First win for Durham

Durham secured their first win of the season when they entertained Ferryhill A and dropped just two points when Alan Ankers and Frank Greenwood won for the visitors.

The home points came from Dave Hodgson, Paul Shutt, Dave Neill, Andrew Morley and Gavin West with two each and one each from Graham Comerford and Barry Dowson.

Bishop Auckland moved into third place following an away win over Ferryhill B who only managed two points from Steve Wray and one each from Steve Webster and Ronnie McAloon. Bishops had two points from Chris Peacock, Steve Jones and Paul Willey, with one each from Andrew Delve, Gary Richardson, Chris Bowran and Mick Hoggart.

Shildon lost top spot when they were held to a draw at Crook A. The Railwaymen had two points from Martin Taylor and Mal Parry while Steve Phillips, Rance Richardson and Craig Poskett all scored one each to take them into a 6-4 lead with the home points coming from David Haygarth, Doug Bowey, Dave Leighton, Richard Walker and Neil Campbell. The Crook points came from Gavin Witton, John Mason, Les Scott and Steve Hunter with two each and one point wins came courtesy of from Darren Tinkler, David Stephenson, Cliff Owens and John Warriner.

Results: Ferryhill B 4, Bishop Auckland 10; Durham 12, Ferryhill A 2; Crook B 12, Newton Aycliffe 2; Crook A 7, Shildon 7

Crook League

Crook Belle Vue clinched their win at Crook Mill House A by taking both doubles points so stay in second place in the First Division, ten points behind Crook Olde Horse Shoe A. The third position is shared by Crook Hotel A and Crook Royal Sun A, with both having a game in hand.

The Mill House A had two points from Alan Saville, Ian Bibby and Mark Nicholls, while Belle Vue replied with two points for Darren Tinkler and John Warriner and one each for John Mason and George Pakes.

There is a very wide gap in the Second Division where Crook Olde Horse Shoe B lead by 22 points from Crook Royal Sun B who themselves are twelve ahead of the Surtees.

Results: Crook Mill House A 6, Crook Belle Vue 8; Crook Olde Horse Shoe A 12, Crook Queen's Head A 2; Crook Jelly's Bar A 5, Crook Royal Sun A 9; Crook Hotel B 5, Crook White Swan 9; Crook Coach and Horses A 10, Crook Travellers Rest 4; Crook Queen's Head B 1, Crook Olde Horse Shoe B 13; Crook Spitfire Club 8, Crook Coach and Horses B 6; Crook King's Head 7, Crook Surtees 7; Crook Royal Sun B 11, Croft SCA 3; Croft SCB 12, Crook Jelly's Bar 2; Crook Golden Fleece 10, Crook Mill House B 4.

Bishop Auckland League

Thanks to a point in the final captain's game Spennymoor Hillingdon won the Spennymoor derby at the Railway. The home side scored singles points from Peter Thompson, Ian Robinson, Tommy Spowart, Gary Kivil and Ian Spowart, while the Hillingdon replied with points from Barry Walton, Shaun Graham, Gary Smith, Kevin Waterhouse and Mark Frizzell.

The visitors went ahead when Ian and Kevin Smith won the doubles while Ian Spowart pulled the Railway level by taking the first captain's game but Barry Walton took the second to give the Hillingdon an odd point victory.

Crook Olde Horse Shoe lead the table by twenty points withsecond-placed Bishop Auckland Derby two ahead of the King's Head.

Results: Bishop Auckland Derby 8, Bishop Auckland Cumberland 5; Spennymoor Ashtree 7, Bishop Auckland Football Club 6; Spennymoor Railway 6, Spennymoor Hillingdon 7; Bishop Auckland King's Head 8, Spennymoor Weardale 5; Spennymoor Pit Laddie 9, Witton Park Rose and Crown 4; Crook Olde Horse Shoe 10, St Helens Wheatsheaf 3.

