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27th January 2012

The Qube have taken control at the top of the Dover Invitation Darts League Division One, and arguably could wrap up the title race in the next couple of weeks, with a game this week against the Diamond and then a plethora of fixtures where all the chasing pack play each other.

All of this has happened after the Diamonds 7-2 defeat at the hands of the Three Cups A, with the Cups fighting back from 2-0 down to win the last pairs and all six singles in a high scoring, quality finishing match.

Wayne Venes checked out on 108 in the pairs for the Diamond and his team mate Paul Martin hit his second 180 of the season.

Of course this result alone was not enough for the Qube to extend their lead, they had to win their match as well, and they did that in style with a cracking 8-1 win against the DWMC.

Andy McNicholas was the star man on the night hitting a 180 in a left that he completed in just 13 darts.

The third placed Oast Cottage wrapped up their third 5-4 and for the second week they have been trailing 3-0 and 4-2, and turned the games to their advantage.

The Archer are hitting a little bit of form, winning two weeks ago and narrowly losing to the Oast last week they followed it with a nice 8-1 win against the Bull B who are bottom of the table.

Its not good news for the Bull, as the Bull E are also in the bottom two after they lost to the Hairy Bull 6-3.  Lloyd Clubb hit a 180 for the Bull E as did P Cannon, and Ritchie Buckle checked out on 120. 

In division two the top now has joint leaders as the bottom of the table Boars Head B beat the top of the table Rough Diamonds 5-4.  The match went to the wire with the Boars Heads Aidan Marsh winning the final game, hitting a 180 in the process, beating Peter Phillips.

The Crown & Sceptre didn’t miss the opportunity to close the gap, they were playing at the same venue against the Boars Head C, winning 6-3.  Craig Morton and Steve Roberts both hit 180’s and Colin “The Moose” Calley checked out 112.

The Archer Arrows were 4-1 down against the Phoenix B, battled back to 4-4 only for Simon Scott to spoil the party, winning the final game of the match 2-0.  Nick Dowley of the Archer hit a 180, Mick Law hit a 14 darts leg and Barry Knott checked out on 141, the second highest this season in division two, one behind his team mate Simon Scott.

The DSAA B have jumped up to third in the table, their fourth win in as many weeks has seen them climb up to touching distance of the promotion spots.  This week they beat the Admiral Harvey B 5-4.

In division three the Admiral Harvey B have the finishing line in their sights, three more wins in their final five games and they are promoted.  They beat the Dewdrop A 7-2 this week whilst their closest rivals the Phoenix A had a super 8-1 win against the Priory Hotel.

It was a good night all round for the Phoenix as the Hope made it three wins on the night for the Railway Men, beating the Red Lion 7-2.

The Sportsman B won 6-3 against the Bull Dogs to give the Sportsman a fighting chance of survival and in the final game from the division the Old Endeavour A won 6-3 against the Boars Head A.

Division four and the Dublin Man of War continue with their winning ways.  They beat the Castle 6-3 and remain top of the table, however the Dewdrop B kept up the pressure with a win by the same margin against the Crown & Sceptre.

The DSAA A have moved up to third thanks to their good win, they beat the Carriers 5-4 with Ben Wilshire hitting a 180 in the victory.

The DSAA C beat the Old Endeavour B 5-4, and the Tilmanstone Welfare Club won 5-4 against the St Pauls Club, a fixture they lost 6-3 in the first half of the season.

Click here for news on the end of season knockouts, including the return of the ladies singles.

Paul Turner,

20th January 2012

Before we crack on with this week’s darts results, we start with news on our annual pro night for the summer season.

We are delighted to confirm that Ted “The Count” Hankey will be coming to Dover on Friday 31^st August, and once again the pro will be playing local players.  This year we have some exciting changes, with the night also being hosted professionally by MC “Little” Richard Ashdown, along with a electronic scoring system and camera set in the dartboard to get you all closer to the action.  More details will follow over the coming months.

Sometimes it can be said that I write about some players more than others, but generally as we know some individuals are just better than others and they hit the 180s and big finishes more often.

This week, I wonder if I have a new name that we will be talking about more often.  Morgan Scott of the Dublin Man of War is just 14 and played in only two league matches so far, and this week he picked up his second win in those weeks.  Not only did he score confidentially all match, he also went and hit the highest checkout so far this season in division four, 118.

He helped is Dublin side beat their closest rivals the Dewdrop B 7-2, a result which know sees them two points clear of their closest rivals.

There was some big wins in the fourth division on the night, surprisingly the St Pauls Club who have been performing well all campaign lost 9-0 to the DSAA A, whilst the DSSA C had a complete opposite to their stable mates, losing by the same margin against the Carriers Arms.

The Crown & Sceptre won 6-3 against the Old Endeavour B and finally the Tilmanstone Welfare Club won by the dame margin when they played the Castle.

In division three, the Admiral Harvey B won 7-2 against the Bull Dogs and their closest challengers at the moment the Phoenix A won by a slightly better margin, 8-1 against the Red Lion.

The Harvey must be confident of promotion this campaign, as they now have a six point lead on the third placed Phoenix Hope, who this week lost 5-4 against the Dewdrop A.

The Dewdrop win has probably confirmed their division three status for another campaign.

The Old Endeavour B’s 6-3 win against the Sportsman B moves them up to fifth in the table, and the Boars Head A’s win by the same score line means they have moved up to fourth.

Steve Cross of the Sportsman A hit his third 180 of the season, however his depleted side lost 6-3 at the hands of the Rough Diamonds, who are our current leaders.

The second placed Crown & Sceptre won 6-3 against the Boars Head B, with Kason Davey checking out on 100 for the Crown.

