Harrogate & District Darts League: Bilton Batsmen ease past Starbeck Cons Mahoosive

Richard Yates kicked things off with a 3-0 victory over Leigh Rowley, with 23 and 24-dart openers. Lewis Pride was in blistering form, winning 3-0 with legs of 14, 15 and 17 to register the season's highest match average of 98.02 against Matty Vincent.

Starbeck's Sam Davey retaliated with a 3-0 triumph against Carl Hepstinstall with 19 and 23-dart legs, making it 2-1 on the night.

But, Steve Higgins got the Batsmen back on track with a 3-0 win over Daniel Kilvington, which included 24 and 16-dart legs, plus the first 180 of the evening.Tony Sharratt and Nigel Saville then emphasised efficiency with two more 3-0 successes over Blaine Hobson and Paul Kennedy, respectively.

The match was already over before the doubles, however the Batsmen didn’t hold back, with Hepstinstall and Higgins beating Kennedy and Dan 2-0.

Vincent and Blaine Hobson did bag a consolation point for the Cons against Saville and Yates, winning 2-1, though normal service was resumed when Sharratt and Pride recorded a 2-0 victory in 23 and 16 darts against Davey and Rowley, with Sharratt hitting the second 180 of the night.

Trades Hall Vikings beat 1899 Trades Hall by a 6-3 score-line.

The first of two derby clashes gave the 1899 some hope of securing their first victory of the season. Nick Hanslow beat Rich Graham 3-1 with Graham scoring a 19 dart to stop the runaway train after Hounslow hit a 20-dart leg, finishing the match in 18.

1899's Tony Green made it 2-0 with a 3-2 win over Karl Walker. Both players hit 23-dart legs, with Walker’s 21-dart leg (177) the fastest of the match.

Viking Phil Taylor then hit four tons in five throws against Ian Gibson in leg one, beating him 3-0 in the process to make it 2-1 before Neil Fullard survived a 16-dart opening leg from Giles Holt to beat him 3-1 with a 22-dart leg, levelling the tie.

The ultra-consistent Tim Hargreaves produced three 21-dart legs in his whitewash of Oliver Ambler, moving the Vikings 3-2 ahead, before Harry Kidd replicated the score-line with a 24 dart opening leg against Richard Taylor.

In the doubles, Kidd teamed up with Chris Nelson to good effect, making it 5-2 on the night and sealing the tie with a 2-0 success over Gibson and Richard Taylor.

Hargreaves and Stewart Pyke came from behind to win 2-1 against Green and Ambler to stretch the Vikings' advantage, with Hounslow and Holt bagging a consolation point for 1899 at the death, triumphing 2-0 in 19 and 21 darts against Fullard and Phil Taylor.

Harlow Hill edged out top-of-the-table Bilton WMC Dales.

Chris Leach came back from the dead to sink Jack Fleming, helping Harlow get away to a solid start.

Adi Shaw then did things the hard way, beating Chris Wood 3-2 after an 18-dart opener to put his team 2-0 up.

James Hall got Bilton up and running, whitewashing Alex Eadington with a 21-dart opener, then Rick Harper survived an opening-leg loss to Steve Rogers, beating him 3-1 and levelling matters.

Dales then got their noses in front when Peter Newbould survived a comeback from Jim Lester to win 3-2, wrapping things up with a 22-dart leg.

But Harlow responded immediately, Brian Ellison edging a close-fought match with Steve Hall 3-2 as both players hit a 24-dart leg, Ellison’s 22-darter ultimately seeing him prevail.

With the contest all square going into the doubles, Shaw teamed up with Lester – who hit the only 180 of the night - to see off Harper and Hall 2-1, restoring Hill’s advantage.

Wood then paired up with Jamie Beaton to seal Harlow's success with a 2-1 win over Newbould and Leach, before Fleming and Rogers earned a 2-1 win for Bilton in the final face-off of the evening.

In Division Two, Bilton Umpires got the better of Starbeck Cons in what was another extremely tight affair.

Rob Ryder’s 2-0 victory over Andrew Parkes was followed by Geoff Gillingwater’s 2-1 comeback success over Dennis Wise, leaving the Umpires in a healthy position.

Andy Darling then beat James Marriott to make it 3-0, rounding things off with a 24-dart winning leg.

Al Roberts also hit a 24-dart leg in a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Steve Scruton, which saw the Cons bag their opening point.

Jamie Saville’s 22-dart winning leg was the fastest of the night as he beat Chris Adams 2-0 to put Bilton 4-1 up, though Tony Hawkes overcame Luke Saville to keep the tie alive.Wise and Roberts then reduced the deficit, defeating Darling and Ken Glew before Marriott and Adams’ triumph over Ernie Titteringham and Jamie Spark levelled things at four apiece.

In the decider, Jamie Saville and Dion Glew had too much for Starbeck’s Hawkes and Andrew Graham, sealing a 5-4 triumph for the Umpires.

The second derby of the night saw Londesborough God Squad demolish Londesborough 2023, who are still without a win all season.

Gary Watson beat David Thrippleton 2-0, with Terry Jackson’s fine recent form continuing when he dispatched Jamie Haigh by the same score-line. Paul Eagling then did the same against Forrest Humphrey.

Dan Jackson maintained the God Squad’s dominance with a 2-0 success over Kevin Sullivan to make it 4-0 and the rot was only stopped when 2023 captain Miles Body recorded a 2-0 victory over Jamie Boyce.

The tie was however settled before the doubles as Matt Lambert came from behind to overcome Sid Cole 2-1 with a 21 and a 16-dart leg.

The doubles clashes all went the way of the God Squad, with Watson and Eagling taking 25 darts for a leg of 701 in their clash with Body and Eddie Yates.

Jackson and Phil beat Cole and Mal before Jackson and Lambert’s victory over Daniel Hardisty and Steve Simpson provided the sheen.

In another match that went right down to the wire, Manhattan School Of Darts sneaked a 5-4 success against Prince Of Wales.

Colin Bunyan opened up proceedings and finally found a way to win, sealing his 2-1 victory over Daz Metcalfe with a 20-dart leg.

Prince’s Ben Pitt gained vengeance over Natasha Norcliffe, taking a 2-0 win before Shaun Smith was made to work for his 2-1 win over Jono Bradley.Gary Whellans made it 3-1 to Prince with a 2-1 success over Robbie Blair, however Mick Butterfield won 2-0 against Adam Whitehouse and Douglas Sneesby beat Lorna Nelson 2-0 to equalise.

In the doubles, Whitehouse and Smith made light work of Bradley and Sneesby to put Prince back ahead, leaving Bunyan and Norcliffe to team up to save the match for School of Darts.

The final game of the night then saw Butterfield and Blair see off Metcalfe and Pitt to edge the closest match Manhattan have had.