Speedy comes out on top (From Crewe Guardian)

Speedy comes out on top

2:10pm Thursday 19th July 2012 in Sport

THE battle between John Speed (Pioneers Club A) and Mick Hassall (Vine A) was the highlight of the Pi’s whitewash of their Crewe Open League Premier Division Darts opponents Vine A.

Unfortunately for Hassall, he could not prevent the league leaders from grabbing another 8-0 drubbing despite a 15 dart leg and a 180 but Speedy came out best with a brace of 17 darters and a 180 to put his team 9 points clear.

Main challengers W/End LMR B won 6-2 at lowly Hop Pole to establish a 10-point buffer over third-placed location colleagues W/End Band C, who hit Commercial for seven.

Top performances came in another whitewash game between Cosey Club and bottom-placed Express A, in which Cosey stars Carl Dennel and Jules Wilde hit 14 and 15-dart legs, Jules also registering a maximum.

Bobby Baynham won in 17 and 18 darts and Tony Swindells hitting a 180.

Mark Jodrill (LMR B) won in 15 and 16-dart legs, Pete Boughey (Pioneers A) hit a 15 darter and Mark Tirrell (Band C) 16 and 18 darters.

Division One leaders Flying Lady A’s bye week worked out well for them as two of their principal challengers, Cheshire Cheese and Broughton Arms, slipped up.

Both have been overtaken by Express B, who demoted the Cheese to third after beating them 6-2.

Broughton lost by the same scoreline to visitors Amalgamated A and drop three places to sixth.

Division Two’s top trio of Horse Shoe, Kings Arms A and Duke of Bridgewater A won, with the Kings reducing their points deficit on the Shoe to four with a 7-1 drubbing of White Lion Ford Lane A.

Third-placed Duke A beat Coppenhall Leighton 7-1, but remain nine points off the pace. Trev Lyons and Anthony O’Reilly (Copp Leighton) prevented whitewashes with last game pairs wins.

Dave Coyne (Horse Shoe) won with 16 and 17-dart legs, with Tim Simpson (Duke A) hitting a 17 darter and his son James an 18-dart leg that included a 180.

Division Three leaders White Lion Ford Lane B’s top form continued, their 6-2 win at Flying Lady B giving them a seemingly unassailable 21-point lead over Vine C, whose mediocre form continued with a 6-2 defeat to visitors Pioneers Club B.

The Pi’s are now fourth and are mounting a strong challenge for better, although third-placed Waldron A remain two points in front after also hitting six against Rising Sun A.

Division Four toppers Prince of Wales C increased their points lead to 12 with a crushing 7-1 defeat of lowly Waldron B.

Their main rivals are their E team, who gained an important 6-2 win at Kings Arms B.

Cumberland C were 4-1 ahead but a spirited revival by visitors Prince of Wales D saw both teams break their draws duck.

Jim Hamlett (Prince C) won in 17 darts and Tony Taylor (Kings B) hit a 20 darter, including a 180.

Division Five leaders Flying Lady C were beaten 5-3 by third-placed visitors White Lion A, so their points lead over Swan and Chequers has been cut to five after the Swan won 6-2 at Prince of Wales A.