No joy of Essex for Warwickshire

WARWICKSHIRE’S penultimate fixture in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division of the UKDA National League was a home tie against Essex.

- By ALAN TOWE

Going into the game Warwickshire were lying fourth in the table on 165 points and their visitors seventh on 148 points. A win to move the home side up the table was what was expected but it didn’t turn out like that.

Saturday’s games saw the ladies ‘B’ chalk up a 4-2 victory with wins from Chloe McKivett-Saunders, Donna Pinch, Jodie Rigg and lady of the match Courtney Hine. Courtney was on last and secured the win with her 3-2 success over Kayleigh Brown and 18.24 average. It was not a good weekend for the men’s ‘B’ as they went down 8-4, their four winners being Jnr Joyce, Ryan Jackson, Martin Tonks and Dave Hill. Topping the averages for the men’s ‘B’ was Ryan Jackson who had a 24.58 average in his 4-2 win over Paul Marsh.

Going into Sunday's games, Essex were holding a 10-8 lead and that deficit didn’t change when the ladies ‘A finished all-square at 3-3, the winners being Marian Conway, Wendy Adams and Natalie Gilbert with the match award going to Wendy Adams for her 3-1 win against Kerry Rudd and 19.45 average. A 7-5 win was now the least required from the men’s ‘A’ to secure even a share of the spoils but with only six winners the result was a draw and Essex were the overall 19-17 victors.

Winners for the men’s ‘A’ were Matty Washbrooke, Gareth Braham, Nigel Heydon, Sam Whittaker, Danny Lauby and Wayne Mynard with Sam Whittaker the man of the match for his 30.15 average and 4-1 win over Brad Halls.

The defeat sees Warwickshire still in fourth with 182 points and with second and third placed Lin-colnshire and Lancashire playing each other in the final fixtures of the season and Warwickshire playing away to bottom of the table London, they could still move up the table.