PAUL Bowen set a new mark for the season’s highest checkout in the Plymouth City Super League when achieving the highest possible outshot of 170. Bowen (pictured) though, was one of only two individual winners for The Tradesman as they crashed to a 7-4 defeat away at Plympton Cons B. League leaders Porters secured all but one of the 11 points that were on offer away at St Levan Inn and have a two-point advantage over second placed Maritime A, who also won on the road and defeated Ships Tavern 9-2. Quinton Taylor (26.84), aided by two maximums, emerged a 3-0 winner in 19, 16 and 21 and was well supported by Neil White (27.33), a 3-0 winner in 15, 18 and 22 and Stew Roberts who won 3-2 with al

ANDY Bates (pictured) earned the plaudits in the Plymouth and District Friday League when, inspiring Royal Naval Arms A to an 11-2 victory over Railway Inn, he threw another sub-30 singles game. He was also a force in the doubles when, partnered with Andrew Nation, the duo won in 33 (30.33) before Bates (34.52) went on to clinch his individual game in 29, which included a maximum and three throws of 140. This victory has temporarily put the Keyham side top of the table but Kings Tamerton CC, who have a match in hand on their rivals also won in double figures when defeating Indian Inn B 10-3. But it was Mark Hatherley (32.29) for the hosts who caught the eye winning his singles in 31 and also

DEVON Youth faced Gwent in a Southern Youth League double-header at Heavitree Social Club, Exeter, and won both matches to go second in the table. The Welsh visitors won the opening game of the Under 18s fixture, only for Devon to respond by taking four on the bounce. Jordan Grimshaw (20.96) emerged a 3-1 winner followed by Owen Bates (20.88) who won in three straight legs. Frankie Stout (22.10) (pictured) also won 3-0 with a man-of-the-match performance before Pacey Large (20.00) won 3-1. Gwent won the last point, but Devon’s 4-3 overall victory was the perfect platform for the girls to build on. And build on it they did with three splendid victories. Rhea Winsor (16.89) was a 3-0 winner as

PARTNERSHIPS become strained at one time or another and sport is no different, so following disparities between Maria O’Brien and Deta Hedman, the duo have now decided to go their separate ways. Plymouth’s golden girl, who has now risen to World No.9 following her run to the semi-finals at the BDO Lakeside World Championship, will now partner the four-times singles world champion, Lisa Ashton, in top doubles events at home and across Europe. The Dutch Open is the biggest darts tournament in Europe which boasts a total prize-fund of 33,350 Euros and across all events a total of 5,857 players have registered with more than 3,000 in the men’s singles event alone. The ladies’ pairs will begin at

MARITIME Marauders are now in joint second place in the Porters Function Room 501 Top 20 League, on the back of a 10-1 victory away at Fawn A. The match produced seven maximum scores, two of which were achieved by Dave Matthews and the Marauders went through the six individual phases without dropping a leg. They are now on 146 points with Victory A, but 12 points behind the league leaders Porters Patriots, who remain undefeated following their 10-1 success against Cherry Tree. This fixture saw six maximums recorded, two each for Robbie Bisgrove and Antony Hayman, who emerged a 3-0 winner in the singles with his best leg being won in 14. John Mann was also prominent, and top scored with 15 th

THE top four teams all won in double figures and the race for the Monday Premier League title remains as intense as ever with only two points separating the quartet. Porters A, leaders by a single point, won 10-1 against Steam Packet A and received good service from Lewis Dare (25.91) who emerged a 3-0 winner in 18, 17 and 23 while team-mate Mike Miller threw the week’s top checkout when finishing from 155. Victory A remain in the mix after restricting The Bluebird to just a single point with Tony Tasker winning 3-1, aided by a 15-darter and Gary Phillips (100x15) as their leading exponent. Antony Hayman (100x11) led from the front as Brewery Tap won 10-1 against Victory B while Steam Packet

GLENN Halford (pictured) has set a new scoring record for an individual player in the Plymouth City Super League when he recorded no fewer than 21 throws of a ton or more, including two maximums, from just three disciplines. He notched 15 of them in a 3-2 singles victory over Alfie Ford, when winning in 13, 18 and 15 and his team mate Lee Roberts threw the week’s top checkout when he finished at the first time of asking from 157. But for all the heroics, and despite holding leads of 3-1 and 5-2, Bluebird were edged out 6-5 when, with the scoreline evenly poised at 5-5, Octagon Social Club’s Lee Hellings (100x11) won the decider with a 3-2 victory over Micky Organ. Porters top the table by ju