Dover Sea Angling Club B moved up to third in the table with a 5-4 win against the Phoenix B and still have hopes of promotion.  They are four points behind the Crown, so they probably can’t afford another defeat this campaign.

The Boars Head C’s steady campaign continues, they beat the Archer Arrows 7-2 and like the Anglers they are just four points behind the Crown.  The Crown play the Boars Head this week, and a win is a must to keep their promotion hope alive.

The Admiral Harvey A had a 6-3 won over the Real Diamonds, and thy jump over the Diamonds out of the relegation zone as a result.

In division one the Qube won 7-2 against the Hairy Bull.  Ritchie Buckle and Lee Ware both hit 180’s and Andy Mcnicholas hit a 13 dart leg.

Darren Hyder won the all important final game of the match for the Malvern’s 5-4 win against the Bull E.  He completed his singled win in just 13 and 15 darts, just the 107 average!

Tony Brown hit a 180 in the Diamonds 8-1 win against the Bull B, other highlights of the match included 100 checkouts for both Paul Martin and Mark Clayton.  Wayne Venes and Mark Clayton won both their pairs legs in just 16 darts, a feat they completed in last weeks match as well.

In the final game of the night the Oast Cottage beat the Archer 5-4, Russ Herbert hit a 13 dart leg and Dan Bent checked out on 110 and hit a maximum.  The all important final match was won by Kevin “Gabby” Elliott.

Paul Turner

13th January 2012

The Admiral Harvey B have stretched their lead at the top of the Dover Invitation Darts League division three, thanks to a 5-4 win against the Old Endeavour A and the fact that the Phoenix A beat the Phoenix Hope by the same margin.

The Harvey’s win included a 180 for Richard Harrison and this was the sixth time they won 5-4 this season, in the eleventh game to date.

The Phoenix A’s Dave Carter checked out on 147, the highest so far this season in division three and Steve Hall hit his first 180 of the season for the Phoenix Hope.  The two Phoenix sides are now level on points and they both still have to play the Harvey again.

The Boars Head A are fourth in the table, and they won 6-3 against the Red Lion this week who are just one place outside the relegation zone.

Two wins in as many weeks for the Bull Dogs, a 6-3 this week against the Dewdrop A puts them on ten points, moving them away from the bottom two spots.  The Priory Hotel are still battling away and they picked up a 5-4 win this week in the tightest of matches against the bottom side, Sportsman B.  Mike O’Callaghan was the toast of the Priory, sealing the win in the final game of the match.

The Rough Diamonds are still top of the division two, and really are playing with confidence.  They have had plenty of wins with large margins this season, and Friday was no different with an 8-1 win against the Admiral Harvey A.

Their closest rivals are the Crown & Sceptre, they won 5-4 against the Sportsman A, with Jamie Breeden winning the last game of the match.  They have a four point lead over the third placed Phoenix B.

The Phoenix beat the Boars Head C 5-4, with some high scoring and great finishing.  The Boars were leading 2-1 after the pairs and never fell behind until the final game of the match, which fell down to Mark “The Butcher” Smith and Tony “The Butcher” Gibbs, who of course work together.

Mark ran out the winner for the Phoenix, as he made no misSTEAKS, as he CHOPPED down his opponent and I dare say there was plenty of banter on the cutting table the next day, or should I say RIBBING!!

Mark also hit a 180 in the match and team mate Dave Dixon checked out on 110.  One highlight fro last weeks Phoenix match not in the blog was Simon Scott’s 14 dart leg which included a 180.

The Archer Arrows won 6-3 against the Boars Head B, who need to pick up a couple of wins very soon if they are going to stay in division two, Adrian “Fingers” Freimanis checked out 120 for the Arcehr.  And finally the DSAA B won 6-3 against the Real Diamonds. 

In division one the Archer picked up just their second win of the season, beating the Bull E 6-3.  There was two 180s for Bob Dryden of the Bull E and Tony Knott also hit a maximum and a checkout of 100.

The Qube remain top of the table, 2-1 down after the pairs they thought back to win 5-4 against the Malvern.  Paul Perkins of the Malvern hit a 180 in the match.

Wayne “Cheesestring” Venes hit his eighth 180 of the season and Brian Pearce hit his fourth as they Diamond ran out 6-3 winners against the DWMC.

The Three Cups were 7-2 winners against the Hairy Bull, highlights of this match were 180s from Paul Cannon, Ritchie Buckle and Dean Marsh, with Dean also checking out 201 in four darts, hitting a 177 and then double twelve on his return to the oche.

The Oast Cottage are still third in the table, their win this week was against 7-2 against the Bull B.  Chris Finch of the Oast hit a 180 and checked out on 106, team mate Tommy Armstrong Snr checked out on 103 whilst Dick Green of the Bull B hit a maximum on the 19s and a 110 check out.

The Dublin Man of War great from continued, they won 8-1 against the Old Endeavour B, with youngsters Martin Ashman and Morgan Scott both hitting 140’s in their first matches.

Second placed Dewdrop, another in form side beat the Castle 6-3.  They are level points with the Dublin with only game difference separating the two sides.  The top two sides play each other this week!

The St Pauls Club are third in the table and they beat the DSAA C 6-3 this week, and it was better news for the DSAA A as they won 5-4 against Tilmanstone.

In the final match of the round up, the Carriers Arms won 6-3 against the recently revived Crown & Sceptre.

Paul Turner

6th January 2012

After the two week break for Christmas we are straight back in to the action in the Dover Invitation Darts League, with the start of the return games already upon us.

We will start in division four, with a fantastic 7-2 victory for the Crown & Sceptre against the St Pauls Club.  The Crown ended 2011 with some form, winning two of their pre Christmas matches and now they have started to climb the table with some superb win against one of the divisions form sides.

