Round one
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After a long time between drinks, the 2024 summer competition kicked off on Monday night.
With 12 teams signing up, the competition was once again split into A and B grades.
Last year’s B-grade premiers Renegades were promoted to A-grade this season and were dealt a tough initiation for round one as they went toe to toe against the reigning A-grade premiers, the Kings.
The Renegades took it up to the home team early in the piece, and with the scores sitting at 3-2 the Kings’ way, it was looking like it was going to be a nice close tussle, but the Kings rocketed on to a 9-2 victory.
Kings captain Terran Crispin led the way for his squad, hammering in seven tons, a 126 and a 140, along with five pegs, which included a high peg of 117.
Renegades captain Leigh Turnbull notched his side’s only singles victory as well as throwing two tons, while Roger McCallum nailed a 119 and two 140s.
The Pirates squared off against the Golf Club Aces in the next A-grade battle of the night, with both sides showing plenty of rust in their first outing of 2024.
The Aces got the jump early, driving their way to an early 2-1 after the team games, but the Pirates settled and started to fight their way back, levelling the scores at four-all with three games to play.
Both teams traded blows, forcing the result to the final game of the night, but it was the Pirates who sailed home with a wet sail in the final battle, snatching a 6-5 victory.
The two Pirates youngsters stole the show, with Seth Kilroy hammering in five pegs for the night, including high pegs of 82 and 66. He also snagged a 180, 127, 123 and two tons.
Zane Kilroy also fired in a 180 as well as two tons, a 115, two 123s, a 125 and two 140s.
The last A-grade game of the night had team Badass set its sights on its arch-rivals, the Snipers.
The Snipers got the jump early, claiming the lion’s share of the team games to lead 2-1 heading into the singles, which proved to be the deciding factor, with neither team being able to string two wins in a row together for the entire night.
The Snipers claimed the points with a hard-fought 6-5 win.
Despite playing with broken ribs, Badass’ captain Peter Myles jammed in five pegs for the night and threw eight tons, a 125 and a 140.
Mark Robinson was a man on a mission for the Snipers, hammering in five finishes, eight tons, a 139, three 140s and a 180.
The first B-grade game of the round was between last season’s B-grade runners-up, the Kilmore Cobras, and the new kids on the block, the Kilmore Convicts.
The Convicts hit the ground running in the team games to lead 4-3 heading into the final four singles of the night, despite having three comp debutants.
But the Cobras showed their class as they powered through the rest of the night without dropping a game, taking home the choccies with a 7-4 victory.
Rohan Clancy was a cut about the rest for the Cobras, finishing with seven straight tons.
Convicts captain Peter Browne fought hard for his side, spearing in five pegs, including a match-high finish of 61, and he finished the night with two tons and a 125.
The Jacarandas squared off against the newly rebranded Marauders at the Royal Hotel.
The Marauders burst out of the blocks to take a handy 4-0 lead before the home side managed to land a blow, and with the Jacarandas winning three of the next four games, it was game on.
Both teams tried hard, but the Marauders came out on top as they banked their first win of the year with a 7-4 victory.
Jose Mason was the star for the Jacarandas, slapping in a match-high peg of 80 and a ton, to go with high scores of 101 and 118.
Daniel Chandler was the only player to score a recordable score for the Marauders. He closed his account with a single ton.
The final game for round one was between the Ducks and the Royal Rascals at the Railway Club Hotel in Seymour.
The Rascals came out of the battle on top overall, banking the four points with a 7-4 win.
Ducks captain Yolanda DeNavi scored a 140 for the home team, and Davis Stokes made a long-anticipated return to the competition, slapping in the Ducks’ highest peg (32).
Check out the latest SDDA news, results, fixture and ladder at www.seymourdistrictdarts.wixsite.com/home
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