WORTHINGTON’S MERTHYR & DISTRICT DARTS LEAGUE

LEE’S COMPUTER SYSTEMS CHALLENGE CUP FIRST ROUND BAILI-GLAS B ................ 4 MARTYRS CLUB ........... 0

A BELOW-STRENGTH Baili got their new campaign off to a tremendous start with a crushing 4-0 victory over the visiting Martyrs Club in a well played game.

Mervyn Matthews 3x100, 133, 78 out took the opening game with a 2-1 break over Colin Howe 3x100, 140 to earn the hosts a 1-0 lead and this quickly became 2-0 with Andrew Rough 2x100, 125, 2x140 including two 17-dart legs holding throw 2-0 over a battling Bradley Howe 3x100. New B side recruit the veteran Nigel Meek 2x100, 133, 140, edged past Matthew Phillips 3x100, 116 by a 2-1 margin against the darts to put the home side 3-0 ahead and just one point away from the second round and this they achieved in the very next game with Russ Matthews 2x100 holding throw 2-0 over Ray Phillips to steer the Baili safely into the next stage.

JOHN STREET CLUB .... 4 CYFARTHFA ARMS ...... 0

THE Cyfarthfa made the long, long trip down to the John Street Club and found their hosts in mean mood with the home side running out comfortable 4-0 winners.

Martin Jones beat H Jones against the throw putting the home side into an early lead and a good hold from J Williams over L Price then advanced the score to 2-0. D Jones beat Dominic Illari in a thrilling battle making it threezip before M Evans 2x100, 125 beat R James 125 for a clean sweep and a place in the second round.

COLLIERS CWTCH ....... 0 MERTHYR LABOUR CLUB ............................... 4

THE mighty Merthyr Labour Club took the long trek to the Colliers Cwtch and found the venue very much to their liking running out comfortable 4-0 winners.

Wayne Davies 4x100 took the opening game 2-0 with a hold over Peter Beck 2x94, 121, 125 putting the visitors ahead and 2-0 then appeared on the scoreboard with Kevin Forbes 100, 120, 139 beating the gallant Heather Beck 140. Gareth Dunn 101, 100, 180 beat Aron Beck 100 in game three making it 3-0 and then victory was made complete in the very next game with David Rowlands 2x100, 2x140 beating Graham Jones 92, 140 to book the Labour Club’s spot in the next round.

GUEST KEEN BOWLS CLUB A ........................... 4 BAILI-GLAS A ................ 1

THE Guest took the game 4-1 but this was a hard fought contest.

Steve Thomas 2x100, 123 took the opening game with a 2-0 break over Tim Charleston in what was virtually a bye as the Baili player couldn’t find his range. Baili debutant Ian Thomas 5x100 was in great shape in the second match in his battle with Phil Williams 2x100, 111, 125, 140 as the Guest man took the game 2-1 with Ian missing some vital doubles. Another Baili A new boy, Wayne Robinson 101 was put under pressure by his former club mates but he showed good signs of promise in a battling performance as he went down 2-0 to Andrew Coombs. Terry Morgan 140 but in a stubborn, battling, gritty performance to grind out a 2-0 win over Dale Pinch 2x140 to keep the Baili’s faint hopes alive, but these were extinguished in the fifth game with the excellent Craig Morgan 2x100, 135, 180, 144 out including a 15-dart leg beating veteran Alan Mee 140 to claim victory for the home side as the Baili man failed to hit top gear.

GRAWEN ARMS ............ 4 ABERFAN SOCIAL CLUB A ........................... 1

AN under-manned Social Club A made the trip to the Grawen and saw their hopes of a second-round place quickly disappear against a strong home team.

