Harrogate & District Darts League: Bilton Working Men's Club 'B' thrashed by The Cricketers

But, their new identity did not do them any favours when they took on The Cricketers in Division One, as a one-sided affair finished 8-1 to the latter.

Sonia Porter recovered from losing the opening leg to beat Matthew Keegan 3-1, before Emma Lockwood made it 2-0 to the Cricketers with a 3-1 win over Geoff Gillingwater.

There was another slow start from Jake Harvey, who lost the opening leg to Steve Scruton, but also recovered and completed a 3-1 victory.

Cricketer Craig Gibson followed the same pattern, opponent Dion Glew taking the opening leg before he rattled off three on the spin to make it 4-0 overall.

Ian Denny broke the mould, losing the third leg as he triumphed 3-1, sealing his success with a 22-dart leg and ending the match as a contest.

Ben Flemming then repeated that 22-dart leg during his 3-0 win over Ken Glew that made it 6-0 on the night.

In the doubles, Denny and Gibson beat Jack Swinford and Ian Richardson 2-0, helped on their way by a 20-dart opening leg.

Jake Harvey and Emma Lockwood then won by the same score-line when they took on Matthew Keegan and Dan Childs,

A whitewash was prevented at the death as Bilton's Gillingwater and Luke Saville saw off Nicole Wilcox and Mark White.

Bilton Batsmen recorded a 7-2 success when they faced-off with Starbeck Cons Mahoosive.

Lewis Pride produced 19 and 20-dart legs as he made short work of Adam Gawthorp, recording a 3-0 victory which set the Batsmen on their way.

Tony Sharratt followed up with another success by the same score-line against Jamie Saville, despite the latter hitting a 180.

Sam Davey produced a 21-dart winning leg with a 152 check out when he overcame Lee Swales to pull one back for Starbeck. That clash finished 3-0, with Davey also serving up a stunning 12-dart second leg with a 100 checkout via S20, D20, D20.

Carl Heptinstall’ s 3-0 win over Paul Kennedy made it 3-1 to Bilton. It included a 180 and concluded with a 19-dart winning leg.

Alex Pride then came from behind to beat Matty Vincent 3-1, while Steve Higgins hit a 180 during his 3-1 triumph over Ryan Blanchard, throwing 19, 17 and 15-dart legs to hand the Batsmen an unassailable 5-1 advantage.

Higgins and Sharratt opened up the doubles with a 17-dart leg - Higgins hitting his second 180 - but they lost 2-1 to Davey - who also delivered a 180 - and Kennedy as the Cons trimmed the deficit.

But, Lewis Pride and Heptinstall beat Blanchard and Leigh Rowley 2-0 with 18 and 21-dart legs to make it 6-2 overall, before Swales and Alex Pride took care of Jamie Saville and James Keane, recording a 2-0 victory.

Elsewhere in the top flight, Trades Hall Vikings edged out Manhattan Madhatters, triumphing 5-4 in the end.

Phil Taylor’s 18-dart final leg was enough to beat Jordan Harper 3-0 and get the Vikings up and running.

But, Ben Cross equalised courtesy of a 3-1 win over Karl Walker, which featured 21 and 18-dart legs.

Dave Metcalfe overcame a stubborn Danny Gamble to restore the Trades Hall lead, earning a 3-2 victory with 21 and 17-dart legs.

Rich Graham’s 17-darter sandwiched less impressive legs during his 3-0 success over Jack Lowther to make it 3-1.

Michael Prisk pulled one back for Manhattan when he cruised to a 3-0 triumph in his meeting with Lucas Robinson.

Andy Ward and Tim Hargreaves then exchanged 20-dart legs before the latter emerged victorious by a 3-1 score-line, restoring the Vikings' two-point cushion. In the doubles, Madhatters Liam Hutchinson and Alistair Massey beat Graham and Harry Kidd 2-1 to keep the contest alive.

But, Metcalfe and Hargreaves decided matters, making it 5-3 to Trades Hall as they produced a 21-dart opening leg in their 2-0 success over Prisk and Dan Knowles.

The final doubles clash saw Taylor throw a 180 and Kidd deliver a 21-dart leg, though their efforts were not enough to defeat Cross and Mark McNaughton, who won 2-1 to ensure that Manhattan at least signed off on a positive note.

There was another close encounter when Harlow Hill met Bilton WMC Dales, with the latter eventually edging matters. James Hall defeated Alex Eadington 3-1 with a pair of 22-dart legs and a 20-dart final leg, handing the early initiative to Dales.

Terry Sherwood took a 3-2 victory over Jamie Patterson to make it 2-0 on the night, though Harlow’s Chris Leach then defeated Peter Newbould 3-1 to narrow the gap. Rick Harper demolished Brian Ellison 3-0 in 17, 20 and 16-dart legs, throwing a 180 on his way to putting Bilton 3-1 ahead.

The lead increased further as James Pedel survived a 20-dart leg from Jim Lester to triumph 3-2 with a 22-dart leg of his own.

Steve Rogers kept Hill’s hopes alive in the final singles showdown, hitting a 19-dart final leg and countering Paul Monaghan’s 21-dart leg to win 3-1. In the doubles, Harlow’s Rogers and Ellison took 17 and 20 darts to get the better of Hall and Sherwood, with that 2-0 victory making it 4-3 overall.

But, defeat for Chris Leach and Jamie Beaton ended any Hill hopes of a comeback.

Eadington then produced a 180 alongside Lester in the finale, to help send Harper and Monaghan packing.