not going to give up without a fight and took both of the opening two games of the match to reduce the Devon lead to two points next up for the hosts though was the increasingly impressive Andy Aspinal who has taken but a few games to look at home on the A team stage and put in a man of the match performance with a 3-0 win (28.36), Andy was followed by Richard Dennis who continued his unbeaten season with a 3-0 win (27.53) to restore Devon’s 4 point lead. This lead was to increase when Paul Milford repaid the selectors faith in him with a return to the sort of form of last season and a 3-1 win (24.37). Next on stage Andy Taylor became the 3rd player of the weekend to remain unbeaten for the season hitting two 180’s on the way to a 3-1 win (24.37) and more importantly to put the 18th point on the board and ensure Devon could not be beaten with six games still remaining. In the past Devon men’s A team could be accused of stumbling across the finishing line but today was not to be one of those days as Steve Rice ensured the overall win in the very next game of the match with a 3-2 win (22.07) that was to earn him the nod from the selectors as the man of the weekend. With the score at 5-2 to the visitors staged a mini revival by winning the next two matches but it was the turn of the last game hero of the previous match John Imrie to take the stage and John was to increase the Devon lead once again with a hard fought 3-2 win (23.23) to make the men’s score 6-4. Matt Dickinson was to put another point on the home teams side with a performance that reminded everyone how easy he can make it look if he only hits his doubles with a 3-0 win (26.84) to give the Devon men and ensured win by making the score 7-4 with one game remaining. It was the visitors who took that last game to make the final men’s A score 7-5 to Devon and the overall scoreline 21-15 to the hosts. It had been an excellent display by the Devon A sides who, by taking 13 of the 18 points available, ensured that Devon continued in 2nd place in the league 5 points behind Dorset and with a 7 point advantage over 3rd placed Berkshire. Devon will need to be at their best when they visit 8th placed Montgomery and Radnor in February who will be full of confidence having returned from Suffolk with a win, something that Devon failed to do earlier in the season. Both of the excellent Devon ladies sides now sit proudly on the top of their divisions and the remaining 4 games of the season look and exciting prospect. |
last modified: January 23, 7:57 pm |
| Last game win ensures a share of the spoils | Top of the table Devon travelled to 4th placed Sussex in Division 2 of the Inter Counties Darts League. Devon got off to a perfect start with Marie Martin putting in a lady of the match performance in the 1st game of the Ladies B match winning 3-0 (19.52). Marie was followed on stage by team manager Trish Penberthy who dropped a single leg on her way to doubling the Devon lead 3-1 (16.51). Next up for Devon was Mo Mortimer, making her 100th appearance in a Devon shirt, and Mo celebrated a feat achieved by only 4 other women in the history of Devon darts with a 3-1 win (13.35). With the scoreline standing at 3-0 to the visitors the Devon ladies ran riot over their hosts and didn’t drop another leg for the rest of the match. Sue Horn was first to win (17.78), Jane Wiltshire hit a 102 shot out and won despite a heavy cold affecting her performance (11.83) and Annette Lord completed the whitewash (15.82). The 6-0 Devon lead gave the B team men a great platform to build on and with the home team winning the first game it was a solid performance by Lee Bryant under pressure to win the 2nd game of the match 3-2 (23.03). Sussex took the next two to lead 3-1 before Chris Hunt put in a man of the match performance winning 3-0 (24.64) and Terry Ashton took the next game for the visitors 3-1 (23.91). With the score at 3-3 the home side raced into a lead by taking the next 4 games to lead 7-3 in the mens match and with the Devon overall lead slipping away it was down to team manager Paul Godbeer to stop the rot. Having taken a 2-0 lead with a 145 shot out Paul then lost the next two legs and had to rely on his opponent missing match winning doubles before winning 3-2 (20.42). Sussex took the final game of the day despite Andy Jackson hitting three 180’s (two in a single losing leg) to win the men’s match 8-4. Devon’s overall lead reduced to 10-8 at the