PONTYPRIDD DARTS PRESENTATION NIGHT
THE league held its annual Doubles and Singles Finals last Friday, during the Winter Season Presentation Evening held to celebrate the successes of the recent season, where a packed Broadway Social Club was entertained with some thrilling darts.
The evening started with the semi-finals of the pairs competitions, with the first semi between Division Two champions Michael Jones and Karl Davies of Llantwit Sports Club drawn against the Division One Champions – Craig Lewis and Craig Wilson from Rhydyfelin RFC.
Craig Wilson’s son Scott was a last-minute replacement for Craig Lewis, who was taken ill and unable to take part.
The teams played out a tough match but it was the Llantwit Sports pair who eventually went through to the final, securing a 2-0 victory.
The second pairs semi matched up Division Three champions Martin King and David Jones of the Broadway Social A side against Division Four champions Dean Beasley and Matthew Morgan from Pick & Shovel B.
A close first leg saw tons from both Martin and Matthew, but it was Dai who took out double 10 to take the early advantage.
The Pick fought back in the second with Dean hitting 125, but both Broadway players responded with a ton each, setting up Dai to take out double 16 and book his team a place in the final with a 2-0 win.
The Singles semi-finals were next, with the first matching up the Division One champion David Neads of Ty Mawr A against Division Three champion Gareth Partridge from Glyncoch RFC B.
David started off impressively hitting two tons and a 140, but Gareth finished off the leg equally as well, hitting 100 and 140 before checking out 120 on tops.
The second leg saw both players exchanging ton shots but it was Gareth who took it, again hitting tops to clear out 66 and taking the match 2-0.
The last semi saw Division Four champion Joseph Salmon of Ynysybwl RFC B taking on Division Two champion Mike McCarthy from the Royal Oak team.
Joseph, aged 14, is a student at Pontypridd High School and had earned high acclaim from across the league for his tremendous achievement to become the singles champion of his division and the hearts and voices of most the crowd were again behind him.
The Ynysybwl RFC player started off the better, finding his feet quickly hitting 100 and 140, but Mike replied scoring 140 before taking out 60 hitting double top.
It was Mike’s turn to start the better in the next leg scoring a ton, but this was followed by Joseph replying with one of his own and the teenager closed out an edgy leg hitting double two.
A close deciding leg then ensued with Mike kicking off with a ton, but Joseph was hitting top form scoring 125 before taking out 50 on double 16 and claiming his place in the final.
The pairs final followed with Karl having a bounce out when scoring 120, closely followed by Martin hitting a ton in reply, but the first leg was taken by the Llantwit Sports pair when Michael took out 40 hitting double five.
The pairs then exchange tons throughout the second leg with Karl twice hitting 100 and the Broadway replying with a ton each, but it was again Michael who hit the crucial double, taking out an impressive 98 on double nine, claiming the prize for his team of League Pairs Champions.
The last match of the evening saw the return of Gareth and Joseph, with both players hitting tons during a nervy first leg, but it was Gareth who hit the double first taking out tops.
Joseph again fought back showing off the tremendous potential the teenager has, but Gareth kept his cool in the situation scoring 116 en route to again hitting double top, therefore claiming the crown of League Singles Champion, keeping the title at Glyncoch Rugby Club for a second successive year following on from previous champion Dai Horton.
The presentation of trophies followed to celebrate the successes of the season.
Division Four champions were Ty Mawr C who, although had an impressive points tally of 100, only just beat the Old Bwl Inn B side, who claimed the runners-up spot. Nicola Morgan of the Rhydyfelin Sports Bar B side hit the highest out of the season with her 148.
An even closer finish to the Division Three season saw the Carpenters Arms B side claim the crown, finishing just one point ahead of runners-up Glyncoch RFC B. Kiss Shot Bar and Treforest Football Club finished joint third, only a further two points further back. Kiss Shot’s Dutchman Marcel Roefs hit the Division Three Highest Out with his 158.
Llantwit Sports Club finished champions of Division Two with the Royal Oak claiming the runnersup spot. Anthony Jones from the Old Bwl Inn A side hit the division’s hightest out with 148.
Division One saw the Rhydyfelin RFC B side continue their recent dominance of the league when they were again crowned league champions, which they followed up by once more claiming the Champion of Champions title too.
The runners-up spot went down to the final game of the season, when Ty Mawr A narrowly beat Wyndham Club B and claimed second place.
Ty Mawr B player Keirion Carter hit the division’s highest out with a maximum out shot of 170.
Congratulations to all teams for another tremendous season and good luck to all in the Summer Season which starts this Friday.