Marcus Davies had a walkover in the first game as the visitors were a player short and then the hosts went 2-0 ahead with Adrian Thomas 2x100, 140 holding throw over Charlie Davies 140. Lyn Jones 100, 125, 140 was in good shape with a 2-0 break over Gwyn Jones 100, 137 making it 3-0 but then the visitors got into the game with veteran Jack Colston 2x100 breaking the throw of Kerry Green 2x100 by a 2-1 margin to keep the match alive. Unfortunately though it was a case of too little, too late as Grawen new signing Jason Launchbury 2x100, 137, 140, 126 out breaking the darts of Vic Jones 3x100, 132 by a 2-1 margin in a hard fought game to steer the hosts into the next round.

COLLIERS ARMS .......... 1 PENYDARREN SOCIAL CLUB B ........................... 4

NEIL Smith 2x100 got the Pen B’s campaign under way with a hard fought hold over Jamie Rees 2x100 as the visitors took an early lead but it was short lived as Jimmy Rees levelled the match with a good win over Dean Quantick.

Ray Smith regained the lead for the visitors with victory over Keith Lewis and the first break of throw of the match then saw the Pen go 3-1 ahead with Kendrick Howe 180 getting the better of John Jones 100. Steve Smith 3x100, 121, 140 then wrapped up victory for the away side with a hard fought 2-1 hold over Trevor Lewis 100, 147 out.

MERTHYR VALE EX CLUB A (DAGGERS A) .. 4 FARMERS ARMS B ....... 1

A VERY much depleted Farmers side travelled to the Daggers A and were put to the sword as they automatically went 2-0 down being short of players but in the third leg they got into the game with J Hughes holding throw over Kerry Lloyd.

Mark Griffiths 121 beat Neil Roberts in game four making it 3-1 to the hosts who then went on to claim victory with Graeme Robertson breaking the throw of Keith Westcott.

ANGEL HOTEL .............. 4 PENTREBACH LABOUR CLUB ............................... 1

THIS could be classed as something of a “Cupset” with the hosts at the Angel comfortably beating their higher ranking visitors.

Eddie Jones got the visitors off to a good start with a hard fought hold over Graham Hancock 100, 119, 125 but the scores were soon level with Mark Jones holding over Rhys Brook 140. Mark Davies 100 edged the Angel into the lead with a good break over Clark Terrett and then an excellent hold from John Pugh 3x100 made it 3-1 as he beat Graham Price 121, 180. The game then ended in the fifth with Chris John 100 breaking Carwyn John to steer the hosts safely into the second round.

ABERFAN HOTEL ......... 1 IMPERIAL HOTEL ........ 4

A HIGHLY entertaining game saw the contest start with M Powell 100, 115 putting the Imp ahead with a fine hold over Scott Evans by a 2-1 margin but then the hosts were quick to reply with Jamie Murtagh 2x100, 140 holding in a great hold over Wayne James 2x100, Anthony Prosser 100, 121 regained the lead for the visitors with a 2-0 hold over Andrew Bufton.

Alan Hancox 100 broke the throw of W Mortimer by a 2-0 margin giving the Imp a 3-1 lead and this ended at 4-1 with Terry Dowman 100, 121 holding over P Bunce 100 to gain a delighted Imp a place in the second round.

PENYDARREN SOCIAL CLUB A ........................... 2 MERTHYR CONSERVATIVE CLUB 4

RICHARD Beynon 2x100, 140, 158 out took the first game for the Pen with an excellent break over Myrfyn Hughes but then a second break saw Chris Price beat G Jones 100, 121 to level at one apiece.

Jonathon Davies produced the first hold of the contest with a 2-0 win over Jonathon Evans 2x100, 116 putting the visitors 2-1 ahead and this then became 3-1 with Greg Howells beating S Clark against the throw. Wayne Lee 3x100 beat Ron Phillips 2-0 with a break to pull a point back for the hosts before Geoff Jackson beat a desperately unlucky Nigel Owen 3x100, 103 to claim victory for the Con.

DYNEVOR ARMS .......... 2 ROSE & CROWN ............ 4

THIS turned out to be something of a stern test for the visiting Rose but they came through it after a tough battle to take their place in the second round.