end of the day. Devon opened up day two in the same way as they had opened up day one with a lady of the match performace, this time from Captain Merryl Dennis who won 3-1 (22.80), next up Karen Atkinson his a 143 shot out on her way to a 3-1 win (19.08) and Chris Kinnaird came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 (18.62) a performance that earned her the selectors vote as lady of the weekend and also gave the Devon A team ladies a 3-0 lead, the thoughts of both teams must have been on whether the Devon ladies could repeat the whitewash of the day before but it was soon scuppered as Sussex took all of the remaining games by a 3-2 margin to draw the match 3-3. With the overall score now 13-11 in Devon’s favour it was time for the men’s A teams to take the stage. In the 1st game Andy Steed scored quite superbly including a 171 but, having led 1-0, missed doubles in the next two legs only to watch in horror as his opponent checked out on 112 in both and then took the fourth to complete Andy’s misery. Next up for Devon was Richard Dennis who continued his unbeaten start to the season with a 3-2 win which included a 132 shot out (25.10). The next three games saw 180’s for Steve Rice and Paul Milford but the home team took them all to move into a 4-1 lead and to take the overall lead for the first time in the weekend. Ryan Searle was again the man to take the stage to stop the rot hitting a 180 and a 177 on his way to a 3-0 win (26.37) and the overall score was level again. Both Roger Wright and Mike Beal hit 180’s but both went down by a 3-1 scoreline and the score in the mens match now stood at 6-2 to Sussex but more importantly the overall match was slipping from Devon’s grasp as they now needed to win all of the last 4 games to win the weekend , trailing now by 17-15. Luckily for Devon they had another unbeaten player to step up to the oche , Andy Taylor and Andy was in no mood to let his unbeaten season change, winning 3-1 (24.86). With one of the four games in the bag another was soon to follow as the in form Andy Aspinal won 3-1 on his promotion to the A team (24.86) to tie the overall scores again. In the penultimate game Sussex’s man of the match Paul Eaves was just a little too strong for Shane Joslin coming out 3-1 to leave the overall score 18-17 to the hosts so it was all on the last game. Last on for Devon came John Imrie and only a win from him would give Devon any rewards from the match. In the 1st leg some missed doubled by his opponent aided John’s cause but he didn’t need any favours after that as John played by far the best darts of his Devon career when undoubtedly under the most pressure as at times he looked unable to miss the 60 on his way to a 3-1 win with a man of the weekend performance and a man of the match 30.69 average. John’s win gave Devon a share of the spoils which was the least they deserved from a tough away match and the 19 points gained from the weekend leaves Devon in 2nd place in the league behind county neighbours Dorset. With a couple of matches postponed because of the weather conditions the league table is a little unbalanced but Devon currently look good for their 2nd spot and will look forward to extending their unbeaten season when they host Nottinghamshire in January. |
last modified: January 14, 10:06 pm |
| Percy Welsh | It is with great sadness that Devon Darts announce the passing of one of the great county dart players, Percy Welsh who died on Christmas Day. Percy made his county debut in the 74/75 season, and went on to represent Devon on 69 occasions, 50 of these in the A team. He will be greatly missed. Percy's wife Christine, who also died this year, also represented Devon on 29 occasions and Percy's daughter Janet still keeps up the family tradition and is part of the current county squad. The sympathies of all involved with Devon County Darts go to all of his family and friends at this sad time. |
last modified: December 25, 10:56 pm |