When rivals lose it is important not to slip up, and the Dublin Man Of War and the Dewdrop both made sure they stretched their lead at the top end of the table.

The Dublin had a great last game win in a high scoring match against the Carriers Arms.  The ninth and final game of the match was won by Ryan Thompson against Henry Atkins.

The Dewdrops 8-1 win against the Old Endeavour B means that the two top sides are actually level on point and games, so it makes the match between the two sides on two weeks a real crunch match, with the victor surely thinking of promotion at the very least.

The DSAA A were 3-1 down against the Castle, however they won the final five singles matches on the night to seal a 6-3 win.

In the final game from division four, the DSAA C made it a good night for the anglers, their trip to Tilmanstone saw them return with the two points with a 5-4 win.

Division three has new leaders, as the Admiral Harvey B took full advantage of the Phoenix Hope’s 6-3 defeat against the Bull Dogs.

The Harvey ran out 6-3 winners against the Priory Hotel, and are now two points clear at the second placed Phoenix Hope.  The Phoenix A are up to third after a 5-4 win against the Boars Head A, Andy Nunn won the final game of this match to seal the win.

The two Phoenix sides play each other this coming Friday.

The Red Lion sealed a 6-3 win against the Sportsman B and last but not least the Dewdrop A beat the Old Endeavour A 6-3.  A good night all round for the Dewdrop as their two sides beat the two Old Endeavour sides.

The Rough Diamonds polished up nicely on Friday beating the Real Diamonds 8-1.  Peter Phillips hit a 180 in the match, and they remain top of the tree, two points clear of the Crown & Sceptre.

The Crown dropped just the one singles and the one pairs in a 7-2 win against the Admiral Harvey A.  Jason Gilbert’s great form continued with a 17 dart leg in his singles for the Harvey.

The biggest win on the night was from the Archer Arrows who romped to a 9-0 win against the Sportsman.  The Phoenix B won 8-1 against the Boars Head B, with Andy Stewart of the Boars hitting a maximum on the night.

DSAA B won 5-4 against the Boars Head C and remains fifth and third in the table respectively.  Both of these sides will still hold hoped of promotion, in an extremely tight and difficult division two.

The Qube have moved to the top of the table after their 6-3 win against the Archer and the Hairy Bulls 5-4 win against the Diamond.

The Qubes match included a 180 from the Archers Russ Herbert and the Diamonds game included a 118 checkout for Ritchie Buckle and a final game win for Richard “Woody” Wood against Paul Turner.

Mark Bax hit his second 180 of the season, however his Bull E side lost 6-3 against the Oast Cottage and the DWMC won 5-4 against the Bull B and finally the Three Cups beat the Malvern 5-4 in a yo yo match.

Jim Yarwood won the final game of the match against Paul Perkins to seal the win.

Paul Turner

16th December 2011

We have reached the half way point of the Dover Invitation Darts League, and every single division is tight at the top and the bottom.

We have no clear leaders, nobody stranded or doomed to relegation so there is everything to play for.

The Dublin MOW jumped from third to top in division four, by beating the leaders the St Pauls Club 5-4, and with the Dewdrop losing the Tower Hamlets derby against the Carriers Arms by the same margin.

All three of these sides are on fourteen points, with them all losing just the two games each.

The DSAA A won 6-3 over their local rivals the DSAA C, this was the Angling A teams fourth win in the last five games.  If they carry on with this form in the New Year they could well force themselves in to a promotion push.

Tilmanstone Welfare Club are one of those sides that if they were on a betting coupon, you wouldn’t know where to place your money.  On their day they can be anybody in division four, and this week they beat the Crown & Sceptre 5-4, but don’t be surprised if in the New Year they also push for promotion or derail somebody’s title hopes.

After waiting eight weeks for their first win, the Old Endeavour B picked up their second win in week nine.  They beat the Castle 7-2, to move off the bottom of the table by jumping over the DSAA C on game difference.

In division three the Phoenix Hope and the Admiral Harvey B are tied at the top of the tree on 16 points.  This week the Hope beat the third placed Boars Head A 6-3 and the Harvey won by the same margin against the Red Lion.

The Sportsman B earned their second win of the season, beating the Phoenix A 6-3.  A cracker of result for the Sportsman, whilst they are still in the relegation zone there is just two points separating them and the Bull Dogs who are in sixth.

The Bull Dogs were flying last week winning 9-0, but the Old Endeavour A were in no mood to give out festive gifts this week and beat them 5-4.

In the final game in division three the Dewdrop A picked up just their third win of the season, with a 7-2 win against the Priory Hotel.

There was plenty of Christmas Sparkle in division two, with 180’s, big finishes and last game of the match victories.

The Phoenix B v the Sportsman A was one of those games packed with action.  180s were hit by Mark Comley of the Sportsman and Dave Dixon of the Phoenix.  Big finishes were recorded by Mark Smith 114, and Steve Cross 138.  The final score was 6-3 to the Phoenix, who are now four points behind the leaders.

The Rough Diamonds are our half way leaders, and they took on the DSAA B.  They won 6-3 after trailing 2-1 in the pairs and whilst their was no 180’s in this match, a special mention to Brian “Odd Job” Painter who  knocked of 192 in four darts, hitting 168 and then double 12.

The second placed Crown & Sceptre bounced back from two defeats in as many weeks with a 7-2 win against the Real Diamonds.  They were 2-1 up after pairs and then went on to win the first five singles.  The only singles winner for the Diamonds was Colin Habbershaw who beat Jason Breeden.

