45s secure title number 14
Newark Working Men’s Club 45s have claimed a remarkable 14th consecutive men’s title in the Newark and District Double Board Darts League, despite suffering a surprise 4-1 defeat at the hands of their nearest rivals Castle And Falcon Marauders.
The perennial champions went into the match knowing that just one leg would be enough to take the title with three games to spare — and that is what they got.
Their opponents, led by a hat-trick of checkouts from Frank Barlow, raced into a 4-0 lead before Shane Gallacher’s 46 finish earned the 45s their vital point.
The Marauders’ terrific victory means that last season’s runners-up will guarantee second spot again if they defeat their in-house rivals, The Arrows, 4-1 in their remaining match.
Meanwhile, Balderton CC Outlaws kept their hopes alive of finishing runners-up after Phil Tranter’s finish secured a narrow 3-2 win over Plough Coddington.
Elsewhere, two checkouts from Stuart Hay helped earn Staythorpe Sureshots a slender 3-2 victory over Newark Working Men’s Club Lads while Alan Reynolds’ brace did the same for bottom-of-the-table Newcastle Arms against Balderton Cricket Club.
In the ladies’ division, Debbie Walker hit three finishes as Castle And Falcon Ladies went top after a comfortable 5-0 success against Watermill Artists, which leaves them two points clear of Cafferata Ladies, who have a game in hand.
The reigning champions, Newark Working Men’s Club Youngers, are just four points adrift and crucially have three games in hand after skipper Jane Radforth’s finish secured a 3-2 win over White Swan Cygnets.
The remaining issues in the Premiership have been sorted after a tense night during which the final round of matches was completed.
Three victories by Steve Radforth ensured Horse And Gears Wanderers picked up the points they needed to secure the runners-up spot as they ran out 5-4 winners over Castle And Falcon Veterans.
The champions, Horse and Gears Mix And Match, maintained their unbeaten record with a 6-3 victory over Watermill Fat Lads.
The concluding match had a major bearing on the singles league with two players, reigning champion Simon Cobb and Mark Toulson, hoping to pick up enough points to claim one of the three remaining qualification places for the end of season play-offs.
As it turned out it was Cobb who triumphed as his hat-trick of wins, including a crucial 2-1 win over Toulson, secured the points he required and in turn helped his side, The Power, to an emphatic 8-1 win over Watermill Topshots.
The quarter-final line up will see Cobb play Mark Hill in a repeat of last season’s final.
Tom Cutts and Stuart Glover, who had secured the remaining two places, are up against five-time champion Paul Gallacher and first-time qualifier Andy Norris respectively.
The remaining match will see Kieran Cumberland play Kevin Oxberry.