Stubbs is darts league’s hat-trick hero

Division three had 22 players pairing up and in the semi-finals saw Derek Smith and Simon Edwards (POW B) beat Adam Hall and Alex Richardson (POW Woodgate) and Val Elliott and Mick Deadman (ASC) defeat team-mates Steve Reynolds and Alice Holcombe.

Smith started the final’s first leg with 85 but he and Edwards were soon playing catch-up as Elliott and Deadman kept scoring steadily. Smith finished the leg with a 108 out-shot.

In the second leg Smith hit the biggest score in the game with 140 and Edwards needed only two darts to hit double 15 for the win and the title.

Division two saw 18 pairs, the most for any division, and the first semi-final saw Rob Rice and John Luff (Chi Snooker ‘A’) knock out Martin Grainger and Len Dixey (Royal Oak).

The second saw father and daughter team Mark R Todd and Alice Todd (BRSA Ravens) go out to the Hales brothers Mike and Nick.

In the final, Mike Hales took only one dart to finish the leg.

The second leg saw Rice start with a ton and follow it with 123 and it ended with his partner Luff stepping up and hitting double 16.

The last leg ended with Mike Hales throwing the winning dart to give him and his brother the division-two title.

Division one saw 16 pairs taking part – a good turnout for the winter.

The first semi-final involved summer-league division-one champions Colin Mace and Lee Franklin (POW ‘Z’) beatt Buster Barton (Squash Club) and Mary Todd (BRSA Ravens).

In the other semi-final, Andy Stubbs and Hayley Gatford (Hunston Club) defeated Alex Norgett and Keelan Belcher (QE2 Dart Vaders).

The final’s first ton was scored by Mace and it was Franklin who stepped up and hit double ten with his last dart to take the first leg.

The second leg was close, but Stubbs hit 36 with his first dart to take the match to the last leg.

Stubbs could now see a hat-trick of titles on the horizon and scored three tons with his first three throws.

Going for 67 to win the final, Stubbs hit single 17 but then took the risky route, not going for the bullseye but hitting the single 18 with his second dart.

The gamble paid off as he hit double 16 to take his hat-trick of winter pairs titles, this time with Gatford,

In week seven of the Friday Benevolent League, the top game was played by Gary Blackwood (Claremont) with 18 and 20 darts and a 26.37 average.

Results - Div 1 - Jacks Jokers 8 Hunston Club 16; QE2 Dart Vaders 10 Squash Club 10; Wheatsheaf Rebels 10 QE2 Cobras 11; Chi Snooker ‘C’ 6 POW ‘Z’ 15. Div 2 - BRSA Ravens 14 Chi Snooker ‘A’ 7; Friary ‘C’ 9 Royal Oak 14; Claremont 18 Claremont Wanderers 2; Newtown SC ‘X’ 13 Friary ‘D’ 9. Div 3 - POW ‘B’ 12 BRSA ‘B’ 12; Richmond Regulars 10 ASC 9.

Other stats - Div 1 - player of match - Richard Ragless (Squash Club) 17 & 22 darts [25.69 av]; Lee Franklin (POW ‘Z’) 19 & 23 darts [23.54 av]; Chris Williams (QE2 Cobras) 20 & 24 darts [22.77 av]; Andy Stubbs (Hunston Club) 23 & 27 darts [18.91 av]. Other good games - Nick Wyatt (POW ‘Z’) 19 & 26 darts [22.27 av]; Rob Collins (QE2 Cobras) 19 & 26 darts [21.38 av]; Keith Robinson (Chi Snooker ‘C’) 19 & 30 darts [20.45 av]; Ricky Clark (QE2 Dart Vaders) 22 & 24 darts [20.25 av] - 1st leg 146 left in 21 darts; Graeme Dutton (Squash Club) 23 & 23 darts [21.57 av]; Colin Mace (POW ‘Z’) 23 & 25 darts [20.88 av].

High out shots - Richard Pennells (Jacks Jokers) 98 & 85; Nikki Pitman (Hunston Club) 91. Div 2 - player of match - Gary Blackwood (Claremont) 18 & 20 darts [26.37 av]; Graham Crawley (BRSA Ravens) 23 & 25 darts [20.88 av]; Mark R Todd (BRSA Ravens) 23 & 25 darts [20.88 av]; Matt Shoebridge (Newtown SC ‘X’) 26 & 28 darts [18.93 av]. Other good games - Gary Miller (Claremont) 21 & 29 darts [21.04 av]; Dave Stone (Claremont) 22 & 25 darts [21.11 av]. High out shots - Conner O’Hara (Chi Snooker ‘A’) 120; Gary Blackwood (Claremont) 80; Mark Walker (Claremont) 72; Bradley Marshall (BRSA Ravens) 64. Div 3 - player of match - Mick Delaney (BRSA ‘B’) 25 & 31 darts [16.53 av]; Geoff Hillier (Richmond Regulars) 31 & 32 darts [13.57 av] MOM - 2nd leg 26 left in 42 darts. High out shots - Christian Turrell (Richmond Regulars) 56; Joe Delaney (BRSA ‘B’) 56.

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