The Admiral Harvey A beat the Archer Arrows 5-4, in what sounds an entertaining evening at the bar as well as on the oche!

Don Morton was the toast of the Boars Head C for the second week on the trot by winning the all important final game of the match, this week against their stable mates the Boars Head B.

In to division one, the Diamond went 180 mad, with Paul Martin hitting two in his singles win against Peter “Tucker” Fry and Wayne “Cheesestring” Venes (PICTURED) also hitting another two this week, that’s seven for Wayne so far this season.

The Diamond ran out 7-2 winners, with James Manton being the only singles winner in the night for Malvern. 

The Diamond are top by one game, with the ever consistent Qube in second place, they beat the Oast Cottage 6-3.  There were 180’s for Andy Howell of the Qube and Tom Armstrong Snr of the Oast hit his fifth of the campaign.

Ritchie Buckle was in great from for the Hairy Bull, hitting a 180 in an eleven dart leg that went, 180, 125, 100, 96 in two darts.  However his side were on the end of a 6-3 defeat against the DWMC.

In the final game from the league the Bull E picked up their second win of the season, with a 7-2 win against the Bull “Saga” B.  This match included a 180 for Mark Bax and the result moves the E side out of the relegation zone.

And finally,

The Committee are currently in discussions with potential professional for the Summer Season presentation, so watch this space for an announcement.

Paul Turner

9th December 2011

We are just one week away from the halfway point for the Dover Invitation Darts League winter campaign, and everything is still to play for, with no division having any runaway leaders or marooned teams at the bottom of the table.

There are plenty of players in great form, whilst we all know the famous Bobby George saying, “scoring for show, doubles for dough”, this week has seen an abundance of top finishes, with no fewer than nine 100+ checkouts reported at the time of writing the blog.

Tony Knott of the Archer was their only winner on the night, with the Archer losing 8-1 against the Diamond.  Tony hit a 112 checkout in the first leg of his singles win over Wayne Venes, with the latter having Bobby Georges famous phrase going through his mind, scoring well, including a fourth and fifth 180 of the season.

There were three 100+ finishes in the Oast Cottage 5-4 win against the Three Cups.  They were from Mick Mendham of the Oast with a 106, a 103 for the Cups Jim Yarwood and finally possibly the most impressive of the night a 137 from John Hughes, hitting treble 19, double 20, double 20.

The Dover Working Mens Club beat the Malvern 5-4, this was the second defeat in as many weeks for the Malvern, who have drifted down to fourth in the table. 

The Hairy Bull won the local derby against the Bull B 5-4, their third win in a row.

The Qube are level at the top of the table with the Diamond, they beat the Bull E 8-1, there second win in as many weeks by that margin.  Kevin Hackett hit two 180s for the Qube and the only winner for the Bull E was Al Humphries.

It was a good night for the Hackett’s, Kevin’s son Josh checked out on 141 in the Boars Head C’s 5-4 win against the Sportsman A.  The match went to the final game, with Don Morton when the all important final game.  Craig Morton and George Denton both hit 180’s.

Paul Swinerd of the Phoenix B hit his first 180 for a couple of years in their 5-4 win against the Admiral Harvey B, and the Archer Arrows (PICTURED) beat the Real Diamond 6-3.

Rough Diamonds won 5-4 against the Crown & Sceptre, in a superb match.  Jamie Breeden and Sam Johnstone both hit 18 dart legs in their singles match against each other, Jamie also checked out on 116 and Simon Whatmore of the Diamonds checked out on 100.

And in the final game from division two DSAA B won 6-3 against the Boars Head B.

In division three Ray Baxter checked out on 105 for the Bull Dogs in their fantastic 9-0 win against the Priory Hotel and the Dewdrop A picked up a much needed 7-2 win against the Red Lion.  This Red Lion side are previously the Three Cups B.

The previously unbeaten Phoenix Hope slipped up against the Old Endeavour A, there were 180’s for Dave Henwood of the Phoenix and Carol Booker for the Old E.

This defeat gave the chasing pack the opportunity to close the gap, and the Admiral Harvey B did just that, they beat the Phoenix A 5-4.

In division four the St Pauls Club suffered their first defeat of the season, and it was against their closest rivals the Dewdrop B.  The final score was 6-3 and the two sides are now only separated by game difference in the table. 

Third placed Dublin MOW won 5-4 against the Tilmanstone Welfare Club and next week they take on the St Pauls Club whilst the Dewdrop have a short trip in the Tower Hamlets derby against the Carriers Arms.

The Old Endeavour B picked up their first win of the season with a 6-3 win against the Carriers and the Crown & Sceptres Trevor Hyder checked out on 114 in their 6-3 win against the DSAA A.

Not all bad news though for the Anglers, the DSAA C won 7-2 against the Castle.

Paul Turner

2nd December 2011

The newly formed St Pauls Club team are absolutely flying in division four of the Dover Invitation Darts League.

They have won all seven of their opening games of the season, including a 7-2 win against the Old Endeavour B this Friday.  Their current closest rivals are the Dewdrop B, who have lost just the once.  They beat the Tilmanstone Welfare Club on Friday 5-4, and this week they host the leaders.

A win for the St Pauls will see them stretch their lead to four points, whilst a dewdrop win pull them level and that little bit closer to the rest of the chasing pack. 

The DSAA A made it four wins in as many games, they beat the Dublin MOW 5-4 in a tight and competitive match.  The Dublin now sit in third and the DSAA sit in fourth.

The Crown & Sceptres Graham Hicklin hit his first 180 of the season in their second win of the season; they beat the DSAA C 6-3.

In the final match from division four the Carriers Arms beat the Castle 6-3.

