After the disappointments of the last match at Warwickshire which dented our championship hopes the girls and boys welcomed Essex to the Roundhouse Bolton at the weekend. The ladies B so dominant over the past few years have not been putting in the results of late and this was to continue as the girls rapidly went 3-1 down, only Debbie Baxter hitting the winning trail. However Laura Howarth and lady of the match Maria Ronson rescued the situation and made it three consecutive draws. With just three matches left and 1 point behind the leaders Gwent and with them to play the girls will have to start turning these draws into wins if they are to retain the British title they have held for the past two years.
The Mens B team suffered a shock defeat at Warwickshire after they had begun the season with 4 straight wins which had seen them in pole position in the League, so a good result was imperative. I was a little concerned about the Mens squad after the many rumours circulating about current players moving to Cheshire next season, I know we will always have players to replace anyone, I just cannot get my head around why players would want to play anywhere else, after the giant steps we have made over the last 18 months to reduce the costs to the players, increase the prize money in the Super League etc. We are in the process of finalising our matches to go live on the Internet.
Anyway back to the match and well done to everyone a terrific team performance right the way through the team. MOM was Eddie Dootson with 83.49 Martin Barratt 81.99 and how unlucky for Southport’s Dave Charnock recording the best average of the team 83.67 only to lose to Jamie Robinson who was the highest average of the day 88.41. The team average 76.47 is where we expect the team to be and a 7-5 win thanks to opening wins from Little Hulton’s,  Vinny Mullineaux making it 4 out of 5 wins this season. Tony Burrows recovered some of his form on the return to the B team with a big 79+, Dave Charnock in a thrilling match came unstuck as did Glen Miller surprisingly dipping out in the next. We expect great things from Joe Murnan and he didn’t let us down again with just short of 80, Steve Barrow should have increased the lead but bad luck on doubles brought the halftime score all level.
Blackpool’s Derek Timmins started us off in the second half, and had a titanic tussle with Andy Kateley, Delboy took the opener in 19, but Andy Kateley hit 12 & 13 dart legs to move 2-1 up back came Del to square but the advantage of the throw was to prove decisive when Andy took the decider with Del on 51, both players recording top averages Del 79+ and Andy 86+. Steve Barlow just couldn’t get his consistency going and despite hitting 9 Tons in the four legs some patchy throwing in between robbed him of a chance of winning. I thought here we go again, and my trepidation increased as Ben Fairley went two down, but all credit to the young man whose game grows match by match he stopped the rot taking the last three legs in 18, 18 & 22 as his opponents game simply collapsed from what looked an unassailable position after he had took the two openers in 18 & 19, for his efforts Ben popped in a 77+ but more importantly got us back in the match. ‘Steady’ Eddie Dootson won the battle of the left hander’s and secured the Man of the Match award, in his 8 ton’s Eddie scored 5 Ton plusses. Martin Barratt then put the Red Rose county in front winning in straight legs, and the opportunity of recording a win,( which a hour before had looked very unlikely)  was left in the hands of Tony Green who was MOM at Warwickshire. the first four  legs went against the throw with Kevin Edwards hitting two 17 darters only for  Tony to square with two 20 darters, the final leg saw Tony on 98 and Kevin on 40, two darts for Greeny treble twenty and double 19, brought the house down.
So at close of play on the first day 10-8 up.

Sunday morning I set off to pick up Malcolm Poole only for us to be involved in a car smash when a woman hit me on a roundabout and destroying my little car. Everyone walked out of the crash thankfully.  So could this be the start of things to come.
The ladies draw brought together current England Internationals Lancashire’s Lisa Ashton who just the previous weekend had been the lady of the Tournament in the 6 Nations Internationals in Rep of Ireland,  against Viv Dundon.
Opening up the match was Carole Beswick, swine flu free, after missing the last match, against Amanda Dodds. The opening leg was to be indifferent to say the least with both girls having a nightmare on the winning double to which Amanda eventually won. Carole then squared in 22 darts, but Amanda hit a terrific 15 dart leg to go in front which she converted into a win in the next leg, both girls had very respectable averages just short of 60 despite the first leg dragging the final average down, Amanda scored 9 ton+’s in her four legs the highest number on the day.
Morecambe’s Liz Akister making her return to the A team for the first time this season had a really good 3-0 victory the highlight being a 19 dart second leg. The next game for me would decide the match and it proved to be the case, a very in form Sue Waterman from Essex against Swinton’s Dawn Shaw, the girls shared the first 4 legs with the throw. Dawn started off in the last well and Sue didn’t however a few throws later Dawn’s game had drifted away and Sue’s had come good, all down on the doubles, and to be fair either girl could have won and the other couldn’t have had much case for dispute, happily for us it was Dawn who held her nerve to put us 2-1 up.
Battle of the ‘Titans’ next as Lisa and Viv took the stage, however as sometimes happens one player dominates throughout and Lisa ran out the winner in 23,17 & 18 darts for a 77+ average, to be fair Viv surrounded the 60 on lots of occasions, but it just wasn’t her day despite having a 65+ average.  I thought we might have won the match in the next with The ‘Foxy Lady’ Janet Fox, and again a five leg match, going one way then another saw Sheila Busby pop in the 32 on her last dart with Janet on 48.
The enigma that is Olive Byumakama took the oche for the last game and our hopes of winning the match, was she going to be brilliant or not, because that is Olive no happy medium. Shame on me forever doubting her, she was awesome 3-0 in 15, 18 & 18 darts including a 180 and picking up the Ladies highest award in the Inter-counties for march with a (29.47) in proper money 88.41, and as a result, brought smiles to the home supporters with a win for the girls but also putting Lancashire 4 points in front going into the Mens A match.


