Matsapha – The ESRIC Darts league continues to be competitive.
This is after the Scorpions leapfrogged the previous leaders Green Arrows after recording two big wins at Gwamile Voctim on Saturday during the Eswatini Royal Insurance Corporation (ESRIC) E150 000-sponsored league.
The Scorpions, now sitting proudly in first position on a perfect 24 points, showcased a clinical brand of darts. In round seven, they achieved a stunning whitewash, delivering a 20-0 demolition of Smesh & Bonz. Giving their opponents a bag of nails on the scoreboard, they left no doubt about their firepower. Carrying this form into round eight, the Scorpions faced a tough assignment against the ESRIC team, but their outshots were on point, sealing a commanding 17-3 victory.
These two results solidified their position at the top, edging out the Green Arrows by a superior leg difference.
Green Arrows, now occupying second position, maintained their own flawless run with two excellent arrows. In round seven, they won a tough match against Green Spears with a score of 15-9. They followed this up in round eight with a near-perfect performance, securing a huge 19-1 win over Malkerns Bulls. Despite accumulating the same 24 points as the Scorpions, the Green Arrows’ slightly lower leg difference sees them drop to second place, but they remain right on the tail of the leaders, ready to pounce should the Scorpions falter.
Holding firm in third position are the Green Spears with 18 points. Their round seven fixture saw them lose a highly competitive match, going down 9-15 to the Green Arrows. However, they demonstrated resilience in round eight, successfully navigating a tricky tie against Remnants to claim a 13-9 victory. This crucial win prevented the Zebras from catching them and helped the Green Spears secure their spot on the podium. The Zebras, currently in fourth position and matching the Green Spears’ 18 points, proved they are the masters of the combination finish and the tight scoreline. They recorded two critical, high-pressure victories. In round seven, they just managed to win 11-10 against Umlilo.
They repeated this clutch performance in the next round, edging out Elangeni Vipers 12-10. These back-to-back narrow wins show immense composure and were vital in consolidating their top-four ranking.
Rounding out the top five are Remnants on 15 points. They had a mixed outing, starting strong in round seven with a dominant 14-8 win over Mbabane City. However, they were unable to secure consecutive wins, falling 9-13 to Green Spears in Round 8. This split result was enough to hold onto fifth place, maintaining a buffer over the chasing pack and keeping them in the upper echelon of the league.
Bheki Matse, Andile Shabangu, Simon Maseko and Simelane -the sharpshooting quartet making up the Scorpions team — are holding firm at the top of the ESRIC Darts League table. (Pic: Sanele Jele)