Leaders Trade Blows With Rivals In A Classic

Reigning Monday Premier League champions Tradesmans now hold a six point advantage in the early title race after an 8-3 win over their nearest rivals, Octagon A.

Their talismanic figure, John Mann, led the way in the scoring stakes with a fine seventeen individual ton plus haul, which contributed heavily to a one hundred and twenty three figure scores between the two teams.

Mann chalked up one of the eight maximums between the two sides with teammate Billy Evans notching a brace on his way to fifteen tons of his own.

Evans' 180 total was usurped by a trio by Andy Bates on his way to eleven tons whilst Mike O'Brien added twelve tons to the scoreboard to become fourth Tradesmans player to reach double figures.

O'Brien's 100 checkout in a 3-0 singles win was the highest from any of his stablemates and was only beaten by a 112 from Octagon's Simon Washington.

Despite finishing on the wrong end of a disappointing result, last year's runners-up contributed heavily to a brilliant spectacle that saw Lee Hellings top score for his team with fourteen ton plusses.

Teammate Alfie Ford also added thirteen tons to the scoreboard whilst Jayden Dodd also reached ten of his own and there was 180s for both Hellings and Paul Palmer.

The game was littered with some marvellous averages; the first of which saw Mann team with Andy Nation for a 2-1 601 doubles in which the winning legs were finishing in just 16 and 17 darts.

Bates took out the talented Washington 3-1 thanks to legs of 16 and 15 darts whilst Hellings secured a 3-0 win with the help of a 17 darter.

Nation's singles didn't quite spark as well as his doubles outing as he lost 3-1 to Ford but did manage a leg in just 18 darts.

O'Brien's (28.36) 3-0 win came in just 53 darts with a brace of 18 darters joined by a leg in 17 whilst Mann withstood a 13 dart leg from Palmer to win 3-1.

Mann returned fire with a 13 darter of his own and added a leg in 18 before the final game of the evening saw the closest scoreline with Evans getting the better of Dodd by the odd leg in 5.

Dodd added a 17 dart leg on his own whilst Evans crucially took two of his winning legs in 18 and 15 darts to give him and his team a win that could prove vital in the direction of the championship.

Twelve tons from the talented George Beckett helped Cherry Tree B to a third win of the campaign as they overcame King Billy 6-5.

Beckett added one to a team haul of four maximums with Dave Lee notching a brace and Kayleigh Adams adding the other.

One of those two for Lee came in a last tie game deciding 3-1 win in the singles that allowed his team to take victory.

Marc Webber was also prominent with eleven ton plusses and the highest checkout of the match with a fine 128 checkout.

Webber also added an 18 darter in a 3-1 singles win that was only beaten by a 15 darter by Beckett in his 3-1 win over Andrew Cook.

Cook battled hard and top scored for the Devonport team with eleven tons whilst teammate Jamie Lofthouse managed a brilliant 105 checkout in a 3-2 singles win.

Wayne Oddie's twelve tons, including a maximum, for the Bluebird B led them to a 7-4 win over Brewery Tap.

Oddie's maximum was accompanied by a 16 dart leg in a 3-2 defeat to the unbeaten Sean Taylor who also added twelve tons of his own to the matchup.

Taylor's teammates Nick Wills and Lewis Byrne both added 180s of their own in a sixth straight defeat for the Premier League newcomers.

Bluebird C's were the biggest winners of the week as Glenn Halford bagged himself twelve tons in 10-1 win over Octagon B.

Halford and teammate Glenn Austin both hit 18 dart legs in their respective 3-1 and 3-0 singles wins whilst Tony Teal better that with a 16 darter in a 3-0 success of his own.

Paul Gavican reached as many as twelve tons in an 8-3 win for the Victory A over Union Inn which saw a number of short games, including a 17 dart leg from Honicknowle marksman.

Teammate Anthony Pearn was also impressive with the game's only maximum and a 17 darter in his 3-1 singles success.

Paddy Archibald went better than both of his colleagues with a leg in 15 and rounded off a quality night of darts with highest checkout of the contest; a fine 120 three dart combo.

The only noteworthy contribution for the defeated team came from Dave Reed who won his individual game 3-1 thanks in part to a 104 checkout.

Ten ton plusses from Mike Whatley accented a 9-2 win for the Indian Inn over Cherry Tree A with Whatley also performing well in the individual phase thanks to a 3-0 that contained legs of 16 and 17 darts.

Alan Masters 138 checkout was one of several highlights of an entertaining 6-5 win for Bluebird A over Victory A.

Masters also added a 16 dart leg in a 3-1 individual triumph, which was only bettered by Jack McMinn's 14 darter in the only leg he won during a 3-1 defeat.

McMinn also added the match's only maximum whilst Darren Collis showed a spark of darting genius with a fine 112 three dart kill for the defeated Honicknowle team.

A rearranged game from matches played on 1st August saw Scott Cook star with fifteen three figure scores as his Victory B team won a topsy-turvy battle with Indian 6-5.

Indian were as many as 3-0 up before Victory B found their form to take five of the next seven in a run that saw Cook join teammate Steve Ebsworth and Indian's Mike Whatley in adding a maximum to the proceedings.

During that spell, Paddy Archibald buried the joint highest checkout of the season with a 156 checkout in a double tie when paired with Cook.

With the scores now locked at 5-5, Archibald held his nerve to complete the comeback victory in fine style when winning his singles last on by an impressive 3-0 scoreline.