WILTSHIRE won their final match of the 2008/09 campaign in the British Darts Organisation Division 4 inter-county championship but still missed out on promotion, writes DAVE EATON.

Despite being unbeaten in nine inter-county games this season they fell four points (two wins) short of their goal of a place in Division Three next season.

The Moonraker county became the first team in BDO inter-county championship history to go undefeated but fail to gain promotion and were left rueing drawing four of their first six matches.

Final-day results also didn’t go their way, Tyne and Wear unexpectedly winning in Leicestershire to grab the vital second spot and automatic promotion place from the Midlands county.

Wiltshire had to win in Hull and hope for the best and they did so 21-15, but had only the consolation of the Ladies B team topping their section.

Also Allyson Thomson, despite losing her only game of the season in Hull, topped the Division Four averages.

Wiltshire Ladies A team finished second in their category.

RESULTS (Wilts names first) B MATCH Ladies: Allyson Thomson (12.65) lost to Cheryl McLoughlin (13.57) 1-3; Erica Hartnett (12.57) beat Dawn Williams (13.27) 3-2; Jill Little (11.31) beat Jane Nicholson (10.88) 3-2; Cat Mackie (16.76, LoM) beat Lyn Gilham (15.34) 3-1; Heather Lane (16.16) beat Ruth Ward (13.77) 3-1; Rachel Hutton (15.45) lost to Denise Burns (15.18) 0-3.

Score: Humberside 2 Wilts 4 Men: Peter Harris (24.86) lost to Reece Robinson (24.05) 1-3; Matt Aubrey (18.84) lost to Andrew Whittaker (19.76) 2-3; Richard Ettwell (23.24) lost to John Ingram (26.03) 1-3; Robert Higginson (18.84) lost to Matthew Wadforth (18.90) 2-3; Darren Garrad (18.94) beat Jamie Owens (18.30) 3-2; Ron Ashton (20.55) lost to Richard Heathcote (18.07) 2-3; Anthony Gray (23.03) beat Tony Richardson (24.54) 3-2; Ian Gove (17.24) beat Paul Rollinson (16.97) 3-1; Chris Bailey (19.84) beat Ray Dees (17.18) 3-1; Dave Gould (20.93) lost to Lee Blakey (22.01) 2-3; Paul Boulton (24.41, MoM) beat Ray Symington (22.24) 3-2; Scott Watson (21.61) lost to Craig Ovens (22.04) 1-3.

Score: Humberside 7 Wilts 5 B match result: Humberside 9 Wiltshire 9 A MATCH Ladies: Karen Hutton (17.08) beat Christine Readhead (17.97) 3-2; Jane Jenkins (18.11) beat Maureen Herrington (16.24) 3-0; Joanne Little (15.66) beat Dot Edmondson (14.84) 3-0; Ann Paget (17.13) lost to Wendy Dearing (18.39) 2-3; Tina Rowlands (18.00) beat Sue Walker (16.63) 3-0; Carol Bowers (19.03, LoM) beat Sue Bilby (17.32) 3-0.

Score: Humberside 1 Wilts 5 Men: Chris Aubrey (26.85, MoM) beat Paul Robinson (25.18) 3-2; Bob Bowers (22.10) beat John Ingram (19.52) 3-0; Richie Jones (22.35) lost to Steve Burwell (26.84) 0-3; Matty Royle (24.57) lost to Neil Dobson (26.84) 0-3; Juan Hopkins (22.10) beat Jim Lowthorpe (20.56) 3-0; Anthony Gray (23.33) beat Steve Tranmer (24.81) 3-2; Adam Wills (23.39) lost to Leon Bailey (22.83) 1-3; Ian Greenaway (24.65) beat Ken Bailey (24.84) 3-1; Michael Duggan (23.10) beat David Brooks (22.94) 3-2; Neville Moore (19.76) lost to Barry Balaban (24.09) 2-3; Mark Sculley (23.14) lost to Mark Howard (26.11) 2-3; Mark Thomson (25.47) beat Stuart Jenkins (21.48) 3-0.

Score: Humberside 5 Wilts 7 A Match result: Humberside 6 Wiltshire 12 Overall result: Humberside 15 Wiltshire 21 (Three bonus points are awarded for a win and one point for a draw – therefore the final score is 15-24).

Final standings: 1 Avon (WoE) 206pts; 2 Tyne & Wear 201; 3 WILTSHIRE 197; 4 Cleveland 196; 5 Leics 195; 6 Humberside 177; 7 Shropshire 156; 8 Brecon 152; 9 Glos 152; 10 IoW 113.

  • SWINDON players Johnny Haines, Mark Cox and 1990 News of the World Championship winner Paul Cook have all reached the final stages of the 2009 Blue Square UK Open to be held at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton, in June.

All three, together with Malmesbury’s Mike Langley, qualified as top eight finishers in the South-West regional qualifier, one of four Holsten qualifiers held around the country last weekend.

Swindon’s Dennis Smith is seeded to the final stages as No. 44 in the 2009 UK Open Order of Merit table.