McMinn & Cook show their best qualities

JACK McMinn and Scott Cook produced one of the best games in Plymouth darting history in the Steve Chapman 501 League with no leg going beyond five visits to the board in a 3-2 win for the former.

- JAMES COOK

McMinn’s success, in which he bagged legs in 15, 15 and 12 darts, helped turn the tide for champions Fawn B, who recovered from deficits of 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 to win 6-5 on the last game against Cook’s King Billy.

Cook himself rattled in 13 and 15 darters as the world-class contest provided 20 scores of a ton or more between two of the best players around.

McMinn’s 116 checkout in one of the trio of legs he won ended up being crucial in deciding the outcome of the match, whilst Cook’s riposte included two of the eight maximums added between the two teams.

McMinn led the way in the ton scoring overall with 17 three-figure scores for his night’s work, whilst Cook was the best of his cohort with a dozen ton-plusses throughout the tight encounter.

It seems a shame to relegate such a standard to a mere footnote, but John Mann’s night, that included 15 scores of a ton or more, was unfortunately usurped by the two outstanding players of the night.

That total included no fewer than four maximums and his 15-darter proved crucial in deciding the outcome of his 3-2 win over Andrew Cook.

Other maximums in the match-up came from Cook’s team-mates, Lewis Byrne and Brandon Hartley, to make it four apiece in the three treble visits to complete the octet.

After falling to 4-2 behind, McMinn’s win was a turning point and allowed team-mate Lee Agar to level at 4-4 in a 3-0 win that included a leg in 17.

Mann than showed his undoubted class before Frankie Stout got the better of Fred Goldsmith 3-1 despite a 15-darter that was put away with a 126, which was the highest checkout of the match - and week, across all fixtures.

That left the game on a knife edge and the brilliant Simon Washington showed why he has become a permanent fixture in the Devon county A team with a 3-1 success that saw a 120 checkout his best moment.