THE Pickering Individual League got under way with new man Simmy Cass stealing the show.

Cass, a Yorkshire Superleague player for Cayton-based Star Inn, made light work of beating Roger Dawson 4-1, throwing a maximum along the way.

He later showed his class with two tremendous victories over fellow title hopefuls Alan Dawson and Billy Hague.

Dawson hit 10 100-plus scores, including four 140s, but went down 3-2 before Cass fought out another 3-2 win over previous champion Hague.

The two players shared 16 100-plus scores including six 140s and a maximum, and they also shared super legs of 17, 17, 18, 19 and 22 darts in what proved to be the match of the night.

Phil Bointon, another of the Star players on show, and another with champion pedigree in this league, beat Jon Rule 4-1 with checkouts of 67 and 75 in two 19-dart legs.

Bointon also saw off Rich Webster 4-1 win with legs of 16 and 18 darts.

Steve Taylor had earlier opened the season by beating Webster 3-2, Taylor setting off with 17 and 19-dart legs before Webster levelled with a 104 checkout.

Taylor took leg five to win the match. He later picked up his second win of the night with a 3-2 victory over Dawson, hitting a 100 checkout in a 17-dart leg.

Dawson, though, squeezed past Hague 3-2 in another high-quality match which saw the two share 13 100-plus scores. Rule got his first points beating John Bristow 4-1. Bristow took leg one but Rule hit 18 and 19-dart legs, including a 92 checkout.

The ‘B’ league welcomed two new players in Dave Twaddle and Adam Simpson, Twaddle winning 4-1 against Liam Dawson, which included a 100 checkout.

Old stager Steve Dawson showed he means business this season with two 5-0 wins on the night.

Meanwhile, Blacksmiths Arms, Lastingham, continued their impressive start to the Moors League campaign as they held last year’s champions, White Swan, to a 5-5 drew.

Swan led 4-3 after the individual legs through Karen Medd, Tim Nichols (3x100), Neil Eddon and Paul Carter, with Adam Durrant (140, 100), Mally Durrant (3x100) and Rich Sellars replying for Blacksmiths.

Medd and Nichols took the first pairs for Swan but Blacksmiths grabbed the second and the three-a-side for a deserved draw.

Laura Thompson, Bri Cook (125), Ed Swiers (3x100) and Mike Dale recorded victories for Coach House at Buck Inn ‘A’ to lead 4-3, with Jane Falshaw, Dave Ord (140) and Mike Phillips keeping Buck in the hunt. Coach House then moved up a gear to claim all the pairs and threes and a fine 7-3 win.

League leaders Moors Inn surged into a 5-2 lead at home to Buck Inn ‘B’ thanks to Mike Barnes (140), Nigel Aconley (100, 78 finish), Craig Barnes (2x100, 117 finish), Sam Dickson and Andrew Tock.

Georgie Peirson (125) and Bud Sharples got Buck onto the scoresheet, only for Aconley and Mike Barnes to get Moors over the line in the first pairs, securing a 6-4 victory.

Crown Inn and Sun Inn played out an entertaining 5-5 share-all at Hutton-le-Hole.

Norman Tinsley (134, 2x100), Steve Winfield (140, 100), Vicki Cheney and Mark Little gave Crown the edge in the singles.

Geoff Allen, Richard Dixon and James Dowkes replied for Sun, with Allen then teaming up with Neil Robson (140, 125 and 4x100) to level the match in the first pairs.

Laura Clements and Richard Dixon put Sun ahead in the second pairs but Crown dug deep in the three-a-side to tie the match.