MERTHYR DARTS GRAND FINALS

WORTHINGTON’S MERTHYR & DISTRICT DARTS LEAGUE

THE Grand Finals/Presentation Night for the 2016/17 season of the Worthington’s Merthyr & District Darts League was held at the Merthyr Labour Club to a packed audience who were treated to a fantastic night of top class tungsten action.

From the first of the triples semi-finals right the way through to the singles final the action was hot, fast and furious with the players going for glory in a bid to take the top tungsten titles. The pace never let up with twists and turns with every throw as leads changed hands and missed doubles proved vital as the tension grew and nerves came into play with the glory within reach or just out of touch.

The night began with all assembled giving an immaculately observed minute’s silence in respect and memory of all those lost or affected by all the recent terrorist atrocities and the Grenfell Tower Block blaze. The thoughts of the members of the M&DDL go out to all the families affected.

FIRST TRIPLES SEMI JEFF PEARCE, GERAINT THOMAS & ANDREW ROUGH (BAILI-GLAS B) 1 SCOTT BAYLISS, PHIL WILLIAMS & JUSTIN DAVIES (GUEST KEEN BOWLS CLUB A) ............ 2

THE former multiple Triples Champions from the Baili were back for another crack at the title and probably started the night as slight favourites to regain their crown but were soon in a right battle.

Geraint Thomas hit 100 for the Baili in the first leg as 80+ scores came shot after shot but the leg went the way of the Guest with Justin Davies hitting 100, 180 and Scott Bayliss a magnificent 141 out as the Baili waited on a shot out, but the scores were soon level with Andrew Rough 100 trading blows with Justin Davies 140 in the best of three game. The final leg was another hard fought game which saw Jeff Pearce hit 140 for the former champs but the Guest replied with Scott Bayliss 100, Phil Williams 123 and Justin Davies 100 just edging the game 2-1 to take their place in the final later on in the evening.

SECOND TRIPLES SEMI DALE PINCH, CRAIG MORGAN & JAMIE EVANS (GUEST KEEN BOWLS CLUB A) ............ 1 WAYNE TITCOMB, BRIAN NICHOLAS & OWAIN DAVIES (YE-OLDE EXPRESS) .... 2

MOST people would have fancied the Guest trio to take this game before a dart was thrown but they would have lost their bet as the Express took an extremely hard fought battle.

The Guest looked certain to take the first leg having set up a commanding lead but masses of missed doubles cost them dear as the Express nicked the win for an early lead but the tables were turned in the next with the Guest making up for their errors to pinch the second for a level game. The final leg was a really close affair with the Express train just taking it to book their place in the final.

PAIRS SEMI-FINAL 1 JEFF PEARCE & GERAINT THOMAS (BAILI-GLAS B) ............. 2 PETER LOCKE & DARREN LOCKE (YE-OLDE EXPRESS) .... 0

NEVER in the history of the M&DDL has a father and son duo won the pairs competition but the feeling this year was that history was about to be made with the Locke dynasty being crowned champions. In their way were the former many times winners Jeff Pearce and Geraint Thomas who were back on stage trying to make up for the disappointment of defeat in the triples semis. A splendid first leg saw Peter 100, 140 and Darren 100 find their scoring boots but doubles eluded them as Jeff and Geraint 100 apiece took the winning shot for an early lead. The second leg then proved to be the last with Geraint 100, 134 and Jeff 120 out taking the game against a battling Peter 2x140 and Darren leaving a little piece of history to wait for another day.

PAIRS SEMI-FINAL 2 DALE PINCH & STEVE THOMAS (GUEST KEEN BOWLS CLUB A) ............ 1 STEVE HAMAN & PAUL THOMAS (BAILI-GLAS B) ............. 2

THIS was another brilliant semi with old campaigner uncle Steve on one side of the divide with young nephew Paul plying his trade for the Baili.

Steve H 2x100 and Paul 100, 58 out took the first leg for an early lead and in the second they hit 140 each but missed doubles cost dear as Dale 121 and Steve fought back to level.

A hard fought final leg went the way of the Baili boys with Steve 100 and Paul just shading it over a battling Dale and Steve 100 in a 2-1 win to book their spot in the final.

SINGLES SEMI-FINAL 1 PETER LOCKE (YE-OLDE EXPRESS) ...................... 1 ANTHONY CARSTAIRS (MERTHYR LABOUR CLUB) .............................. 2

THIS must go down as one of the best singles semi-finals ever with the treble twenty segment taking a bigger hiding than the Arsenal defence in a two-legged game versus Bayern Munich.

Multiple Singles Champion and red hot favourite to claim another title Peter, would face local hero Anthony in the first match in an eagerly anticipated match-up and the audience were not to be left disappointed.

