CLACTON kicked-off their 2016/17 Essex Men's Superleague campaign with a hard-fought 7-5 victory against newly-promoted Brightlingsea Regent.

They were missing a couple of players but handed debuts to new signings Coen Wiekamp and Liam Fairclough.

The first game saw 180-scoring Curtis Hammond (27.76) and Adrian Genery (19.90, combined 23.83) defeat Mark Henry (20.10) and Paul Kempen (23.86, combined 21.98).

Andrew Currivan (23.58) and James Wilson (19.76, combined 21.80) then rued seven missed darts at the double as Kevin Savory (21.86) and Karl Mucklow (24.76, combined 23.28) levelled.

Wiekamp (28.18) and Keith Farthing (34.80, combined 31.28) were in fine form as the latter hit a maximum 180 and averaged 104.40 as the duo brushed aside Anthony Neal (23.72) and Colin Adey (22.40, combined 23.12), winning in 32 darts.

The last pairs game saw another fine display from Clacton as Wayne Bloomfield (27.78) opened with a maximum 180 and Eddie Keary (27.83, combined 27.81) finished off with a brilliant 150 finish as the pair won in 36 darts against Lee Woods (27.61) and Karl Mullenegr (12.87, combined 20.91).

Farthing (21.08) couldn’t follow the high scoring he produced in the pairs as he lost 3-1 to Mullenger (21.27) in the opening singles game.

Genery (22.70) won the opening leg against Woods (25.82), but the Brightlingsea man checked out 127 to level and kicked on to win the game 3-1.

Debutant Fairclough (15.23) lost 3-2 in a scrappy game with last year’s B division Superleague player-of-the-year Neal (19.55).

Regent now had the lead for the first time in the match.

However, Bloomfield (29.47) stopped the rot for Clacton as the reigning Superleague singles champion picked up from where he left off last season with an immaculate display, winning 3-0 in legs of 19, 18 and 14 darts against Mucklow (22.77).

Bloomfield claimed the man-of-the-match honours, as well as the highest average in the opening week of league matches.

Former Essex county man and Clacton debutant Wiekamp (26.62) showed his class as he defeated Kempen (19.87) 3-1, aided by a maximum 180, winning in legs of 23, 15 and 18 darts.

Hammond (25.05) was solid as he secured a draw for Clacton with a 3-0 victory against Henry (20.30).

Keary (22.90) let slip a 2-1 lead and went on to rue missed doubles as he lost out 3-2 to Brightlingsea debutant Adey (22.14).

Andrew Currivan (23.30) kept his cool in the last game of the night as he fought back from 2-1 down against Savory (23.06) to clinch a 3-2 win with an 80 finish in the deciding leg to claim the victory for Clacton.