In division three our current leaders are the Phoenix Hope, they beat the Sportsman B 7-2 to remain unbeaten in this campaign.  In their seven wins they have won 7-2 five times.

Joint second is the Admiral Harvey B and the phoenix A.  Both of these sides won 5-4 this week, with the Harvey beating the Boars Head A and the Phoenix beating the Dewdrop.  These two winning sides play each other this coming Friday.

The Bull Dogs picked up their first win since the second week of the season.  They beat the Three Cups 5-4 to jump over them in the league table.  The Priory Hotel played the Old Endeavour A, both sides were promoted from division four last season, with the Old Endeavour A winning 7-2.  Dave Malloy of the Old E hit a 180.

The previously unbeaten Crown & Sceptre lost 6-3 against the DSAA B.  Simon Price checked out on 108, hitting shanghai on the 18’s.  The all important match sealing game was won by Zorba “The Goat Herder” Pitcher, or as I know him, Richard.

The Boars Head C made it three wins in as many weeks with a 7-2 win against the Admiral Harvey A.  180’s were recorded by Don Morton for the Boars and Ricky Edwards of the Harvey.  That was Ricky’s second of the season, however the current division two 180 leaders is his team mate Jason Gilbert, with three.

The Rough Diamonds beat the Archer Arrows 6-3, in a very high scoring match.  There were three 180’s hit, Mick Cock and Dick Connolly for the Arrows and “Baldy” Baz Robinson for the Diamonds.

Not a good night for the Real Diamonds though.  They lost 7-2 against the Phoenix B and the Sportsman A have kept their recent good form going with a 5-4 win against the Boars Head B.

Division one top of the table battle was between the Diamond and the Oast Cottage.  The Diamond ran out 5-4 winners, with Wayne “Cheese String” Venes winning the last game of the match.  Tommy Armstrong Snr hit a 180 in this high scoring really competitive game of darts, with the majority of games going three legs.

Kieran Dodd has won his first match since taking over as skipper of the Archer.  They beat the DWMC 5-4, with Russ Herbert and Dan Bent hitting 180’s in their victory. 

The Hairy Bull have dragged themselves away from the relegation area by winning three of their last four matches.  They beat the Malvern 5-4 and Darren Hyder hit his second 180 of the season.

Andy Howell of the Qube hit a 180 as they beat the Bull B 8-1, John Petts hit a maximum on the 19s for the Bull in this match, which could and maybe should have been a lot closer than the score line shows.

In the final game of the night, the Three Cups A beat the Bull E 5-4.  Al Terry, John Hughes and Alan Humphries hit 180s in the match, with Alan also checking out on 123. 

Paul Turner

25th November 2011

Division one of the Dover Invitation Darts league is as tight as it has ever been, with four sides at the top of the table with five wins out of six.

The Oast Cottage continued with their excellent start to the season with a 6-3 win against the DWMC and the Malvern battled back from being 2-1 down and 3-1 down to win 6-3 against the Bull B.  Dennis Painter hit a 171 in a superb 14 darts leg for the Malvern, super darts Dennis!

It wasn’t the greatest night for the Bull sides as the Bull E lost 7-2 against the Diamond, with Tony Brown checking out on 142.  Lloyd Club and Brian Pearce both hit 180s in this match and the Diamond host the Oast Cottage next week in one of the key games of the week.

The Qube beat the Three Cups 6-3, the highlight of this match was a 160 checkout from John Hughes of the Cups.

There is just one 100% record in tact in division one, however it is not one that anybody would really like.  The Archer are still without a win, losing all six games to date.  This week they lost 7-2 to the Hairy Bull, with the Hairys Ritchie Buckle hitting a 180, his second of the season.

In division two the Crown & Sceptre superb run carries on, a 5-4 win in a yo-yo match, which saw the Crown lead 2-1, then trail 4-3 only to turn the match around at the very end.  Shaun Breeden won the all important final game of the match.

The Rough Diamonds bounced back from last weeks defeat to beat the Phoenix B 5-4, whilst the Real Diamonds lost 5-4 with just four players against the Boars Head C.  The Boars skipper Craig Morton won the last game of the match.

The Boars Head B picked up their first win of the season, beating the Admiral Harvey A 5-4, and in the final game of the night Paul James and Ross Lowe of the Sportsman both hit 180’s in their 5-4 win against the DSAA B, coming from three nil down to do so.

The Admiral Harvey B were in great 180 scoring form, with Ray Medhurst hitting his first of the season and team mate Doug Isacs his second in their 9-0 victory against the Sportsman B.

The Old Endeavour beat the Three Cups B 7-2, with Mick Cozens hitting a nice 100 checkout for the winners, this was equalled on the night by Josie Quatermain of Cups.

The Phoenix A’s Catherine Jones checked out on 115 as they continued with their winning ways, beating the Bull Dogs 5-4.  Catherines checkout is the highest so far in division three.

The Boars Head A won 6-3 against the Dewdrop A to move to fourth in the league table.

The St Pauls are now the clear leaders of division four, winning 5-4 at the Carriers and te DSAA A ended the Dewdrop B unbeaten start to the season, they won 5-4 and this was also their third win on the bounce.

The Dublin MOW won 9-0 against the DSAA C, rookie Ryan Thompson won the final game of the match to seal the whitewash.

The Castle bounced back from last weeks defeat against the Dublin to beat the Crown & Sceptre 6-3 and finally the Old Endeavour B are still looking for their first win of the season, this week they lost 8-1 against Tilmanstone Welfare Club.

Paul Turner

18th November 2011

 The Oast Cottage have moved to the top of the division one table, thanks to a fantastic 7-2 win against the Hairy Bull and the Qube beating the previously undefeated Diamond 6-3.