Tow Law League

Esh Winning Football Club lost a 3-1 lead at Lanchester King's head to eventually go down by one point. Alan Brown put the footballers ahead with Steve Mather replying. Ken Brown and Micky Lugsden then won for the visitors only to see Harry Wales and Michael Brown level. The King's took the first two doubles points to secure their victory.

Sunniside Comedian dropped just two points at Tow Law Black Horse to remain unbeaten and league leaders by seven points from Tow Law Football Club and Tow Law New Market B who share second spot.

Results: Tow Law Station 7, Hamilton Row Black Horse 2; Tow Law New Market A 5, Billy Row Royal George 4; Lanchester King's Head 5, Esh Football Club 4; Tow Law Cattle Mart B 2, Tow Law New Market B 7; Sunniside Moss Inn 6, Tow Law Cattle Mart A 3; Tow Law Black Horse 2, Sunniside Comedian 7; Tow Law Football Club 6, Cornsay Royal Oak 3.

Willington League

The Pool Doubles Championships will be played at four venues on Wednesday, 26 July with one winner from each qualifying for Finals Night at Oakenshaw Club on August.

Playing at Willington Black Horse will be John Chambers and Michael Lee (Australian B), Gary Trow and Paul Briddick (Market), David Hawkins and Andrew Irwin (Black Horse), Christopher Heslop and Tony Atkinson (Football Club), Steve Peacock and Alan Dobson (Quarry Burn), Frank Hibbitts and Steven Stocks (Brewer's Droop), Dave Bennett and Mark Kitching (Oakenshaw) and Ian Williams and Jimmy Bainbridge (Australian A).

Results: Spennymoor Town 10, Shildon Town B 2.

Division One Spennymoor A 55; Mainsforth 53; Leeholme 50; Cockton Hill 48; Bishop Auckland and Glenholme 40; Brandon 38; Addison Park 27; Spennymoor Jubilee 26; Spectrum 23.

Division Two Shildon Railway 66; Kelloe 56; Shildon Town A 52; Langley Park 45; Wolsingham 38; Cockfield and Fishburn 29; Cockton Hill B, Shildon Town B and Spennymoor Town all 25. Outstanding match: Cockfield v Shildon Town A.

Worthington CIU Summer Championship

The closest finish since the competition was resurrected took place in the second of the quarter-final qualifying round-robins at Billy Row after all three players won one game each and had to rely on a points countback.

In the first game John Warriner of Crook Belle Vue beat Witton Gilbert's Ken Robinson 29 points

Warriner was back at the table for the second game but went down to Fred Lintern of Willington by 23 points while in the final game of the night Robinson beat Lintern by 24 points.

Final positions: 1 John Warriner with 227 points; 2 Fred Lintern 226, 3 Ken Robinson 221.

CIU League

Willington went down to their first Dominoes defeat when they lost by one point at the Victoria Club although they still lead the table by two points from Chilton.

The situation at the top of the Pool section is much tighter as Crook Belle Vue, Oakenshaw and Ferryhill share top spot with the latter having a match in hand.

Crook Belle Vue lead the Darts section by four points from Cockton Hill. There were two maximums from Eddie Nixon of Cockton Hill and one each from Ronnie McAloon and Alan Clarkson of Byers Green, Ray Scott of Middlestone Moor, Paul Knighton and Brian Longstaff of Crook Belle Vue. Ray Scott of Middlestone Moor made a 12 dart finish while Malcolm Hughes of Byers Green completed a 13 dart finish. Gary Taylor of Ferryhill made the best check out of the week with 124.

Results: Darts Middlestone Moor 2, Ferryhill 6; Crowtrees 8, Chilton 0; Oakenshaw 2, Crook Belle Vue 6; Victoria 8, Willington 0; Cockton Hill 5, Byers Green 3; Newfield 2, Middlestone Moor 6. The Ferryhill v Billy Row match was postponed.

Dominoes Middlestone Moor 2, Ferryhill 3; Crowtrees 3, Chilton 2; Oakenshaw 4, Crook Belle Vue 1; Victoria 3, Willington 2; Cockton Hill 1, Byers Green 4; Newfield 3, Middlestone Moor 2.

