Super League Remembers 'The Hat'

Week 19's action in the Plymouth City Super League started with a minute's applause ahead of games for one of our own, Shaun Bailey, who passed only a few days earlier at the very young age of just 32.

Bailey will be remembered for being a good darts player in his own right and someone who never shirked the responsibility of organising darting events in both Plymouth and Cornwall whilst donning in his signature hat.

And this is why the gesture for a man who was loved by everyone in the darting community was impeccably observed by all involved.

King Billy have opened up an almost unassailable twenty-six point lead in the Plymouth City Super League after another 11-0 whitewash success; this time over Victory B.

Talisman Antony Hayman was at the heart of that victory with no less than fourteen three figure scores, one of which was the highest checkout of the week; a fine 150 kill.

Hayman also chalked up legs of 15 and 16 darts in his 3-0 singles success, and was ably backed up by Andy Bates who threw thirteen three figure scores of his own.

The power scoring which enabled the Devonport side to claim such a dominant win was also contributed to heavily by John Mann and Paul Palmer who hit eleven and ten tons respectively.

One of the three figure scores hit by Palmer was the only maximum of the contest as the 'Billy Boyz' won at a canter; only dropping two legs in the evening.

The most likely candidates for runners up spot due to multiple games in hand are the Octagon who also secured an 11-0 success with their victims being St Levans.

Neil White was most prominent for the Stonehouse team with eleven three figure scores and the highest checkout of the contest; an 80 finish.

White (24.31) claimed an excellent 3-1 singles win, which was aided by an 18 darter and paired with Dave Pethick for a 32 dart 1001 leg that yielded a 31.28 single dart average.

Victory C returned from their trip to Kings Arms B with all but one of the points on offer; a 10-1 triumph which was largely down to Scott Cook's twelve ton haul.

One of Cook's three figure scores was his 136 checkout in a 3-1 singles win, which beat 108 and 100 efforts by Lee and Paul Carpenter for the defeated home side.

There was three maximums in the tie with Rob Oak's effort overshadowed by one each from Steve Ebsworth and Lewis Dare for the winners.

Dare also added nine more three figure scores to take his personal tally to ten overall on a marvellous night for the Honicknowle team.

Victory A's hopes of finishing as runner-up in the league were severely dented as they fell to a 7-4 away defeat to Colebrook; only a second loss of the campaign.

Some heavy scoring from the hosts allowed them a 5-0 lead going into the individual phase of play with Darren Smith's eleven three figure scores at the heart of that.

It wasn't all one way traffic with Cameron Pickard top scoring for the visitors with ten tons whilst teammate Kelvin Rowe also claimed the only 180.

Clifton's Andy Pengelly top scored with eleven tons in their 9-2 win over Kings Arms A with one of those efforts being a 115 highest checkout of the evening.

That 115 kill beat the finish of Ross Blake who took out 106 whilst Pete Down added a 105 checkout for the defeated team.

Pengelly joined the Oreston side's Mike Sant in notching an 18 dart leg whilst Pengelly's teammate Wayne Town chalked up the only maximum of the night.

Ker St became only the fifth team to defeat Steampacket after Ian Heggie won the deciding tie of the night for a 6-5 win.

Heggie's teammate Paul Tackle was most prominent with ten tons; two of which were finishes of 130 and 106.

That haul was bettered by Steampacket's George Beckett with eleven tons whilst stablemate Marc Webber also notched a 111 finish in his 3-0 singles triumph.

Kenny Visick fired ten tons in his Fawn team's 7-4 defeat to Saltram as Dave Algar replying with double figures himself for the victors.

The Greenbank team who were well in the game at 3-2 down after the team games before losing four of six singles.

Visick's teammate Tony Turner rolled back the years with a brilliant 114 checkout for the defeated side as Saltram consolidated their position in the top half of the standings.