CORNWALL secured a hard-earned victory in the British Inter County Championship when entertaining Hertfordshire at Mount Charles Social Club, St Austell and are now in joint third place with cross-Tamar rivals Devon. The ladies’ B side had to settle for a share of the spoils, despite leading 2-0 and 3-1, which included a lady-of-the-match performance from Becky Curnow (17.28), who won the opener in three straight legs. Courtney Hancock and Pauline Mead were taken the full distance, but both came through tough encounters to claim 3-2 victories. The first eight sets of the Men’s B fixture were won alternately which began with a good performance from Martin Smith (26.58) who came from 2-1 down

DEVON remain in the division one promotion mix after they defeated London by a 10-point margin at Heavitree Sports and Social Club, Exeter, thanks largely to the Men’s A team producing arguably their best performance of the season in the British Inter County Championship. The Ladies’ B team began proceedings and gave Devon a wonderful platform on which to build when they defeated their London opponents 5-1. Lisa Hughes (21.78) won the opener 3-0 with a lady-of-the-match performance followed by a 3-1 success for Michelle Andrews (17.77). Karen Matthews (16.67) and Sarah Brown (17.58) both won after being taken the full five legs while Tracy Ware (18.11) won without loss. Devon’s four-point ad

SOME of the world’s leading lady darts players were flying the flag for the fairer sex at the Professional Darts Corporation’s Q School for the first time, but nobody flew it higher than the Lancashire Rose herself, Lisa Ashton. On Day One, at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan, no fewer than 397 players were in the line-up with their eyes on one of the 19 two-year Tour Cards that were available over the four days of competition. Lisa began with a 5-3 defeat of Adam Shanks, claiming the winning eighth leg in 15 with a 120 outshot, before losing by the same score-line to Lewis McGurn. The draw on day two paired the Bolton thrower with Andy Jenkins, a former semi-finalist of the PDC World C

VICTORY A have lost their place at the top of the Monday Premier League after they were defeated for only the third time in 26 matches. They were beaten 7-4 away at Octagon A for whom Lee Hellings (26.84) emerged a 3-0 winner in 17, 19 and 20, but they remain in the title race as only one point separates the leading trio. Porters A are the new leaders after inflicting on their stablemates Porters B a 9-2 defeat, a similar scoreline that was also achieved by Maritime away at Steam Packet A. Steam Packet B secured all but one of the 11 points on offer when they visited City Social. Quinton Taylor emerged a 3-0 winner, supported by a leg in 14, while Mark Williams top scored with 15 ton plus th

MARITIME Social Club ensured that the premier division title race remains competitive after they defeated the Devon County Super League leaders. Winchester Warriors (Exeter) had not tasted defeat since September last year but that form counted for nothing as they were swept aside by a 6-3 margin. Paul Palmer (22.08) won the opening set for Maritime, aided by a checkout of 118 in a 4-3 success and although the Warriors levelled, the Plymouth side responded by taking four on the bounce. Kieran Burns (24.55) emerged a 4-1 winner followed by a 4-2 victory from Lee Hellings (23.75) who also took out a finish of 113. Scott Hutchinson (24.14) followed with a win in four straight legs before Mark Tu

PORTERS suffered a rare defeat in the Plymouth City Super League but still top the table, although their advantage has been cut to three points. In a well contested fixture away at Octagon Social Club the scoreline stood at 5-5, before Lee Hellings (pictured) won the decisive point, aided by the week’s top checkout of 156 after being taken the full five legs by Malcolm Johns. The fixture also produced five maximum scores of 180, three of which were achieved by Porters’ John Mann. Second placed Maritime A were taken the distance by hosts Plympton Cons A before winning by the narrowest of margins, but it remains very competitive at the top of the table with only five points separating the top

