After last weeks close run thing v The A Team (from Blue Lagoon) we had a chance to put things right.
Still without team shirts and flights, we would have go about our business as usual (no, not pony)!!
After lunchtime practice session on Tuesday was boycotted by the bulk of the team and Longy putting players off by reminding them about the subs that are owed, we were down to 6 players (which, in all honesty, is perfect as we all play singles and doubles). James and Shane called (obviously from Shane’s phone) to say they would meet as at their Tuesday night home venue!
Longy had arranged to be at the Mill for 7.30-8pm (as he always does) and casually swaggered in just before 8! ‘I’m not always there when you call, but I’m always on time!’ – Anyone know the lyric?
Gaz pitches up just in time to hear the roar of laughter from Joe and Emma as she said she was making falafel for next weeks home game. I will leave it for Joe to explain (if he dares)!
Into the Harbour View and James is on the practice board. Longy hears ooonnnneeeee huuuunnndddreeeddd and eeeiiiiggghhhttyyyyyyyyyyyy. But it was just the darts on ITV 4 (obviously where we will be playing next season!).
The lovely Michelle, Emma’s sister, oh I am being told it was her mum (no way!) arrived with her mates and Longy’s eyes lit up as it was predominantly a female team.
Shane had to shoot off and get something. The onion and chilli sauce spilt down his top was the give away that it was a kebab!!! As Shane plays here on a Tuesday he must know something about the quality of the food that we don’t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Michelle asks why Joff isn’t here and we informed her of the truth, that he was scared of her!
Team order all picked at the start if the night to save time (in secret and matched up of course) but would it be a mother v daughter fixture (once again Longy’s eyes light up at the thought of a mother and daughter combo!) and yes, they were pitched against each other in the doubles game!
When Emma called Easy, I wasn’t sure if she meant easy to play or easy to lay (oooohhhhhh Longy, but naughty that one!).
As Joe is warming up, the team watch in awe as he hits treble 20 and treble 18 for fun! He then hits and 85 but James had to upstage him with a 140!
Right lets crack on. Longy wins the toss and chooses the throw. Sylvia picks the first doubles:
James / Shane: James starting the match with quality darts as per the warm up. A 120 (shanghai) to kick off and an 85 later in the leg was backed up by Shane hitting 60, 40 and 60. Both teams find themselves on low doubles and James mentions that he noticed Stu (their Tuesday night captain) has stripped the jumper off as it is getting serious. He maintains it was so we could read his ‘funny’ t shirt! They took out D4 with 1 dart and that was 1 leg gone! Shane kicks off the 2nd leg with 68, 85 and 132 and that will do his averages no harm at all! James ticks over with some average darts including a 26 (Longy didn’t realise Gaz was playing) to set up 98. Wayne and Stu were scoring well but not well enough (hopefully). Shane hits 62 including a flukey T18 and James bangs in D18 second dart! Levelled up and Shane loses the toss for the decider. Stu was trying to get a beer in but not having much joy and Emma was putting some ropey tunes on the jukebox! James hits the 20 bed 3 times to hiy 60 followed by an 85 and 99. Shane ticked over but also hit a 26. Who will hit the most tonight??? With the opposition way back on the scoring Sylvia (who was scoring) tried to help out by marking Shanes score from 76 to 17 when he hit T12/miss/miss = 36. Shane corrected her (she must be the Harbour View equivalent of Gaz when it comes to counting!) and James took out Tops on his 3rd dart! Well played boys, a good comeback! 1-0 up
Em / Gaz: Emma starts off with some steady arrows (44/58/65) and Gaz pitched in with 43/65/43/66 set Emma up to take out Tops on 2nd dart! Gazza hits his first 26 of the night but digs out a 60 and 85 with Em crashing her 3rd 140 of the season with a 74 and 41 to accompany. Perfect. Gaz hits D8 on 2nd dart to tidied up and win the game. 2-0 up
Longy / Joe: A family affair with these 2 in form players looking to put the Mill 3-0 up and likely to win. Longy scored over 40 with every throw and Joe hit a 71 before taking out 24 with 12/0/D6. Longy was depending on Joe to hit the scores and he obliges with 46/47 and 93 but lost out because we missed 21 darts at D1/ They took out D4 after 33 darts at a double! Level and Joe winning the toss hits a ton (Tops / 20 / Tops. 2 Brucies) and follows with 82 and 58 and Longy not hitting a score over 60 really let his partner down and Sam (the landlord) took out D8 to take their first game of the night! Not that I am making excuses because I really enjoyed it but I could see Fran (scorer) dancing when I was on the oche. It distracted me because I was getting a bit hot under the collar! 2-1 up
First singles up.