The Men’s A team this year have been so inconsistent losing two matches at home from being 5-3 up, one of them being against Cheshire’s united nations. One no show without any phone call etc, so I am afraid after a similar thing last year, he will be able to enjoy his weekend at the end of the month, without us spoiling it by asking him to come to Kent or anywhere else for that matter.
From last to first as Mick Oversby finished the match at Warwickshire and starting it against Essex, he was up against man of the match from the previous day In Jamie Robinson, and neither player could make much impression on the other against the throw so Jamie made it a double by taking the match 3-2. Martin Barratt put into the team on the last minute also completed the double by taking his game again with the throw by 3-2 to level the game. Dave Chisnall produced a match of shear class winning 3-1 in 15, 14 & 15 darts with Eddie Gosling hitting a 16 dart leg, definitely TV stuff.
The ‘Salford Devil’ Paul Whitworth making his 100th County appearance and not one for shying away from the limelight, made it a game to remember with a win against Andy Kateley who didn’t repeat his heroics from the B match. Captain Doug Smith set off like a train and uncharacteristically failed on the doubles to increase the margin against Alan Collins, Alan eventually popping in a 121 finish on the bull to claim victory. Wigan’s Dave Bennet was making his debut in the A team after some impressive matches in the B, and he continued in the same vein, but a very close game with Dave Orton saw Dave’s odd dart miss in three legs eventually costing him glory, but no shame as Dave Orton claimed MOM for Essex.
Second half Garry Vincent, was left to rue missed doubles in the second leg as he went down 3-2. Dave Johnston who has been one of our shinning lights over the past couple of seasons, once more produced the goods in a really top class encounter with Coen Weikamp. Dave opened up a two leg lead in 19 & 17 darts, but only on the doubles,  Coen who himself could have been two up, pulled back the next in 16, but the 4th leg proved to be the best of a very good game which Dave took in 14 darts. Dave Place put Lancashire 5-4 up against Essex captain Darren Peetoom the 3rd leg proving to be decisive as both players had opportunities of going 2-1 up, when Dave just scrapped it, he then went on to take the match with an impressive 14 darter. If Barry Adlam from Essex had hit his doubles he would have been their player of the day, but he let Peter Connolly off a lot of times, but not Pete’s day unfortunately as he couldn’t take advantage of Barry’s generosity, so all square once again. Ady Parr kept his 100% record going with a really important victory to make sure Lancashire won the weekend and also gave us the chance of winning the A match. Who could we have wished for anyone better than one of our own legends of the game to go on and win, but for Clitheroe’s Andy Gudgeon, whilst Andy will be the first to admit he isn’t the best floor player in the world, he has over nearly 150 games proved to be one of the greats on the stage, and once again big Andy produced a top class display winning 3-1 in 16, 15 & 17 darts, with his opponent Simon Cook taking the odd leg in 19. Andy’s average the second best of the day 89.28.

The difference in a lot of matches is good fortune and bad luck, and this was the case this weekend, a very close game between two good teams. Whilst we secured the bonus points and remain in second place, Yorkshire did pull a game further ahead in the race for the championship. The individual league tables sees us actually slip a place in the Mens A to 5th, but hopefully we can finish 3rd. The Ladies A move to within a point of Gwent with them to play on 8th match so hopefully we may be in with a chance of regaining the title we lost last season. The Mens B move into second place after dropping down from top spot last month, obviously two big wins needed before we take on the ‘Tykes’. The Ladies B have been terrific over the last three years but are just coming up short this year despite being only 1 point off top spot, all to play for, but can’t afford anymore draws, this years, won 2 drawn 3 lost 1, had us achieving 6 straight wins last year.
The BICC Individual tables sees Lisa Ashton being the number 1 player with 6 out of 6 and Olive in 5th place again with a 100% record, our top player Dave Chisnall in the Mens  at No. 17, with Andy Gudgeon at 23rd. Liz Akister recently promoted into the Ladies A team is our top ranked player in ladies B Table at No. 2 with Debbie Baxter at 4th. The best placed in the Mens B was newly promoted Martin Barratt at 13th.

For those who were at the match, they will have seen several camera’s and a big control panel at the side of the stage, where we were testing the equipment for the eventual video uploading of the matches to the internet, whilst it has been a considerable financial investment by Lancashire, we see it as the way forward, where people unable to attend the matches can actually pay a small fee to enjoy the games, it also gives us the opportunity of seeking financial partners for advertising purposes, where the screen will show the main stage, side and front views of players, the main DFW scoreboard and advertising areas. Anyone will be able to get their match burned on to DVD during the day, or by mail order, or the full matches. As they say ‘watch this space’
Our next match is away to Kent at Tonbridge at the end of the month, and a win is a must in all sections. The last two seasons, between Lancs and Kent, only our Mens B on both occasions failed to win, so historically it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility.
See you all at Isle of Man
Tommy T