STEAM Packet consolidated their position in the Plymouth and District Friday League with a 9-4 victory against The Fawn and had Neal Hotchkiss (pictured) earning the plaudits with an excellent showing. In winning his treble, he finished at the first time of asking from 151, for the week’s top checkout and then carried that form into the individual phases when he won his 1001 singles in 30 darts (33.37). Octagon Social Club won in double figures when defeating Brewery Tap B 11-2 while Weston Mill Oak Villa were also dominant and restricted City Social B to just a single point. League leaders Kings Tamerton CC were inactive this week and second placed Royal Naval Arms A seized their opportunit

KEELAN Kay suffered mixed fortunes when he competed in the first two competitions of the Scott Farms International Junior Darts Tour 2019 yesterday at Rileys, Wolverhampton. He began well with a 3-0 defeat of former tour winner Alfie Jacques, aided by a leg in 18 which he finished with a kill of 106. Harry Gregory was Keelan’s next opponent and despite leading on two occasions, the Plymouth thrower could not capitalise and missed doubles cost him dear as he disappointingly bowed out. But good players can turn bad form around and that is exactly what he did in the afternoon session when competing in JDC Tour Two. Keelan began with a confident 3-0 defeat of Jaydon Harper and then had to dispos

THERE is little change at the top of the Porters Function Room 501 Top 20 League table after the leading trio won in double figures, in another high-scoring week which produced 16 ton plus checkouts and more than 40 maximum scores. Porters Patriots made it 16 wins on the bounce when they took all but one of the 11 points that were on offer when hosting The Falstaff. Malcolm Johns top scored with 16 ton-plus throws and John Mann (100x14) emerged a 3-1 winner with his best legs coming in 12 and 13. Andy Bates also claimed a game in 13 while Antony Hayman emerged a 3-0 winner in 17, 13 and 17 for a superb 31.98 average. Second placed Victory A secured maximum points against Indian Inn B and had

MARIA O’Brien produced one of the best performances of her professional darts career to move to within one victory of the BDO Ladies’ World Championship final. At the Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green this afternoon, O’Brien made a mockery of the bookies 1-6 quote to be beaten by Fallon Sherrock, as she swept the 24-year-old aside by two sets to nil. The first four legs of the opening set were shared with Maria winning in 19 and 13 before taking the deciding leg in 16. Sherrock had the darts in the second leg, but it was the Plymouth thrower who took the opening leg with victory in 14 after opening with back to back 140s. Sherrock then edged in front when winning the next two in 18 and 19

VICTORY Inn A consolidated their position at the top of the Monday Premier League with a 10-1 defeat of Ford Hotel, a win which gives them a four-point advantage over the chasing pack. Darren Collis top scored with 12 throws of a ton or more and in winning his singles in three straight legs, Keelan Kay achieved a leg in 15 which he finished with the week’s highest checkout of 151. Steam Packet B are now eight points off the pace after they were edged out 6-5 by Prince Maurice A, in a well-contested fixture that saw six maximums recorded, two of them coming from Packet’s Quinton Taylor. Packet were prominent in the doubles and had Taylor and Alec Turner winning 2-0 in 20 and 21 (29.32), while

NEIL "Chalkie" White earned the plaudits in the Plymouth City Super League when, in the first fixture of the New Year, he set a mark for the season’s top checkout when finishing a 15-dart leg with a kill of 160. He went on to clinch his singles by a 3-0 margin, inspiring Maritime A to a 7-4 victory away at The Tradesman. Despite the win, Maritime A now drop down to second spot after Porters won 11-0 to take the top spot for themselves. Scott Wapshott impressed for the table-toppers when winning 3-0, which included a leg in just 12 darts. Plympton Cons B won in double figures when they restricted St Levan to a single point, the same winning scoreline that was also achieved by Maritime B when

MARIA O’Brien remains on course for a tilt at the Ladies' BDO World Championship crown after she won her opening match when defeating the former World No.1 Deta Hedman. Despite having six darts to win the opening leg, it went to the three-time world championship runner-up, but Maria kept her head to bounce back and level in 17. She also won the next to edge in front for the first time only for Hedman to level before O’Brien won the fifth and deciding leg to clinch the all-important opening set in a best of three format. Despite Hedman throwing first at the start of the second set, it was O'Brien, with the help of three tons, who took it in 18 before moving 2-0 ahead when clinching the next i