WILTSHIRE darts team badly needed a comprehensive win to revive their 2007/08 hopes of promotion and a quick return to Division 3 after suffering two successive defeats, writes DAVE EATON.

This they did with aplomb as they bounced back to winning ways in Sunderland last weekend with a 22-14 away victory against Tyne and Wear in their latest British Darts Organisation Division 4 inter-county championship match.

After a promising start and three wins, Wiltshire's campaign had come off the rails with defeats at the hands of Clwyd (21-15) and 20-16 at home to Leicestershire.

However, this big win in the north-east, plus three bonus points, has moved the Moonraker county back up into third spot and into the dog fight for the second promotional place.

Gwynedd look comfortable in top spot on 146 points after beating fellow North Wales county Clwyd, but the race for runners-up spot and promotion has really hotted up.

Leicestershire leapt into second on 133 points after thrashing Isle of Wight, but just one point behind them are both Wiltshire and Clwyd on 132, while Brecon lie in fifth place on 125 points.

An enthralling finish is guaranteed with three rounds still to go.

Wiltshire never looked back in Sunderland after the B team gave them the perfect start on day one with a 12-6 win.

The momentum was carried forward into day two and overall victory was assured midway through the men's A match.

Despite losing the opening ladies B match, wins from Olive Wilmore, Karen White, Ally Thomson and Tina Rowlands (LoM) gave Wiltshire a 4-2 success to extend their unbeaten run to six games and maintain their top spot of the section.

That lead was quickly extended to 9-2 as Craig Lloyd, Ron Ashton, Paul Boulton, Peter Harris and Mark Thomson won the opening five games of the men's B match.

Further wins followed later from Nigel Voller (MoM), Richard Ettwell and Dan Butler for an 8-4 win. This put Wiltshire into the driving seat as they held a 12-6 overall lead after the first day.

The women's side lost 4-2 but wins from Sue Handscomb and Erica Hartnett took the overall score to 14-10.

Darren Lodge was the only winner in the first three men's A matches but then Wiltshire moved powered away.

Martin Richell (24.95 average) started the match winning run of six-in-a-row and was quickly followed by Tony Clark.

The left-handed teenager, a brilliant prospect for the future, recorded a 30.67 average as he whitewashed his opponent 3-0, hitting five 140s and three tons.

Bob Phillips, the ex-national CIU champion and back in the side, then took Wiltshire to the brink of victory.

The ex-captain even outgunned Clark's average with a stunning 31.98 for another whitewash, hitting one 180 maximum, two tons and two 140s. In the last leg he hit three 140s to make the overall score 18-12.

Mark Humphries took the Moonrakers to the magical 19 mark before Richie Jones and Juan Hopkins added wins.

Nigel Voller made it a fine personal weekend for himself by following up his win the B match with a 3-0 success in the A match.

Wiltshire's next BDO Division 4 inter-county match is a tough one.

They are at home but entertain fifth placed Breconshire, at the Moonrakers, Cricklade Road, on the weekend of March 1 and 2 (matches start at 12 noon).