A mini marathon first game concluded with Steve Evans hitting a double one top put the visitors 1-0 ahead but the scores were soon level with a fine 119 out from Ashley Mayne helping him beat Rhys Donovan in another protracted affair. Phil John regained the upper hand for the visitors with victory over A James but yet again the Dyn drew level with M Edmunds beating Paul O’Dell. A fifth consecutive hold of throw saw John Wood beat S Barnett to put the away side 3-2 ahead with the sixth game seeing the first break of throw and victory for the Rose with Kristian Dowd getting the better of M Darch.

ABERFAN X ................... 2 GUEST KEEN BOWLS CLUB B ........................... 4

THE mysterious X were given a gift at the beginning of the match as they automatically went 1-0 up with the visitors short of a player.

Wayne Benbow 5x100 levelled the match with a great break against Dai James 2x100, 2x140 and then the Bowls hit the front with Anthony Pollard 100 getting a hard fought hold over Glen Kitchen 100, 103, 120, 121, 140. Craig Rees advanced the score to 3-1 with victory over I Morris 100, 121 but then the home side cut the deficit with Phil Green 100, 140 edging past Wayne Harris. David Spencer 100, 2x125, 140 then wrapped up proceedings with a break over G Butler 2x100 by a 2-0 margin to move the Bowls forward to the next round. being

PENYDARREN SOCIAL CLUB C ........................... 4 LORD RAGLAN A .......... 3

THIS was a hard fought contest from beginning to end with both sides giving their all in pursuit of a place in the second round.

John Sedgemore 100, 2x120, 126 took the first game of the night with a break over Alan Driscoll but the lead was short lived as Mike Matthews 111, 117 produced a second break with a stubborn 2-1 win over Gavin Galleozzie 100, 2x140. Kevin Snowden 100 held throw over Barry Gilby 3x100, 140 to put the Lord 2-1 ahead before Drew Bradley 100 levelled the contest at two apiece with a 2-0 win over Mike McLaughlin. Kieron Meek 100, 132, 2x140 scored a splendid 2-0 hold over John Murphy 100, 121 putting the Lord 3-2 ahead and just one point away from the second round but this was not achieved in the next game with Connor John 100, 140 holding over Karl Hunt 100, 140 by a 2-0 score to make it three apiece with one to play. The final game was another tense tussle with Ceri Richards 100, 140 breaking the throw of Lance Thomas 100 by a 2-1 score to book the Pen a pace in the second round.

FARMERS ARMS A ....... 3 HORSE & GROOM ......... 4

THE Farmers can count themselves very unlucky not to win this match despite being a player short in their battle with the visiting Horse.

The Horse were given the first game as a bye as the home side were unable to field a player and then a fine break from Nick Richards 100 over Steve Hamer by a 2-1 margin saw the visitors go 2-0 ahead in the race to four. Alan Price halved the deficit with a break over Leon Staples 100 and then Wayne Morgan 100, 121 held throw over Nick Griffiths 100 to square the match at two each. Steve Lewis then produced a magic break over Johnny Gray to completely turn the match around putting the home side 3-2 ahead with two matches remaining. The excellent Mark Sullivan 2x100, 101, 140 beat Trevor Jones against the throw setting up a deciding last game which saw Anthony Morris 2x100, 120 hold throw to beat Dai Jones 100, 140 and get the Horse over the final hurdle and into the second round.

Will teams please note that the first Delegate Meeting of the 2016/17 season takes place on Tuesday, October 18 at the Merthyr Ex Club, starting at 8pm.

All teams must be represented and delegates are reminded that delegates must be present at roll-call or their team will be fined.

All league fees are to be paid up to date and All singles/doubles/triples entries must be submitted.

Will teams please note that the Morlais Tavern A and Lord Raglan B have withdrawn from the league for the forthcoming season, so teams who have been drawn against these sides in this week’s Worthington’s Cup first round now obviously have a bye into the second round.