| Devon rise to top of the league | Devon played host to Lincolnshire in round 3 of Inter Counties Division 2 at Heavitree Social Club, Exeter. The ladies B team match was a mouth-watering prospect with the top of the league visitors against the team chasing them in 2nd place and it was the home side that got off to the better start with a lady of the match performance from Sue Horn with a 3-1 win (16.67). Sue was followed to the stage by Annette Lord who put in a very nervy performance before coming out a 3-2 winner (14.97). With Devon holding a 2-0 lead it was Jane Wiltshire who put another point on the board for the home team with a solid 3-0 win (15.49). The visitors pulled a game back in the 4th before Marie Martin left the stage with a 3-0 win (16.16) to ensure a win for the Devon ladies. Lincolnshire took the final game of the match to leave the final score 4-2 to Devon. In an opposite scenario to the ladies match, the men’s B team match pitched top of the league Devon against bottom of the league Lincolnshire but spectators would have been forgiven for thinking it was the other way around as Lincs came out comfortably on top, Devon being the masters of their own downfall, missing numerous doubles along the way. The bright points of the day being wins for Ian De Rosa, 3-1 (23.90), a man of the match performance from Andy Aspinal, 3-0 (28.36), a 3-1 win from Stewart Jones (24.42) and a 3-2 win for Steve Rice (25.37). The 8-4 win for Lincolnshire left the scoreline 10-8 in their favour overnight. Devon needed to get off to a good start on Sunday and they weren’t to be disappointed. First up for the Ladies A was Christine Kinnaird who, despite a shakier than normal performance came away with a vital 3-1 win (13.10). Next up Tracy Ware hit a 180 and a 149 shot out in the same leg on her way to a 3-1 win (17.16) which was rewarded by the selectors with the lady of the weekend award. Next was an A team debut for Maria O’Brien who looked like she’d been playing on the A team stage all her life as she won 3-0 (17.83) assisted by a 104 shot out along the way. Maria had put the Devon Ladies 3-0 up and more importantly put Devon back in front overall 11-10. The next game saw the third ton plus shot out in as many games from the Devon ladies and Captain Merryl Dennis hit 119 out on her way to a lady of the match 3-1 win (20.46) to make the score 4-0 and it would soon become 5-0 as Michelle Andrews took the next match 3-0 (16.70). It was not to be a whitewash for the home team though as the visitors took the last game and the match ended 5-1 in Devon’s favour. More importantly though, the Devon ladies had set up the overall match for the men who took a 13-11 lead into the Men’s A game. First up for the Devon men was the inform Richard Dennis who hit a 180 on his way to a 3-1 win (27.03) to increase the lead to 14-11. Lincolnshire came back with a vengeance though taking the next 4 games to lead 15-14 and the Devon men looked to be stumbling. The best way to calm the nerves is to not take long enough to get nervous and Ryan Searle was about to give a masterclass. Ryan separated two 14 dart legs with an 18 dart leg on his way to a 3-0 win and a man of the match 32.67 average, a game that inspired his team mates. Shane Joslin proved why the selectors had asked him to step back up to the A team after only one match back in the county squad, hitting a 180 on his way to a 3-0 win (26.84) and Andy Steed also hit a 180 in his 3-1 win (24.99). It was the home sides turn to be on a roll now and John Imrie took a 3-2 win (25.53) in the next match to give Devon an unassailable 18-15 lead with 3 games to go. The scene was set for 18 year old Steve Rice, stepping up to the A team for the first time to take the place of Mike Beal who was unavailable due to illness and in only his fourth county appearance to take the winning point. No one was in any doubt including Steve as he also took the man of the weekend award with a 3-0 win (24.24). Lincolnshire took the penultimate game before Andy Taylor continued his unbeaten season with a 3-1 win (24.36). Andy’s win meant that Devon’s Men took the A match 7-5 and the weekend by 20-16. Devon’s win has put them to the top of Division 2 for the first time in their history and they make the trip to Sussex on 4th/5th December looking to cement their place at the top. |
last modified: November 26, 11:30 pm |
| Devon Open 2010 | Devon Open went really well last weekend The mens singles semi's was an all Devon affair with John Lakemen beating Andy Aspinall in the final. Terry Ashton and Andy Steed losing semi finalists Trina Gulliver won the ladies singles beating Sally Rose. Merryl Dennis lost in the semi to Sally Simon Whatley and Terry Rose won the Mens Pairs Merryl Dennis and Chrissie Kinnaird won the Ladies pairs Richard & Merryl Dennis won the mixed pairs So all in all a good weekend for the Devon players Pictures to follow |
