Darts: Star dimmed by Sothall (From Gazette & Herald)
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Darts: Star dimmed by Sothall
12:55pm Wednesday 27th February 2013 in Sport
THE Star ‘A’, from Cayton, suffered only their second defeat of the Yorkshire Superleague season – falling 6-2 to Sothall Club Baize, from Sheffield.
The Cayton team, featuring several players from Ryedale, can have no complaints as Sothall turned in a superb performance.
John Spoors was soundly beaten 4-1 by Yorkshire county ‘A’ star Mick Ridge who hit two 180s and a tidy 12-darter which included a 121 finish. Ridge ended with an impressive 84.13 average.
Steve Oldfield’s recent great run was ended by Paul Moore. The Sheffield man came from 2-1 down to win 4-2.
Simmy Cass, completing a trio of Malton men on the oche early on, was made to pay for missed doubles in the first three legs as he was beaten 4-1 by the in-form Pete Daffin, who sealed the match with a neat 16-darter.
Jim Gordon suffered his first defeat of the season to man-of-the-match Simon Birkett who registered an 84.94 average. Trailing 3-2, Birkett hit 16 and 18-dart legs to snatch the victory.
Olly Mitchell lost 4-3 to Gary Jefferies. Mitchell hit a 130 finish in the first leg and a two-dart 100 finish for a 14-darter in leg four. With the game standing at 3-3, Jefferies hit a sublime 12-darter (180, 100, 125, 96 in three) to put his team 5-0 up.
Graham Elvidge returned to form with a 4-3 win over Chris Gray to get Star on the board.
In a high-scoring match, Elvidge hit two 180s and a 13-darter (180, 60, 125, 100, D8) in leg four. After a slow start in the deciding leg, Elvidge hit three consecutive 100s to set up double eight, which he hit first dart.
Malton’s Paul Bulmer, despite going 3-1 up, suffered a rare defeat,4-3, to fellow county star Steve Stacey. Stacey hit two 17-darters and an 18-dart deciding leg to complete a comeback. Both players registered maximums.
Pickering’s Phil Bointon then beat county star Russ Lockwood 4-3 in a fine finale. Both players hit 180s while Bointon showed his class by hitting a magnificent 177 to leave 60, which he duly hit in two darts to win the deciding leg and finish on an impressive 81.34 average.
