A night of 180s in the Spalding League saw 14 maximums scored across the divisions.
Rose & Crown C are top of the Division One table after winning all three games so far but were pushed in a high-scoring encounter against Lincoln Arms A. Rose & Crown went 2-1 up in the pairs with a 17-dart leg from Logan Goddard and Monty Bunn. They then stretched their lead thanks to Colin Hatter before the Lincoln fightback started. Simon Hill won 2-0 against Steve Dent and then in the match of the night, Scott Williams beat Goddard 2-0 with two maximum scores and a league-best 10-dart leg. Goddard also had a 180 but Williams scored too heavily to be caught. Steve Stancer then beat Monty Bunn 2-0 to put the Lincoln 4-3 up with two games to go. Rose & Crown captain Ant Richardson won his game 2-0 hitting a 180, which left the final match up between local legend Duncan Hunt and Lincoln A captain Luke Rhodes. Hunt used all his experience to win, thanks to a 128 checkout in an 18-dart leg, giving Rose & Crown a 5-4 win.
Another unbeaten team are sitting in second place. Bull beat Consti E 6-3 after shooting into a 3-0 lead and had singles wins from Harry Faulkner, Jacob Herd and Paul Faulkner. Faulkner had a 17-dart leg in his game with a Richie Burnett-like throw to hit the double. Although they both lost, Dan Gent hit a 180 and six scores of 100-or-more and Harvey Elderkin had a 100 checkout and five scores of 100-or-more.
Rose & Crown A edged out Drayman’s Arms 5-4 but had already won with two games to go. James Brownlow was on the 180 trail and Tyger Atkin had a 103 check out with young Finlay Clayton hitting a 100 checkout. Richard Cooper kept up his form for Drayman’s with a 17-dart leg.
Green Dragon beat Consti D 6-3, with Ben Laud hitting a maximum but Mick Holstead stole the show with a 180 of his own and a 15-dart leg.
Holbeach Services A are the only 100 per cent team in Division Two but they had to be on top form to hold off Riverside B 5-4. Riverside shot into a 2-1 lead but wins from Chris Chamberlain and Mike Ocock put Holbeach in the lead only for Josh Grainger to level. Danny Goddard won his game thanks to a 180, followed by Tom Fensom’s win to seal the points. Game of the night was the last game with Josh Higgins winning 2-1 against Curtis Warner, with both players hitting maximums and Warner an 18-dart leg, only to be bettered by 14 from Higgins.
Pinchbeck FC C remain on Holbeach tails, winning 6-3 against Mulberry Bar. Andy Mason made it 3-1 to Pinchbeck thanks to a 180 before Gary Coomes won to leave Pinchbeck needing one more point, which was won by Jordan Philpott. Sonia Kwaterowska hit a maximum for Mulberry’s in her 2-0 win over Emma Tickner.
Drayman’s B beat Green Dragon B 6-3 thanks to singles wins from Stu Ewins, Sandy Sandison, Jake Merrill, and Conor Hughes.
A close game went 5-4 in favour of Five Bells against Lincoln Arms B. The turning point saw Five Bells win all three pairs. Thanks to Vlad Fomkinas, Simon Barnett, Nigel Goodwin and John Charlton, Lincoln won four of the six singles. The all-important win for the Five Bells came from Tom Burton.
New Division Three team Aarox Darts are loving life, winning all three games so far, the latest being 8-1 against Tigers A. Lee Eyett was the stand-out player with a 134 checkout but John Cleary also played well, hitting five scores of 100-or-more in his 2-0 win over Brad Martin.
Riverside A sit closely behind Aarox after also winning all three games so far, beating Drayman’s C 5-4 in their latest. Going 2-1 down after the pairs, Riverside had wins for Lilli Cooper-Ellis, Carl Kirk, Andy Picinelli and Kieran Twitchen.
Moulton Harrox had a 7-2 win against Holbeach Services B. The impressive Andrew Sculthorpe hit nine scores of 100-plus across his two games.
Riverside C won 6-3 against Spalding Services. Jay Vernalls hit a 180 and singles wins came from Mai Wells, Chris Scotney, Alan Austen and Dan Patey. Singles winners for Spalding Services were Ian Walker and Daniel Gregory.