The Oasts win against the Hairy included 180’s for Chris Finch for the winners and for Richard Wood of the Hairy Bull, that’s Woodys second of the season.

The Qubes win is their fourth on the bounce, and sees them move up to fifth in the table, with all of the top five currently on eight points.  They Qubes Kevin Hackett hit his first 180 of the season in this match.

The Bull B were 3-0 down after the pairs against the Three Cups, only for the Bull Boys to roll back the years and win the first four singles to turn the game around.  However, the old boys run out of steam and Luke Blythe and Ray Bourne won the final two games of the match to seal victory for the Cups.

Al Francombe was a whisker away from joining the 170 club, hitting the wire of the bullseye in this very competitive match.

The DWMC ended their run of defeats with a 5-4 win against the Bull E.  Paul Browning hit his second 180 of the season for the Workies and his team mate Paul Dawkins checked out on 113.

The only side in the division without a win so far this season is the Archer, this week they lost 6-3 against the Malvern, with Archer skipper Kieran Dodd checking out on 110.

In division two the Crown & Sceptre are now two points clear at the top of the table, thanks to their fifth win on the bounce, this week 6-3 against the Phoenix B, and the Rough Diamonds first defeat of the campaign, 5-4 against the Boars Head C.

The Crown lost the first pairs and then won the next six games of the match to seal victory whilst the highlights of the Rough Diamonds v Boars Head C included a 177 for Josh Hackett and the a final game of the match win for Tony “The Butcher” Gibbs.

The DSAA B carried on with their superb run, beating the Archer Arrows 7-2 to go up to third in the table and finally the Admiral Harvey A picked up their first win of the season with a 7-2 win against the Sportsman A.

Whilst the Harvey may have been struggling for wins, Jason Gilbert does seem to be in fine personal form, hitting his third 180 in five weeks.

In division three the Admiral Harvey B suffered their fist defeat of the season against the Phoenix Hope, 6-3.  The Hope are now two points clear at the top of the tree, and the match included an impressive 114 checkout for Gemma Merrells of the Harvey.

Neil Roberts of the Boars Head A won the all important final game of the match to seal a 5-4 win against the Bull Dogs, and the Three Cups A had a nice 6-3 win against the Priory Hotel.

The Phoenix A have moved up to second in the table thanks to a 7-2 win against the Old Endeavour A.

In the Summer campaign the Dewdrop finished second to bottom, with ten points.  Here we are in week five of the winter campaign and they already have the same points tally, winning all of their games to date.

This week they ran out 5-4 winners against the DSAA C, and next week they will be looking to continue their fantastic start against the DSAA S.

However, the A side have hit a bit of form themselves, winning their last two matches, with this weeks 6-3 win coming against Old Endeavour B.

Tilmanstone Welfare Club beat the Carriers Arms 6-3, with Dave Medhurst of the Carriers hitting a 180.  There has been three 180’s in division three so far this season, two of which have come from the Carriers, Henry Atkins hit one against the Dublin in week two.

The St Pauls club have the only other 100% winning record in division four, they beat the Castle 6-3 this week, and the biggest finish of the night in division four was from Cath Whatmore of the Dublin MOW, she checked out on 104 in her sides 7-2 win against the Crown & Sceptre.

Paul Turner

11th November 2011

There are just a handful of sides in the Dover Invitation Darts League with 100% winning starts to the season still intact.

In division two it is the Rough Diamonds and the Crown & Sceptre.  The Rough Diamonds sneaked past the Boars Head B this week winning 5-4 whilst the Crown & Sceptre won 6-3 for the fourth consecutive week.  Steve Roberts of the Crown hit a 180 in this match.

This week the Crown beat the Boars Head, and the two unbeaten sides don’t play each other until early December.

One side that has picked up its form after a slow start is the DSAA B.  They won 8-1 against the Admiral Harvey A, with Richard Pitcher continuing his own personal good run with a nice 14 dart leg.

The Sportsman A picked up their first win of the season, a 5-4 win against the Real Diamonds.  Dave “Posh” Pollock checked out on 135.

The Archer Arrows sit in third place after they beat the Phoenix B 5-4.  Mat Revitt checked out on 105, the twelfth ton plus finish in division two already this season.

In Division one the Diamond ended the Three Cups A unbeaten start to the season to remain the only side with a 100% start in the top flight.

The match was won 5-4 with Tony Brown beating Luke Blythe 2-0 in the final game of the match to seal victory.  Jim Yarwood and Steve Terry of the Cups both hit 180s.

Another unbeaten record went as the Malvern made the trip to the Oast Cottage and returned with a 5-4 win.  No 180’s in this match but Dennis Painter did put three in the treble 19 to record a 171.

He wasn’t the only player that did so on the night, Kevin Thorp of the DWMC and Del Palmer of the Qube done the same in the Qubes 6-3 win against their old stable mates.

Gary Mills and Colin Townley did hit maximums in the match, their first of the new season.  Mills also checked out on 110 and Phil Proctor of the Workies finished on 101.

The Bull B picked up their first win of the season, with a 5-4 win against the Archer.  John Petts beat Gareth Morgan in the final game of the match to seal victory and to condemn the Archer to its fourth defeat on the bounce!

Ritchie Buckle hit his first 180 of the season in the Hairy Bulls 5-4 win against the Bull E.  However, start performer was Martin Pepe who beat Lloyd Clubb as another match was decided on the last game of the night.

Division three unbeaten sides are the Phoenix Hope and the Admiral Harvey B.

The Phoenix beat the Three Cups 5-4 and the Admiral Harvey B won by the same margin against the Dewdrop A.

