The latest round of the UKDA National League Darts brought significant shifts and stellar performances across all divisions. Lancashire tightened its grip on the Premier Division lead, while reigning champions Yorkshire surprisingly suffered their second consecutive defeat, dropping them further down the table. Elsewhere, new leaders emerged in several divisions, and a host of players delivered incredible individual averages, showcasing the high level of competition across the league.
Premier Division: Lancashire Extends Lead, Yorkshire Stumbles
Lancashire, already leading the Premier Division, further solidified their position with a 23-13 away victory against Hertfordshire. This win pushed their advantage to eighteen points over second-placed Suffolk, who secured a 20-16 home win against Warwickshire.
Meanwhile, reigning champions Yorkshire experienced a significant setback, suffering their second consecutive defeat. They lost 22-14 at home to Lincolnshire. This result saw Lincolnshire climb to third place with 120 points, while Yorkshire dropped to fourth, now a considerable thirty-one points adrift of the top spot.
Premier Division: Standout Individual Performances
- Men’s ‘A’ Top Average: Ryan Meikle (Suffolk) achieved an impressive 32.04 in his 4-1 win over Warwickshire’s Steve Hine.
- Men’s ‘B’ Top Average: David Neads (Glamorgan) hit a strong 31.29 during his 4-1 victory against Dorset’s Nigel Lamb.
- Ladies ‘A’ Top Average: Nikki Furse (Cornwall) led with 26.54 in her 3-1 win over Essex player Karen Williams.
- Ladies ‘B’ Top Average: Hayley Reeson (Lincolnshire) scored 20.65 in a tight 3-2 match against Yorkshire’s Toni Smallwood. Hertfordshire’s Jessica Page was a close second with 20.61.
Division One: Hampshire Leads, West Midlands Climbs
The Division One table saw some notable changes. Hampshire has emerged as the new leader with 131 points. Middlesex, despite having a bye this round, dropped two places to third with 116 points but holds a game in hand. West Midlands capitalized on this, moving up to second place with 122 points after a dominant 23-13 away win against bottom-of-the-table Oxfordshire. They are now just nine points behind Hampshire, also with a game in hand.
Division One: Star Players
- Men’s ‘A’ Match Award: Richard Platt (West Midlands) for a superb 32.85 average in a straight 4-0 win over Oxfordshire’s Daniel Smith.
- Ladies ‘A’ Match Award: Deta Hedman OBE (Oxfordshire) once again delivered a flawless performance with a 30.06 average in her 3-0 win against West Midlands’ Eloise Milburn.
- Men’s ‘B’ Award: Mark Howard (Humberside) with a 31.81 average in his 4-0 victory over Cheshire’s Colin Smith.
- Ladies ‘B’ Top Average: Hollie McKain (Northamptonshire) recorded 20.98 in her 3-1 win against London’s Emma Little.
Division Two: Clwyd Holds On, Worcestershire Gains Ground
In Division Two, Clwyd managed to maintain their top position with 137 points, despite a 20-16 away loss to Leicestershire. Somerset remains second, three points behind Clwyd, after their own 21-15 defeat at Merseyside. These losses allowed third-placed Worcestershire to significantly close the gap, reducing the arrears to eleven points on Clwyd after a huge 27-9 home win over Devon. Fourth-placed Leicestershire is now nineteen points off the top, but with a game in hand on the top three.
Division Two: Top Performers
- Men’s ‘A’ Award: Joe Lacey (Berkshire) averaged 32.32 in his 4-0 win over Salopian’s Dean Rogers.
- Men’s ‘B’ Award: Luke Smith (Worcestershire) achieved a 30.36 average in his 4-0 victory against Devon’s Kieran Joy.
- Ladies ‘A’ Top Average: Rachel Kingdon (Clwyd) displayed a super 26.84 average in her 3-0 win over Leicestershire’s Lauren Hall.
- Ladies ‘B’ Top Player: Rachel Ayres (Derbyshire) averaged 21.47 in her 3-0 win against Staffordshire’s Hayley Selman.
Division Three: Norfolk Extends Lead, Nottinghamshire Rises
Norfolk continues to lead Division Three, extending their advantage from seven to twelve points over their nearest rivals, now Nottinghamshire. Norfolk secured a 22-14 home win over Cumbria, while Nottinghamshire replaced Cumbria in second place after a 20-16 home win against Cleveland. Cumbria, after their loss, dropped one place to third, eighteen points behind Norfolk.
Division Three: Individual Honours
- Men’s ‘A’ Top Average: David White (Tyne and Wear) recorded a 31.81 average in his 4-0 win over Simon Lloyd (West of England).
- Ladies ‘A’ Award: Angela Kirkwood (Tyne and Wear) with a 25.47 average in her 3-0 win against Cath Brennan (West of England).
- Men’s ‘B’ Award: Josh Bean (Buckinghamshire) beat Surrey’s Terry Dersley 4-0 with a 29.47 average.
- Ladies ‘B’ Top Player: Abi Mole (Norfolk) won 3-2 against Cumbria’s Sas Bode with a 20.44 average.
Division Four: Shropshire Takes the Lead
A major shake-up in Division Four saw Shropshire leap from second to first place after a dominant 26-10 home win against Montgomery and Radnor. Former leaders Breconshire dropped to third following a 22-14 away defeat to Gwynedd. Gwynedd’s victory moved them up one place to second, now eleven points behind Shropshire and just two points ahead of Breconshire.
Division Four: Top Players
- Men’s ‘A’ Award: Llew Bevan (Pembrokeshire) secured a 31.29 average in his 4-1 win over Gordy Crews (Isle of Wight).
- Men’s ‘B’ Award: Adam Pinnuck (Bedfordshire) with a 26.37 average in his 4-0 win over Wiltshire’s Juan Hopkins.
- Ladies ‘A’ Top Player: Jane Price (Gloucestershire) chalked up a 20.79 average in her 3-1 success over Wirral’s Steph Mellor.
- Ladies ‘B’ Award: Alannah Waters-Evans (Breconshire) earned her award with a straight 3-0 win and a 24.64 average against Gwynedd’s Pat Graham.
Source: Based on an article from Darts World Magazine.
