SUSSEX YOUTH REPORT

Sussex Youth completed their season in the Inter Counties league with two matches which both finished with scores one point apart. At the Roffey Club, Surrey ran out the 9-8 winners after Sussex took the under-18s by 5-4 and the under-21s by 3-2. The ladies went down 3-0 in some very close games. Award winners for Sussex were Aaron Edgar, Newhaven, under-18s mom, with a 22.77 average, and Sam Barnard, Lewes, on his under-21s debut, with a 25.62 average. At Dorchester

Sussex won 9-8 which was enough to put them into second place in the final Division table, eight points adrift of Hampshire who regained the Champions title. Against Dorset there were wins for the under-18s by 5-4 and the under-21s by 3-2 with the ladies losing 2-1. Honours went to Ollie Sopp, Brighton with a 21.32 average in the under-18s, Hayley Horne, Littlehampton making a winning debut for the ladies and Rob Metcalfe, Crawley winning for the under-21s with a 19.81 average.

Overall Sussex won four of their eight matches this season, with the under-18s taking the top spot in their table by one point from Hampshire

Three of the four defeats were by one point but the clincher, which stopped Sussex retaining the title, was the 13-4 defeat at Fareham against the new champions Hampshire.

Barry Moody

Sussex Youth Press Officer . 

  Sussex finished their season in the Inter Counties league with

an 11-25 defeat in Gainsborough to Lincolnshire. This was very disappointing after the previous 26-10 win against Cumbria but after the first six games Sussex were never in contention against a side who were relegated from Division One last season.

  Saturday’s “B” games saw the Sussex ladies register their second win of the season, 4-2 thanks to Sue Bird, Lewes, Hayley Gatford, Bognor, Norma Self, Eastbourne and lady-of-the-match Glenys Laker, Littlehampton with an 18.26 average. The mens “B” side made a steady start with two winners in the first four but sadly for Sussex they were unable to register a win in the last eight games going down 2 10. Graham Dutton, Bognor and man-of-the-match Charlie Johnstone, Worthing, with a 19.88 average, were the two winners.

 On Sunday Lincolnshire, already with a ten point lead, romped ahead to gain the bonus points, winning twelve of the first fourteen games to go sixteen points clear. The ladies “A” lost 1-5, their third defeat this season, with Donna Rainsley, Newhaven the only winner with a 19.93 average.

The mens “A” were seven nil down before Darren Woolgar, Newhaven put a smile on the visitors faces with a 3-0 win. Paul Russell, Eastbourne and Jason Hills, Bognor continued the late run of success for Sussex which finished with John Ferrell, Eastbourne winning his third man-of-the-match award with a 27.83 average. The 4-8 defeat meant Lincolnshire took the match by 25-11 to finish fourth in the Division, nine points clear of Sussex in fifth spot.

 Sussex finished in fifth place in the promotion table, 23 points away from a return to Division One. A disappointing season, with just four wins and a draw in the nine matches, with less than sixteen points won in each the four defeats. With the publication of next season’s fixtures, Sussex look forward to travelling to Devon and Suffolk, both promoted from Division Three. They will also face an away match at West Midlands and home to Hertfordshire at the Roffey club, both those counties relegated from Division One.

 Eastbourne DGH clinched a place in the playoffs for the Sussex Winter Super League championship title after defeating the challenge from second placed Newhaven A by winning 5-4 at The Engineer. The Hospital club won the East Division by just six points after a match which featured four maximums and a man-of-the-match winning average of 28.34 by Eastbourne’s John Ferrell.

Eastbourne met West division winners Bevendean in the title playoff at the Tally Ho, Lewes.

 Sam Harding and Laura Macintosh started the ball rolling for Bevendean with a win but Eastbourne came back, winning both mens’ pairs thanks to John Ferrell, Don Stone, Paul Russell and Jim Withers.

 Eastbourne’s Lisa Tanner and Mandy Perry proved too strong for the Bevendean ladies taking both their singles games to give the Hospital club  a 4-1 lead.

 With Bevendean needing to win all four mens’ singles to save the match            

Rod Hawkins and Ian Perkins both won for the Brighton side. With the match score at 3-4 Mark Davis was next up for Bevendean but he faced an in-form Paul Russell who won 3-0 to make Eastbourne the 5-3 winners securing the title and the £250 prize money.

Two players dominated the fifth of this season’s “HOLSTEN” Grand Prix event at the Roffey Club, both winning three events and, with just one  playoff remaining in the series, virtually ensuring a share of the £1000 Grand Prix prize money, Essex youngster Harry Miles won the Mens Singles, the Flying Pairs and the Youth Singles to go 81 points clear in the Mens table and 45 points clear in the Youth table. Sussex County star Donna Rainsley from Halland won the Ladies Singles and Pairs and, partnered by Harry Miles the Flying Pairs to go 143 points ahead in the Ladies table.