This was the fourth time the Harvey won 5-4 this season and the match included 180s for the Doug Isacs for the winners and Vic Underwood of the Dewdrop.

The Sportsman B picked up their first win of the season with a 5-4 win against the Bull Dogs and the Phoenix A beat the Priory 6-3.

The division four uneaten records remain intact for the Dewdrop B and the St Pauls Club.

The Dewdrops victory was a 6-3 win against the Crown & Sceptre and the St Pauls won by the same margin against the Tilmanstone Welfare Club. 

The DSAA A and the DSAA C both picked up their first wins of the season.  Both won 5-4, with the A side winning at the carriers and the B side at the Old Endeavour B.

And finally, the Dublin MOW moved up to third in the table, they beat the Castle 7-2 to bounce back from last weeks defeat against the Dewdrop.

Paul Turner

4th November 2011

Before we start looking at the darts this week, I would like to remind all players in the league of our new community and charity fundraising scheme.

In the past we have supported specific charities, however at the last interim meeting we agreed to shift to a community and charity fund, which will see proceeds collected by local players going to local groups.

So please make sure that at every match the bright orange charity boxes are taken around, as every single penny can make a difference!

As an extra incentive, not only will the charity award be given to the public house that raises the most money, pro rata to the number of teams that play from that venue, they will also receive free entry for all of those teams in the next league campaign.

Details on how local groups can apply for funds will be published on the website in the next few weeks.

On with the darts,

In division three the Phoenix Hope have started consistently, not only winning all three of their opening fixtures, they have also won them by the same margin, 7-2 with the latest victory being against the Dewdrop A.

Another unbeaten side in division three is the Admiral Harvey B.  They beat the Bull Dogs 5-4, and Gemma Merrels hit her first 180 of the season during the match. 

The biggest winners in the division on the night where the Old Endeavour A who beat the Sportsman B 8-1.  After a strong showing last season, this was their first win of the new campaign.

The Boars Head A picked up their second win in as many weeks with a 6-3 win over the Priory and the Phoenix A won by the same margin against the Three Cups B.

In division four the Dewdrop B had a fantastic 7-2 win against the previously unbeaten Dublin MOW.  Teresa Annakie of the Dublin hit her first 180 of the season.

The St Pauls Club are the only other side with 100% winning records in division four, they beat the DSAA A 6-3. 

The Carriers Arms won 6-3 against DSAA C and the Castle bounced back from last weeks defeat to beat the Tilmanstone Welfare Club 5-4.

In division two the previously unbeaten Phoenix B lost 5-4 to the DSAA B.  Rather surprisingly this was the first win of the season for the Anglers, who I am sure will be climbing the table over the next few weeks.  Colin Rickets Jnr checked out on 120 and his team mate Richard “Zorba” Pitcher hit a 180.

The Rough Diamonds were 3-0 down after the pairs against the Sportsman A, however they thought back and won all six singles to seal a 6-3 win.  Steve Cross of the Sportsman hit his second 180 of the season.

The Crown & Sceptre are second table and they are the only other side in the division unbeaten.  They beat the Boars Head B 6-3, and Leigh Hanger of the Boars checked out on 102.  Jamie Breeden was in fine scoring form for the Crown, hitting two 180’s.

Tony Kemp of the Boars Head C checked out on 100 in his sides 5-4n win against the Archer Arrows.  This match was decided in the final game of the night, Colin “The Moose” Calley sealing the victory.

After losing their first game of the season to the Rough Diamonds, the Real Diamonds are now hitting form.  They beat the Admiral Harvey A 7-2.  It is always nice to hear about new players joining the league, and Chris Allen of the Diamonds won for the first time in just his third game ever.

Into division one and the Qube played two games this week, one re-arranged against the Archer from the first week of the season and the other another 5-4 win which was the scheduled match against the Hairy Bull.

The match against the Archer included a 180 and a 118 checkout for Russ Herbert of the Archer, and against the Hairy there were no fewer than three 180’s.  They were hit by Martin Pepe and Richard Wood of the Hairy and Andy Howell for the Qube.

Brian Pearce was in fine form for the Diamond, he hit two 180s and a 107 checkout in their 7-2 win against the Bull B.  Billy Bell of the Bull was in good form on the night, checking out on 103 in the pairs.

The Three Cups made it three wins on the bounce with a 6-3 win against the DWMC.  Phil Cope finished on a tidy 107 for the Cups, whilst the Workies Paul Browning hit a 180.

Darren Hyder hit a 180 in a 14 dart leg for the Malvern during their fantastic 8-1 win over the Bull E.  I quote Lloyd Clubb of the Bull, should have been 9-0, but Alan Humphries got lucky.

Mick Mendham was another player to hit a 180, he did so in the Oast Cottage 6-3 win against the current winless Archer.  The Oast are the third side from division one undefeated.

Paul Turner

28th October 2011

Division four of the Dover Invitation Darts has two new sides this year, both having mixed fortunes so far.

The new side from St Pauls have stared the campaign with two fantastic wins, winning 5-4 last week and this week picking up a 6-3 win against the DSAA C.

However results have not so fruitful for the Old Endeavour B, they have lost both of their openers, this weeks was 7-2 against the Dublin MOW.

The Dublin will be pushing for the title this season, and undoubtedly one of their closest rivals will be the Tilmanstone Welfare Club.  They have also started the season promisingly, this week beating the DSAA A 7-2.

The Dewdrop B have started the season with a couple of wins, they followed last weeks 6-3 win against the Endeavour with another 6-3 win, this time against the Castle.

Henry Atkins hit a 180 for the Carriers Arms last week, and this week his side picked up their first win of the season with a 6-3 win against the Crown & Sceptre B.

