What a cracking night of darts up at the golf club!
Forty-three hardy souls braved the elements to enter the Pit Stop Singles, the second ranking points event.
As always in a big competition, some big names fell early on.
By the nature of the names out of the hat draw, two former winners, Kevin Gray and Stevie Linklater, clashed in the second round, with Stevie the victor.
Thirteen ‘B’ boys were in, and they seemed to get drawn in the top half, which meant one of them would make the semi-final, and that player was Gary Wilson, of the Nomads. But he couldn’t handle Stevie, and went down 3-1, but well played. The bottom half was a tough section, with lots of county players all bunged together.
So, lots of big names played each other and, by semi-final time, Ivan Leslie faced Brian Moar, with Ivan winning, and facing Stevie in the final.
And what a final it was, with things swinging one way then the other.
But a burst of three winning games won the crown for Stevie, 4-2.
Top of the table: Ivan Leslie 21, Stevie Linklater 17, Brian Moar 10, Robbie Stanger 9, Leigh Shearer 8.
Lots of other players ranging from seven to three points.
The next ranking event, the Jim Scollie Masters is on November 22, in the Legion.
It was a record breaking week for 180s, with 40 being scored, and one player hitting nine.
That was Kevin Gray, and he had six in one game.
Others came from Bruce Moar, Jim Brown, Alan Gray, Billy Ward, Michael Moodie, Michael Bain, Mervyn Ward, two from Aaron Mitchell, Keith Brumpton, Gordon Rendall, Ivan Leslie, Graham Louttit, and Ian Wilkie, three from Gary Wilson, Robbie Stanger, Leigh Shearer, Stevie Linklater and, of course, Kevin’s eight.
High checkouts: 100 from James Flett who also had a 106, and Raymie Rendall, who also had a 101; 102 and 128 from Stevie Linklater, who also had a 177; 103 and 150 from Kevin Gray; 103 Leigh Shearer; 106 Gary Wilson; 110 Ivan Leslie; 112, 113, 156 from Keith Bain; 120 Michael Moodie; 126 Brian Moar; 130 Neil Croy; 142 Davy Noble; and 146 Ivan Leslie.
The next big event is this Saturday, with the Davy Cooper Memorial Cup.
It’s in the Masonic Club, names by 2.30 p.m., and is open to all male players in Orkney, or any players visiting Orkney. Proceeds to charity.
Festive raffle tickets are still on sale from team captains, any sold tickets can be handed in to the treasurer, Davy Henderson, at the Bank of Scotland or to the secretary, Jim Scollie.
It’s congratulations to the Legion team as, with two wins, they take their total undefeated games to 72, which equals the great Nomads’ run of the early 1970s.
But it’s a new record, as the Legion have won all their games — the Nomads had a draw in their run, and it’s a special run for Jimmy Miller, as he was a member of the Nomads team.
The Legion beat Quoyburray ‘B’ 10-2, then the Wanderers 8-4.
The Wanderers also had a six-all draw with Untouchables ‘A’; the Golf Club kept up the pressure at the top, with an 11-1 win over Quoyburray.
Close behind are the Commodores, after an 8-4 win over Sanday, and there was a big first win for the Murray Arms, 10-2 over Shapinsay, who are the only team in the Williamson’s ‘A’ League yet to win.
The Untouchables took the points with a 8-4 win over RBLM.
That’s all the postponed games now played.
The Williamson’s ‘B’ League teams have also been playing catch up, with lots of postponed games getting played.
The Nomads had two big wins — 11-1 over the Likely Lads and 10-2 over the Shore — but the Shore had a good win against Bilco Boys; 8-4 was the score.
The Sands also had two games and lost both 11-1 to the Sands ‘2’ and Motorhoose, who lost out 10-2 to the Legion Arrows, who drew 6-6 with Tankerness in their second game, while Tankerness also shared the points with Meadowbank six-all.
In fact, the Sands played three games, losing out to the Bilco Boys 7-5.
Results
Pit Stop Cup Final: Stevie Linklater beat Ivan Leslie 4-2.
Williamson’s ‘A’ League: Quoyburray 1, OGC 11; Commodores 8, Sanday 4; Untouchables ‘A’ 6, Wanderers 6; RBLM 4, Untouchables 8; Legion 10, Quoyburray ‘B’ 2; Murray Arms 10, Shapinsay 2; Legion 8, Wanderers 4.
Williamson’s ‘B’ League: Tankerness 6, Meadowbank 6; Nomads 11, Likely Lads 1; Bilco Boys 4, Shore 8; Motorhoose 2, Legion Arrows 10; St Ola 9, Deerness 3; Sands ‘2’ 11, Sands 1; Shore 2, Nomads 10; Sands 5, Bilco Boys 7; Motorhoose 11, Sands 1; Legion Arrows 6, Tankerness 6.
Fixtures
Saturday, November 9: Davy Cooper Open Singles, Masonic, 2.30 p.m.
Monday, November 18:
Williamson’s ‘A’ League: Murray Arms v Untouchables ‘A’; Quoyburray ‘B’ v Commodores; Untouchables v Quoyburray; Wanderers v OGC; Shapinsay v Sanday; Legion v RBLM.
Williamson’s ‘B’ League: Likely Lads v St Ola; Meadowbank v Motorhoose; Tankerness v Bilco Boys; Nomads v Sands ‘2’; Legion Arrows v Deerness; Shore v Sands.