Gaz v Wayne: 3 scores of 60 but only 1 26 saw Gaz race clear and take out D10 after busting by hitting D15 in the last 2 throws. 2nd leg Gaz got to a double in plenty time with a great 135 set up but missed 15 darts to finish and Wayne took out 47 with 7 / D20 made it even. Gaz kicks off with 85/98/83/60 and leaving him 61. He hits 11 but would he go for the bull with 2nd dart? Course he does and hits 5 then another 5! James and Emma were arguing at this point and Joe told her to pull his ponytail… Class! Gaz busts on the next throw but Sylvia (looking to see if the 2nd dart had busted him) nearly had her ear pierced with the 3rd dart! After busting 3 more times he took D10 2nd dart when Wayne missed D9. 3-1 up
Meatloaf was playing (Bat out of Hell album I think) and James was singing along. Longy told him he looks like a Rabi with the hair and beard and we should maybe buy him a skull cap or whatever they wear! Emma steps up against Debbie (who looked a bit like Gillian Mckeith from the side!):
Emma v Debs: Emma starts with scores of 95/60/65 before taking out D9 after 10 missed darts. Second leg was low scoring but a flukey T18 scored her 79 (good year that!!!) and D16 after 6 near misses and another 2-0 victory for The Boss. 4-1 up
James v Michelle: Would James buckle under the pressure of playing against his future mother in law (in his dreams but he does like Emma, A LOT!!)?? 2 tons and an 81 from James as Michelle switches to ‘Dickys’ darts and hits 90/79/68 to set up 39. she hits 7 and then takes out D16 on the next throw! Come on James……. Emma was cheering on her mum (who plays for the opposition in case anyone forgot!!) and James’ reaction said it all ‘ SHUT UP EMMA’. Gaz calls ‘Come on Shane’. Has he forgotten it is James that is playing???? With Mrs 26 turning up and in troducing herself to the team would James spoil her ‘first time’ (like he has other women probably) by losing? Surely not to a woman!! 100/85/55 and 60 got James to a double that he hits on the 4th dart to level up. Even scoring saw Michelle end on 19 as James is on 2. ‘Aim for the black bit’ cried Joe (this was James’ advice to him when he was on D1 earlier in the night!) and he missed a fair few darts at it (although all were close) and Michelle took out T3 and D5. Unlucky mate, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha you lost to a girl! 4-2 up
‘You 2 were right put offs’ James yelled at Longy and Emma (as she was high 5ing her mum for the win. Or loss as Emma actually plays for the Mill).
Still with both teams in with a shout Shane was called up.
Shane v Stuart: A battle of the Tuesday night players. How would it unfold? 81/85/100/85/60 and a 3rd dart take out of D16 was the way this 24 dart wonder leg was won by Shane. Bowled Shane!!!! A 62.63 average was great darts mate! 80/41/41/45/41 got Shane to 66 but he hit 21 to leave 45 (was it a miscount???). Stu was steadily scoring with 1 score under 45 except his D10 checkout to level up! As Shane is winning the toss, Michelle tells us that we are playing them in the return fixture on 17th March. James pipes that it is his birthday and he will not be buying a drink that night…. Joe aptly replie’ bit like any other night then ha ha’. To be fair, James bought Longy and Joe a drink last week! Back to the action and Shane hits scores of 100/135/85 in another great leg that Stu played his part in with 85/95/57. Shane held his nerve and took out D8 with his first dart and secured the victory and the much needed points. 5-2 up
Joe v Fran: Longy was watching this one closely, not because Joe is in good form but he took quite a shine to Fran. No wedding ring on but was she single? He will find out in time for the retuen leg in March I am sure!!!! Joe hits T20, T20 &T18 for 174 IN THE FUCKING WARM UP! Are they wasted darts or would he have enough in his locker to be what seemed (judging on the warm up throw) to be their best player (stop flirting Longy). Steady scoring with 40/94/42 but the 11 and 24 dropped the averages (that were sky high after the great doubles game) and led to Fran racing to a double with every score >45 including a ton and 91. Much better from Joe in leg 2 with 53/79/56/66 but the 140 from Fran (that I hope got put on the match return form??) put her out in front. James chips in with ‘this bloke is quite good isn’t he!’ open your eyes son! She took out 39 for a 21 dart leg that none of us could compete with! Unlucky mate! 5-3 up
Longy v Sam: Sam kicks off with 62/85/60/80 but Longy throws 21 and whilst throwing his 2nd set of darts Sam gives him a little nudge (accidental????? Not sure but there was no apology either way. I thought he may have had the hump because we all thought the food was shit!). How would Longy react? Well in the only way he knows, as learnt from Gaz, he hit a 26! Followed by 59/85/60/58 to take out an unconventional 36 by 18/14/D2. That’ll fucking teach ya! 2nd leg and as Gaz had nearly run out of paper the scoring was obviously shit. Well, from Longy it was. Sam hit 80/60/100/60/60 consecutively and even though he missed 9 darts at D1 he took it out in the end to set up the decider. Longy said ‘If I lose, I am never playing again’. All the Mill House players hoped for the loss ha ha (someone please correct me!!! My lack of self confidence coming through!). Longy starts with 26 (his 5th of the night!) but follows with 100/60/97/70 and Sam hit a couple of 60’s in reply. Longy sets up a 39 outshot with 19 D10 leaving Sam to go back behind the jump sniffling into the drink that he never offered me! Oh well. 6-3 up.
Well played team, some great performances. MoM was a difficult choice but Shane’s overall average and consistent T20 finding earned it! Well played mate.
Food: A generous 4/10 (just because it was served)
Most 26’s: Longy - 5
Most T20’s: Shane - 15