In division three the very early pace setters are the Admiral Harvey B and the Phoenix Hope, the only two sides in the division with 100% starts to the season.

The Harvey won 5-4 against the Old Endeavour B, and the Phoenix Hope picked up their second 7-2 win, this time against their Club rivals the Phoenix A.

The Bull Dogs bounced back from their 7-2 defeat last week to win by the same margin against the Dewdrop A.

The Priory Hotel were another side that recovered from their defeat in the first week of the season, beating the Sportsman B 6-3.

The Boars Head A have been in division three for as long as I came remember, never in any trouble o f relegation and sometime flirting with promotion, so it hasn’t come as much surprise that they have won one and lost one in the first two weeks, this week they beat the newly promoted Three Cups B, 5-4.

Division two newly formed side, Rough Diamonds which includes a combination of players who were playing in division one, two and three last season have set their mark very early.  They followed last weeks derby match win against the Real Diamonds with a 9-0 win against the Admiral Harvey A.  The Harvey won just the one leg, however Jason Gilbert did hit second 180 of the season for the them.

Other highlights of this match included a 109 checkout for Simon Whatmore and Al Mackenzie also hit a 180 for the Diamonds.

The newly promoted Phoenix B have also started the season in super form, they won 8-1 against the Boars Head C, who had picked up their first win of the season the night before in a rearranged game against the DSAA B, 5-4.

Kev “The Rev” Walker checked out on 105 in that match for the Anglers, whilst Tony “Mario” Kemp hit a 180 in their defeat against the Phoenix.

The Crown & Sceptre A are another side that have own both of their first two games, they won 6-3 against the Sportsman A and the Real Diamonds won by the same margin against the DSAA B.  Kev Burns checked out on 110 for Real.

The final game from division two was a 7-2 win for the Archer Arrows against the Boars Head B, who are the fourth side in division two to win both their opening matches.

Division one was full of surprises, the Qube were 4-0 down against the Malvern and eventually lost 5-4.  Paul Perkins of the Malvern in checked out on 103 at a crucial time of the pairs and the match was eventually won when Tony Selby beat Gary Mills.

The Bull E who were promoted as runners up from division two picked up their first win of the season with a 5-4 win against the Archer.  They were 3-1 down and battled back to race to a 5-3 lead, next week they make face the Malvern.

The Diamond beat the DWMC 7-2 with Wayne Venes hitting his third 180 of the season and Paul Turner hitting his first.  Mark Clayton was the only loser in the singles for the Diamond, losing to Lee Dawkins.

The Three Cups A are in top form as well, they beat the Hairy Bull 7-2 losing the first pairs and then winning the next seven games in the match.  Ritchie Buckle was the only singles winner for the Hairy and Luke Blythe of the Cups checked out on 100.

The Oast Cottage made it two wins on the trot; they beat the Bull B in a tight match which went to the final game with Mick Mendham beating Dave Green to seal the points.

Paul Turner

21st October 2011

Many teams in the Dover Invitation Darts League had a short break during the finals of the team knockouts, but it certainly hasn’t taken them long to get back into the swing of things.

In the first week Ritchie Buckle of the Hairy Bull hit a superb 170 checkout against Kevin Green in his sides 6-3 defeat against the Diamond.  Not only was there superb finishing, the match also three 180’s with Richard Wood, Big Dave Heath for the Hairy and Waynes Venes of the Diamond.

Tom Armstrong Snr hit two 180’s and Kevin Elliott hit one,  in the Oast Cottages 7-2 win against the newly promoted Bull E, whilst their stable mates the Bull B who were also promoted last season lost by the same margin against the DWMC.

The Three Cups A started with a 6-3 win against the Malvern.  The Cups were 2-1 down after the pairs, however the did win the first thee singles to turn the match around.  The only singles winner for the Malvern was Darren Hyder who hit a super 15 darts leg, whilst Ray Bourne of the Cups hit a 180.

In division two the two newly promoted sides, Boars Head B and the Phoenix B faced each other.  The Phoenix ran out 7-2 winners, with Simon Scott checking out on an impressive 142.

The Archer Arrows had a strong summer season and will be hoping to go that extra distance this campaign, they started with a 5-4 win against the Sportsman A.  Steve Cross of the Sportsman hit a 180.

The Admiral Harvey A were in fine scoring form, with Jason Gilbert and Ricky Edwards both hitting 180’s.  However, they lost 6-3 to the Crown & Sceptre, nee Falstaff A.

The Rough Diamonds beat the Real Diamonds to claim the local bragging rights, winning 6-3 with some superb finishing.  Peter Phillips checking out on 106 and Doug Ulvomen hitting a 102.

In division three the two newly promotes sides, the Three Cups B and the Sportsman B faced each other.  They Cups ran out 5-4 winners in a tight match which went to the wire with Mick Elliott winning the final game which a bullseye checkout.

The Phoenix Hope were relegated last season and started the new campaign with a 7-2 win against the Bull Dogs.

It was a good night for the Phoenix as the Phoenix A, who were also relegated in the summer beat the Boars Head A 5-4.

The Dewdrop A also ran out 5-4 winners against the Old Endeavour A, nee Boars Head D.  In the final match from division three the Admiral Harvey B won 7-2 against the Priory Hotel.

Tim Kemp won the final game of the match as the Castle beat the DSAA A 5-4 in division four, whilst the Tilmanstone Welfare Club beat the DSAA C 7-2 to record the biggest win in division four.

Dublin MOW were close to promotion last season and will be another side hoping to go that one step further, they started nicely with a 6-3 win against the Carriers Arms.  The Dewdrop B won by the same margin against the new Old Endeavour B Side.

Paul Turner