Pool Middlestone Moor 1, Ferryhill 4; Crowtrees 5, Chilton 0; Oakenshaw 4, Crook Belle Vue 1; Victoria 3, Willington 2; Cockton Hill 2, Byers Green 3; Newfield 4, Middlestone Moor 1.

Captains Middlestone Moor 1, Ferryhill 2; Crowtrees 2, Chilton 1; Oakenshaw 1, Crook Belle Vue 2; Victoria 2, Willington 1; Cockton Hill 2, Byers Green 1; Newfield 1, Middlestone Moor 2.

Willington Cup

Willington Black Horse travelled to Oakenshaw Club for the second leg of the semi-final with only a two points deficit but everything went wrong as they could only manage the final doubles point at pool through Craig Eales and Brian Smith, with Mark Davis taking the only other point at dominoes.

Oakenshaw scorers: Frank Lythe, Dale Wilson, Jason Walton, Tony Leighton, Dave Bennett, Mark Kitching and Ernie Plummer.

In the other semi-final Willington Market came back from a first leg defeat at home to Hunwick Club to win a place in the final. The Market had pool wins from Gary Trow, John Blackett, Syd Trow and Brian Clough with Alan Binks and Paul Maddison replying for the home side.

The Market also came through the dominoes to win by the odd point when Alan McAloon, Ian Parrish and Syd Trow won with Robert Todd and Paul Maddison replying.

The match had to be decided on the final two pool doubles and Hunwick Club took both to set up clash with Oakenshaw Club.

Crook 4D's League

Crook Mill House entertained Crook Coach and Horses and took two triple darts and the ladies pairs however, the visitors replied with a win in the mixed pairs and a good performance from Stephen Hall and Paul Morgan to take the men's pairs. Kirsty Dixon and Stephen Hayes won singles for the Mill House but the remainder of the darts points went to the Coach. The teams were level at dominoes going into the final mixed doubles, where the Coach edged through when Doug Smailes and Irene Clark won.

Crook Royal Sun entertained the Crook White Swan and shared the triples points with the home side following that up to take all three pairs darts points as well as the three ladies singles through Carol Haygarth, Tracey Thompson and Julie Heslop. The Swan replied by taking the men's singles through John Parkin, Darren Yeoman, who hit a maximum and Trevor Hudspith. In dominoes the Sun took the ladies pairs and both singles with the Swan winning the rest.

Results: Crook Mill House 5 darts, 4 dominoes; Crook Coach and Horses 6 darts, 6 dominoes; Crook Royal Sun 7 darts, 6 dominoes; Crook White Swan 4 darts, 4 dominoes.

At half time in the league season Urlay Nook are leading the way in the way in the Championship race. Currently they have won nine out of nine matches with SDNY being their latest victims. Final score was 174 to 188. Paul Dowson scored a perfect for Urlay Nook, while A Warne and Stuart Ayers scored Us for the Wildfowlers.

Marne celebrated finally winning a match after beating Oak Lodge 157 to 151. This win does not lift them off the bottom of the league but at least it is progress. Tony and Peter Masters scored 23's for Marne, while P Coulson scored a 21 for Oak Lodge.

Great Smeaton moved up to second place in the league with a close 166 to 163 home win against Thimbleby. John Smith was top scorer for Smeaton with a 23 while Thimbles' PR Webb, Bill Stockdale, Bill Mayhew and S McKay scored 21's.

Fox Hall moved into third place, soundly thrashing Spennymoor 161 to 146. R Christon was in good form for the Fox with a 23, although Jon Tones scored a 20 for the opposition.

League table after nine matches Urlay Nook 18 points; Great Smeaton 11; Welbury 10; Thimbleby 10; Fox Hall 10; Stokesley 10; Spennymoor 8; Oak Lodge 6; SDNY 5; Marne CC 2.