last modified: November 17, 8:02 am |
| Devon draw on the road | Devon made the journey to Suffolk for their first away match of the season expecting a tight game as no more than 2 points had separated the teams in recent history. After the hosts took the 1st match it was up to Annette Lord to put the first Devon point on the board with a 3-1 win (15.05). Annette was followed by Maria O’Brien who collected her second consecutive lady of the match award with a 3-1 win (19.60) who was herself followed by Marie Martin who likewise won 3-1 (14.70) to take the visitors into a 3-1 lead. The hosts fought back however taking the last two games to draw the ladies B match 3-3. First up for the men’s B team was Jason Hill who overcame the experienced Lee Hammond, making his 100th appearance for Suffolk, 3-2 (25.30), Jason was followed by Andy Aspinal who couldn’t keep up his record of 180 per leg from his debut a match although he did hit 1 on his way to a 3-1 win (25.08). Although Suffolk took the next game Lee Bryant stepped up to prove that his debut loss was just a minor hic-cup with a 3-0 win (25.47) to be followed by man of the match Roger Wright who came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2, hitting 2 x 180 on the way (25.84), Steve Rice kept the pressure on the home team with a 3-1 win (23.11) and Paul Godbeer made the score 6-1 to Devon, also hitting 2 x 180 on his way to a 3-0 win (22.10). The hosts took the next game before Liam Goyne ensured that the Devon men would finish the day on top with a 3-0 win (20.04). With Suffolk talking the next two games it looked like Devon would take a much narrower lead into day two than earlier thought but Ant Hayman won the last game of the day 3-0, including a 151 shot out (21.17) to win the men’s B match 8-4 and give Devon an 11-7 lead overnight. Sunday started with a game with a thrilling climax, with the scores level at two legs each Michelle Andrews (19.33) narrowly missed a 129 shot out only to stand and watch her opponent Barbara Chennery (18.60) shoot out on 120. Next up for Devon came Karen Atkinson who followed up her lady of the match 21.33 average in the first game of the season with a lady of the match 23.36 average in a 3-1 which included a 180 and leaves her top of the ladies A team averages for division 2. Suffolk took the next two games before Tracy Ware won 3-0 (18.44) to take Devon within a point in the Ladies A match, however the hosts took the last game for a 4-2 win to leave Devon’s overall lead at 13-11 going into the men’s A team match. Suffolk reduced Devon’s lead to a single point by taking the opening game of the mens match before Ryan Searle produced a 3-0 win (25.47) to restore the two point lead. Suffolk then rolled off three consecutive wins to take the lead for the first time since the 2nd game on the first day and it was Andy Taylor who stepped up to stop the rot for Devon, a 3-1 performance (24.47) that was to earn him the man of the weekend award and the scores were again level. Next up for Devon was Andy Steed who put in a man of the match performance with a 3-0 win (30.67) including a 180. Richard Dennis was next on stage and matched Andy Steeds man of the match performance, 3-0 (30.67). The next match was a great game between Suffolk’s David Ballard-Flatt (25.24) and Devon’s Lee Watts (25.87) during which Lee hit a 133 shot out on his way to a 3-2 victory which also ensured an overall draw for the weekend. With 3 games to go Devon led the men’s match 5-4, and the overall match 18-15, but that was as far it was to go for the visitors, as Suffolk won all of the remaining games to win the men’s A match 7-5 and force an overall draw. Devon will be looking to their outstanding home form next match, when they host Lincolnshire, in a bit to pull back on the three teams above them in Divison 2. Berkshire lead the division by a single point from Dorset who have a 3 point lead over Suffolk with Devon a further point behind. |
last modified: October 9, 4:41 pm |
