A CONVINCING 7-2 start against Phoenix 'A' was made to the York John Smith's Ladies League summer season by the winter division one champions Brigadier.

Carole Layne led off with 140, 100 as they romped to 5-0 up before Babs Harrison put Phoenix on the scoresheet.

Phoenix 'B' fared better beating newcomers Half Moon 7-2.

Slip's Claire Robinson stopped Dringhouses from a singles full house. Robinson then partnered Pat Cairns to victory but Dringhouses won 6-3.

Tap also had the match in the bag before the pairs as Joan Cockerill was the only success for Vaults.

Clifton and Ox were all square going into the pairs. Jane Dobson-Kay Snowden gave Clifton the edge but Tracey Watkinson-Wendy Shortle levelled and Ox captain Sandra Bruce partnered Karen Alton to seal the decider.

Burton WMC were given an excellent start by their captain Cath Roe then Val Pinder. This was short-lived as Barbara Suter set Clifton 'B' off to a 7-2 win.

Britannia 'A' beat Jubilee 6-3 while Britannia 'B' were taken to four apiece by Leeman 'B' team's Jean Smallwood-Floss Crampton but Britannia's Chris Garbutt and Joan Harrison held their nerve to win.

Ann Parkyn and Aline Turpin gave Slipper a golden start but big scoring by Pauline Dale (140, 120) took Shepherd 'B' to a 4-2 lead. Slipper's Mavis Barker-Sue Tate levelled to 4-4, even so Sue Lacy partnered Heather Green to snatch the match.

In division three, Joan Hunter partnered Barbara Johnston to win the decider for Cue Ball against Woolpack after colleagues June Miller and Audrey Carling had levelled, while Carol Rimmer and Kim Simpson edged Old Ebor ahead of Puss 'A' for Marie Simpson and Mo Hearfield to seal the win.

Leeman 'A' had good scoring from Margaret Yeomans and went 4-0 up before Julie Brownlee put Mount in the frame. Nevertheless Hazel Flintoft sealed the win.

Ann Keswick partnered Eileen Wilkinson to win the decider for Ackhorne at Leeman 'C'.

Sun Inn, Acomb are all set to clean-up the jackpot of York White Rose Ladies League awards at Crescent WMC tonight.

Already division one champions, Sun, represented by Julie Scattergood, Sue Scrimshaw and Sheelagh Lord, beat Coach 2-0, then Railway Institute, 2-1 winners against Alice Hawthorn, to clinch the triples trophy.

It's 'who' rather than 'if' in both the individual and pairs events.

Heather Beadnell beat Sun colleague Ann Franks 2-0, while her singles final opponent, Scattergood, squeezed through with 24, then 21 darts, to beat the current champion Institute's Maureen Tindall (21), 2-1.

Sun were successful 2-0 in both pairs semi-finals.

Beadnell-Lord took out Joanne Heaton-Dianne Sanderson (Nags Head) while Irene Taylor-Denise Fahey (Institute) fell by the wayside against Scattergood-Scrimshaw.

Lord Nelson, Poppleton, are division three champions.

In a play-off with Huntington they narrowly took the title 4-3.

The division two runners-up place was also settled 4-3. Six Bells were 3-1 up but Cheryle Fernandez crucially made it all square for Jayne Cain to clinch the decider.

Two nine-darters were recorded in the Ireland Classic Open.

Lancashire hot-shot Paul Williams recorded one against Dennis Priestley and in the next round Alan Warriner completed the magical 501 minimum.

The inter-counties highest average was smashed twice in a day.

An elated Merv King later found his record-breaker was bettered by fellow Welshman, Peter Johns (Gwent) who registered 11, 11, 13 darts for a 42.94 per dart average.

Updated: 12:11 Tuesday, April 16, 2002