THE opening round of the Carlsberg UK Crewe Open League Summer Team Knockout saw current cup holders Delamere safely through to the next round with an easy 9-4 aggregate victory at Last Orders Inn.

Last season's runners-up Flying Lady A also got through to round two following a closely fought contest with visitors George who took an early lead with Tony Ralphs, Pete Summers and Steve Small winning the first three darts games.

But the Lady responded winning the next four games with Tony Pogonowski hitting an 18 darter and together with partner Kev Stockton finished the darts pairs in 24 darts.

The George also got off to a good start at dominoes winning the first four games only for the Lady to again fight back with Tony Pogonowski and Keith Bebbington winning the last two singles games.

Then Steve Barratt/Keith Bebbington and Andrew Mason/Bob Sherratt were victorious in the pairs games securing an 8-7 aggregate win for the Flying Lady A.

The Flying Lady also produced the shock of the round when their B team inflicted an 8-6 defeat on Premiership side Hawk.

The Hawk had a 5-2 advantage at darts but the visiting Flying Lady B dominated the dominoes 6-1 to secure victory.

Paul Gilligan was on the mark for Raven A hitting a 118 checkout to finish in 18 darts as they white-washed Liberal 7-0 and won the dominoes 5-3 for a 12-3 victory.

Raven B also won through to the next round with a close game against Crown for whom Chris Watwood was on the mark with a 20 darter to give the Crown a 4-3 darts advantage.

But the Raven B had the advantage at dominoes by 5-3 to record an 8-7 aggregate win.

Other top marksmen were Chris Wooley with a 180 maximum helping Kings A to a 9-5 win at the Earl of Chester and Darren Beesley also a 180 as Commercial thrashed Brunel 10-0.

Damien Weaver hit a 110 checkout but still finished on the losing side as Amalgamated A beat Rockwood A 8-7 and Tony Chesters was also on the losing side hitting a 180 for South St as they went down 8-7 at Leisure A.

There were close encounters at a number of locations with the ties being decided by the final dominoes pairs games.

At the Broughton Jim Callaghan and Ian Clarke ensured an 8-7 victory against the Woodside and at the Cumberland Terry Spencer and Michelle Taylor did the same as they defeated Leisure B 8-7.

It was the away side who was triumphant at the Crosville with visitors Rockwood B's last pairings of Christey O'Connor/Mick Culverhouse and Tony Smith/Pete Preece sealing their 8-7 win.

It was a similar story at the Cross Keys A as Cliff Forshaw/Jim Denney won to give Sydney Arms A an 8-7 victory and at the Ashbank.

The Cross Keys B team won 8-7 thanks to Gary Hazeldine and James Watts.

Kings Arms B were losing 7-5 at the LMR with three games to play but the darts duo of Mick Stanley and Brendon Conlon and the dominoes pairings of Terry Akrigg/Roy Stanley and Jayne Whittaker/David Taylor all scored impressive victories to enable the Kings to run out 8-7 aggregate winners.

Vine A were in a similar position against Pioneers needing to win the last three games but they failed when John Cooper beat Howard Bateman to clinch an 8-6 victory for the Pioneers..

British Lion B white-washed Nags Head B at both darts and dominoes winning all nine games played to register an 9-0 aggregate score-line.

Amalgamated B gave Polish C a 7-0 darts white-wash and won two out of four dominoes games to run out easy 9-2 winners.

Newcomers Old Oddfellows had a comfortable 9-6 win over Lion & Swan and there were easy victories for Horseshoe (9-6), Belle Vue(8-3), Nags Head A(8-3), and North Ward A (8-4) over respective opponents Victoria, Westend RAOB B, Imperial and British Lion A.

Coppenhall Leighton, Sydney Arms B and Hop Pole conceded their cup ties to respective opponents Shavington Club, ASLEF Leisure and Nantwich Rd Club.

The draw for round two to be played on Monday May 2 is as follows:-

British Lion B v Leisure A, Broughton v Bridge C, Amalgamated A v Flying Lady A, Nags Head A v Nantwich Rd Club, Delamere v King Arms B, Horseshoe v Bridge A, Kings Arms A v Old Oddfellows, Shavington v Raven B, Cross Keys B v Belle Vue, Flying Lady B v Commercial, ASLEF Leisure v Raven A, Vine B v Cumberland, Badger v Rockwood A, Pioneers v Westend RAOB A, North Ward A v North Ward B, Sydney Arms A v Amalgamated B.