| Devon off to a flying start | Devon opened their 2010/11 season with a home game against Hertfordshire. With Devon having finished on place off of promotion and Hertfordshire having finished on place above relegation in the previous season both teams were looking to get their season off to a good start. First up for Devon in the Ladies B match was Maria O’Brien, making her return to the side after a 6 year absence, looking totally at ease Maria put in a lady of the match performance winning 3-0 (19.03). The visitors took the next game before Annette Lord put Devon in front again with a 3-1 win (17.87). Annette was followed by Joyce Wilson who also won 3-1 (15.54) to give the hosts a 3-1 lead. Herts hit back by taking the next game before Marie Martin took the last game for Devon 3-1 (18.47) to give Devon a 4-2 win. The Men’s selectors had made some major changes to the side in the closed season and had named six debutants in the side for the weekend and after Herts had taken the opening game of the mens B match Andy Aspinal had an outstanding debut, hitting four 180’s, one in each leg of his 3-1 win (24.34). Brian Hodge put Devon men in front with a 3-2 win (19.75) and another debutant Stewart Jones increased the lead with a 3-0 win (23.12) which also included a 180. Herts took the next game before a third debut win of the day was delivered by Steve Rice who followed in the footsteps of brother Mike and father Pete who have also represented Devon. Steve hit a 157 shot out on his way to a 3-2 win (25.36). With the scoreline at 4-2 in favour of Devon Shane Joslin returned to the stage following a 9 year absence and looked like he had never been away. Shane won 3-0 (23.86) and was followed on stage by Ian Knight who also won 3-0 (20.59). With Devon now beginning to pull out a big lead Liam Goyne put in a man of the match performance with a 3-0 win and a 30.67 average in only his 6th game in a Devon shirt. Ant Hayman was next up for the home side and looked to have let his match slip away before battling through to a 3-2 win, his first in a Devon shirt (19.15). The 5th debutant on stage in the B team also delivered a win. Steve Atkinson had followed sister Karen by joining Devon from Cheshire and delivered a 3-1 win (24.55). There was a little consolation for the visitors who won the final game of the day but the Devon men had delivered with a 9-3 win to end the day with an overall 13-5 lead. Hertfordshire started day two with a win in the 1st ladies A match but the Devon ladies soon returned to the form of the previous day with a win from Michelle Andrews 3-0 (19.52) and a lady of the match performance from Karen Atkinson. In her best performance to date Karen narrowly missed a 170 shot out in one leg, hitting the 25 with her last dart and finished the match in style, hitting a 100 shot out in 2 darts on her way to a 3-2 win and a 21.33 average. Herts hit back to level the ladies match by taking the 4th game but captain Merryl Dennis put the 3rd point on the board for the hosts winning 3-2, hitting a 180 in a solid 20.41 performance and Chrissie Kinniard put the winning point on the board 3-1 (18.09) to give the Devon ladies a 4-2 win and leave the overall score standing at 17-7 to Devon. Faced with such a huge deficit many teams would have just rolled over but the Hertforshire men were in no such mood and put in an outstanding performance in the mens A match. Herts took the match 8-4 and Devon were left to pick up enough points for a good overall 21-15 win. Devon wins came from Andy Taylor who started this season were he left off last with a solid 3-0 win (25.05). Matt Dickinson, who put last season’s double troubles behind him on his 75th appearance in a Devon shirt with a 3-0 win (25.91) a win which included a 130 shot out and which also earned him the man of the weekend award for hitting the 19th point for the hosts, Richard Dennis with a man of the match 3-1 win (27.44) on his 50th game in a Devon shirt and John Imrie, returning to the side having missed the last 3 games of last season due to illness, hitting a 124 shot out on his way to a 3-2 win (27.38). Overall it was an extremely pleasing start to the season for Devon who will now travel to Suffolk, the team they finished equal 3rd in the league with last season and drew 18-18 with in their last encounter, with the men hoping to make amends for an embarrassing 10-2 defeat last year when 3 points would have given Devon an overall win. With the ladies having started the season in winning form again and with the mens B team seeming to have found the winning formula it looks to be a mouth watering prospect. It was with great sadness that we learned recent passing of two of the squad members mothers within the last week, all our sympathy from everyone involved in Devon darts goes out to Christine Harding and Janet Singleton at this sad time. |
last modified: September 21, 5:18 pm |