Anthony won the coin toss and would throw first in legs 1 and 3 and in a blistering first leg Anthony 3x100 found himself 1-0 against Peter 140 with the later waiting on a double. The second leg saw Peter rattle in 100, 2x140 in a 14-dart leg squaring the game and taking it to a deciding third leg.

A nip ’n’ tuck final leg had Peter finding 2x100, 180 but missed the winning double as Anthony fired in 2x100, 121, 140 in a 14-dart leg to take the game and a place in the final.

SEMI-FINAL 2 JASON WOODFORD (HILLS PLYMOUTH CRICKET CLUB) ............ 1 GARETH DUNN (MERTHYR LABOUR CLUB) .............................. 2

THIS was another top class game with surprise package Jason 121 taking the first leg with throw against Gareth 100, but the lead was short lived with Gareth 3x100 hitting back to level at one apiece with Jason hitting 100.

The final leg saw Jason hit 121, but with four consecutive tons Gareth set up the game and found the winning double to take his spot in the singles final.

TRIPLES FINAL SCOTT BAYLISS, PHIL WILLIAMS & JUSTIN DAVIES ........................... 1 WAYNE TITCOMB, BRIAN NICHOLAS & OWAIN DAVIES ............. 2

PHIL Williams 100, 140 fired the ammo for the Guest in the opening leg but the Express replied through Brian Nicholas 105 and Owain Davies 121, 140 to take an early lead, but back came the Guest with Scott Bayliss firing in 100, 140 cancelling out a ton from Wayne Titcomb.

Justin Davies hit 100 for the Guest in the final leg but scores including 2x100 from Owain Davies and 2x100, 68 out from Wayne Titcomb saw the Express steam to the Triples title for 2016/17 to great applause from a packed audience.

PAIRS FINAL JEFF & GERAINT ......... 2 STEVE & PAUL .............. 1

THIS battle of the Baili teammates was always going to be a close match and so it proved in a first class final.

Steve & Paul 2x100 apiece took the first leg over Jeff and Geraint 140 each and they looked set for a 2-0 win with Steve hitting 100, 140 and Paul 2x100 but missed doubles came into play costing dear as Jeff and Gez 100 battled back to level at one each setting up a deciding final leg.

A hard fought final leg saw Jeff hit 100, 141 as he and partner Geraint added to their tally of Pairs crowns with a hard fought 2-1 win to great applause.

SINGLES FINAL ANTHONY CARSTAIRS 3 GARETH DUNN ............. 2

THIS battle of the Labour lads provided great entertainment with both players having winning shots but obviously there could be only one winner.

Anthony won the coin toss and with the aid of 3x100 took the first leg over Gareth 123, but the scores were soon level with Gareth hitting 125 against his opponents 100, 180. A break of throw from Gareth 100, 140 over Anthony 100 in the third leg saw him move within one leg of victory in the bestof-five final and a hold of throw would see him crowned singles champion. Gareth managed 140 in the leg but a succession of missed doubles proved decisive as Anthony replied with 2x100, 121 to level at 2-2 setting up a deciding fifth leg.

A hard fought final leg saw Gareth hit 100, 140 and again miss doubles as Anthony stepped in with 2x100, 140 to take the leg and the title to fantastic applause from the hall.

With the finale of the 2016/17 season of the Worthington’s Merthyr & District Darts League now complete it’s over to the Summer League for the next 14 weeks.

With the Winter League now complete the officers and committee would like to thank all the league members for their help and support t hroughout the season in making the league a great success.

Also great thanks to all the pubs and clubs who provided the venues for the teams during the campaign and to their respective landlords and landladies, club stewards, all bar staff at the venues, club committees, patrons at the pubs and clubs in making all teams feel welcome.

Many thanks to our league and cup sponsors for their continued support, to our trophy suppliers Everson’s Sports & Trophies of Ystrad Mynach for their excellent quality and service, to the Glamorgan Darts Organisation for the use of equipment for the staging of the singles/ doubles/triples competitions and to all connected with the Penydarren Social Club for staging the events. Special thanks to all at the Merthyr Labour Club for hosting the Grand Finals/Presentation Night and making it a great success.

We would like to extend massive thanks to Matthew who hosts a barber shop at the Merthyr Labour Club for his very generous, and totally unexpected, donation of a free haircut and shave as a raffle prize on the evening. This was a fantastic gesture and very, very much appreciated. All connected with the league wish you well with your business and very much hope it’s a great success. Best wishes from us all.

The Everson’s Sports & Trophies Sponsored Merthyr Summer Darts League 2017 season starts on Friday, June 30 with the first round of section matches.