WILTSHIRE kept their hopes of promotion alive with an 18-18 away draw against Leicestershire in their latest British Darts Organisation Division Four inter-county championship match, writes DAVE EATON.

But the result could have been so much better as Wiltshire led 17-15 with four games in the men’s A match remaining.

However, they then lost three-in-a-row and had to rely on Bob Phillips to win the last to snatch a draw overall.

The draw means Wiltshire are still unbeaten this season but unfortunately have drawn three of their five matches to date.

As a result they are now 14 points adrift of leaders Avon (West of England), but only five and four points behind Cleveland and Leicestershire respectively with four matches to go.

Wiltshire could not have asked for a better start as their women’s B side continued their fine run with a 5-1 success but this was cancelled out as the men’s B side lost 4-8 despite two excellent wins early on for teenagers Adam Wills and Chris Aubrey.

And it was still all-square going into the men’s A match after the ladies B side drew 3-3.

Wiltshire went 5-3 up in the men’s A match with wins from Tony Clark, Mark Thomson, Richie Jones, Ian Greenaway and Juan Hopkins, to move 17-15 up overall and two legs away from victory.

But they lost the next three and it left to Bob Phillips to win the last match and salvage a point and an overall 18-18 draw.

Wiltshire’s next BDO inter-county division four game will be played at the Moonrakers this weekend (Feb 14/15) February 14 and 15 when they entertain Tyne & Wear.

RESULTS (Wilts names first) B MATCH Ladies: Jane Jenkins (15.72) beat L Hopkins (13.15) 3-1; Allyson Thomson (14.39) beat N Needham (12.16) 3-1; Erica Hartnett (15.66) beat T Burrows (13.71) 3-0; Rachel Hutton (13.86) lost to J White (14.42) 1-3; Jill Little (12.99) beat L Rowland (12.75) 3-2; Cat Mackie (17.40, LoM) beat S Jeffrey (14.01) 3-1.

Score: Leics 1 Wilts 5 Men: Adam Wills (27.11) beat A Kirk (22.50) 3-2; Terry Paget (21.36) lost to S Hopkins (23.11) 1-3; Antony Gray (22.39) lost to D Taylor (25.68) 2-3; Chris Aubrey (29.66, MoM) beat A Clark (25.08) 3-2; Dave Gould (21.21) lost to D Jones (22.16) 1-3; Richard Ettwell (24.40) lost to S Coltman (26.14, MoM) 1-3; Rhys Dudley (18.75) lost to S Handy (22.54) 1-3; Matty Royle (22.03) lost to D Allsopp (21.78) 0-3; Michael Duggan (22.81) beat G Garton (21.97) 3-2; Matt Aubrey (24.05) lost to A Ward (25.05) 0-3; Adi Acott (23.41) beat M Lewis (25.54) 3-2; Peter Harris (21.51) lost to J Thomson (22.40) 1-3.

Score: Leics 8 Wilts 4 B Match Result: Leicestershire 9 Wiltshire 9 A MATCH Ladies: Joanne Little (16.71) beat H Trigg (15.80) 3-2; Heather Lane (14.75) lost to K Long (17.86) 1-3; Karen Hutton (16.23) lost to T Newberry (17.86) 1-3; Ann Paget (16.81) beat H Taylor (15.18) 3-2; Tina Rowlands (17.04, LoM) beat C Challis (14.23) 3-1; Carol Bowers (16.16) lost to K Leatherhead (17.12) 1-3.

Score: Leics 3 Wilts 3 Men: Chris Bailey (22.73) lost to M Whatmough (31.98, MoM) 0-3; Bob Bowers (25.51) lost to D Burrows (24.82) 2-3; Tony Clark (25.05) beat D Parkinson (21.70) 3-0; Mark Thomson (26.36) beat J Walker (25.22) 3-1; Ron Ashton (22.32) lost to A Long (24.47) 2-3; Richie Jones (25.25) beat G Roberts (21.29) 3-1; Ian Greenaway (25.91) beat T Hardy (22.07) 3-0; Juan Hopkins (28.40, MoM) beat S Smith (28.01) 3-2; Paul Boulton (20.71) lost to G Cousins (29.47) 0-3; Mark Sculley (19.43) lost to D Proctor (25.34) 1-3; Neville Moore (20.27) lost to D Horner (19.77) 1-3; Bob Phillips (23.90) beat A Hibbert (22.43) 3-2.

Score: Leics 6 Wilts 6 A Match Result: Leics 9 Wilts 9 Overall Result: Leicestershire 18 Wiltshire 18 (Three bonus points are awarded for a win and one for a draw - therefore final score is 19-19).

  • MARK THOMSON was beaten in the semi-finals of the Eastbourne England Classic 2009 by England international, Scott Mitchell, who went on to win the title 3-0 in the final.

Rodbourne Cheney’s Thomson, the Wiltshire team captain, led Mitchell 2-0 in his semi-final but was eventually beaten 3-2 losing out in the fifth and deciding leg.

A total of 389 entries took part in the Eastbourne Classic with Thomson winning board 15 to progress to the last 16.

Fellow Wiltshire player, teenager Tony Clark, won on board six but was then knocked-out 3-2 in the last 16 by Dan Russell. And Clark was beaten in the Youths competition losing in the final.