Harry Miles progress to the final of the Mens singles field included wins against Peter Sopp, Lee Williams, Kevin Reilly, Henry Keet and semi-finalist Derek Furminger. In the final he defeated his father Gary by 3-2, hitting a 180 in the deciding leg, which he won in 15 darts, to collect the £140 first prize. Gary’s route to the final saw him beat Phil Smith, Paul Russell, Andy Derrick, Adam Campbell and in the semi-finals previous winner Graham Hollis.

Donna Rainsley made it five wins in five Ladies Singles events when she defeated Sussex County team mate Sue Bird, Fordcombe by 3-0 in the final. Losing semi finalists were Elaine Chapman, Lewes and Lisa Tanner, Eastbourne.

 Surrey duo Graham Hollis and Phil Milburn moved up to third and fourth places in the Grand Prix table thanks to a win in the Mens Pairs. They beat off a strong challenge from Sussex pair Simon Morris and Jake Watts, Newhaven winning the final by 3-1. Losing semi-finalists here were Dave Creasey/Paul Russell, Eastbourne and Gary/Harry Miles.

The Ladies Pairs was very poorly attended but Donna Rainsley partnered by Elaine Chapman, Lewes took full advantage beating Sussex County team mates Rhonda West and Sue Bird by 3-1 in the final.

Harry Miles continued his run of success, winning the Youth Singles when he defeated Sussex youth player Ollie Sopp, Brighton by 2-0 in the final, his third win this season in this event.

The Flying Pairs again proved popular with 42 entries and a prize fund of £126. The draw put the day’s two on-form players together with Donna Rainsley partnering Harry Miles. The dynamic duo went on to win the £68 first prize beating Peter Sopp and Simon Morris by 2-0 in the final.

Sussex Super League paid out close on £700 in prize money and look forward now to the final Grand Prix in the series at the Roffey Club on June 21^st when Holsten present the £1000 in prize cheques.

Edenbridge star Rob Cross won the Three Bridges Spring Open at the Football Club beating Crawley’s Rob Metcalfe by 3-2 in the final. The win means Rob has qualified to play one of the four premier league stars at Crawley’s 107 Club this month with a chance of winning a £250 prize.

James Wade, Mervyn King, Terry Jenkins and Andy Fordham are the headliners at this prestigious event.

The second Easter Open at the Crawley Labour Club, sponsored by the Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, proved another great success, with more than sixty entries from all over the South of England competing for prize monies in excess of £500.

  The Open title was won by Surrey County star Kurtis Atkins from Epsom when he defeated Dave Webb, Croydon by 3-2 in the final to take the £160 first prize. Dave beat Worthng’s Charlie Johnstone 3-0 to reach the final , collecting the £80 runners-up prize. Kurtis won his semi final by 3-2 against Dayle Smith from East Preston.

 Losing quarter finalists were Ant Morley, Horsham, Ian Holman, Crawley,  Stuart Campbell, Crawley and Tony Ayres, Billingshurst.

The Ladies Singles final again featured two Sussex County players and the first prize was won for the second year running by Sue Bird, Fordcombe defeating Rhonda West, Lewes by 3-1 in the final.

 Losing semi-finalists were Elaine Chapman, Lewes and Katy Whiteside, Reigate..

 Kurtis Atkins completed a unique double when he won the Youth event beating Crawley’s Warren Grantham by 2-0 in the final. Losing semi-finalists here were Crawley’s youngsters Owen Grantham and Mark Fluck.

 The day’s events were concluded with the ever-popular Flying Pairs attracting 48 entries. Here the winning players changed partners after  each round and the eventual winners were the Sussex pair Andy Derrick and Charlie Johnstone who collected £72 after defeating Rhonda West and Dayle Smith the final. Losing semi-finalists were Sue Bird/Dave O’Neil and Oliver Sopp/Chris Clewer..

 The club’s raffle raised £60 for local charities.

In the Crawley Monday league the “A” Division champions Sperry are on course

this season for a Knockout cup and League double for the second time in their history.

In a close fought match at the Conservative club Sperry defeated Pelham Buckle 6-0 in the semi-finals, three of the games going to the fifth leg. Sperry will meet The Royal Oak who beat Labour Reds 4-2 to reach next months final.

The Consolation Cup lived up to its name with both the Division runners up this season wining their semi-finals at the Labour Club,  “A” Division side The Swan

beat The Downsman  6-0 and Legion Lions made up for missing out on the

“B” Division title when they defeated The Swan B 5-1.

Barry Moody

Sussex Darts Organisation

Press Officer       01293-414699   bdmoody@msn.co.uk