Crown ‘A’ reigning champions in the West Midlands Men’s Super League look as if they have thrown away any chance they had of retaining the title when in their penultimate game of the season they lost 3-2 away to Allens Sports Bar ‘B’ who are sixth in the table and some 44 points short of their opponents.
The defeat leaves Crown ‘A’ on 169 points four fewer than leaders Landywood ‘A’ whose 3-2 win at Duke of York appears to have wrapped up the title with 173 points. Crown ‘A’ are now in danger of losing the runners up spot as third in the table Pheasant, after winning 4-1 at Landywood ‘B’ are just one point behind Crown ‘A’.
At the other end of the table the bottom two teams played each other, next to bottom White Swan winning 3-2 at home against Rowley Bar and Grill who will take this seasons wooden spoon.
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The South Birmingham League have got their summer season underway and with a 6-2 win at The C’s Flights The Bell top the group one table. A similar 6-2 win in group two for Iron Horse over The Kingfisher puts them top of the pile while the lead is shared in group three as both Erdington Members Club and Mackadown Social chalked up 7-1 wins over respective opponents Smithswood Social and The C’s Arrows.
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A 4-1 win over Chris Devlin followed by a 2-2 draw with fourth in the table Tom Bent has seen Paul Higgins pick up six from a possible eight for a second successive week in the Shirley Red Lion Premier League and keeps him in pole with 88 points after completing all of his games. Andy Thomas with 3-1 wins over both Mick Bown and Lee Holtham is second on 81 points he has also played all of his fixtures. However the battle for a top four place is still on and will go to the final week as Tom Bent who is on 79 points has three remaining games which could net him a total of twelve points and take him into pole position, plus fifth placed Mark Gwalchmai has two more games to play and he could finish as runner up. When all of the fixtures have been completed the top four players will then be involved in a playoff where the winner will receive £140.
Meanwhile at the other end of the table Tim Lowe, Nick Walker and Lee Holtham have already secured their play off place with Luke Coles favorite to join them but he could still avoid a bottom four place in the final week and would then be replaced by Mike Forsyth, the winner of the bottom four playoff will get his entry fee refunded.
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The Camp Hill League played off their doubles knockout and clinching the title with a final win over team mates Neil Parsonage and Matthew Cooper (Cotterills Lane Club) were Colin Wyatt and Nigel Davis.
Losing semi finalists were Chris Stokes and Shay Darby (Holy Gulp) and Tom Humphries (Hay Mills Social Club Lions) and Bill Carter (Holy Gulp).
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Week twelve of the Small Heath League brought together the top and bottom teams as leaders East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association took on Emerald Club. The result went as expected to E.B.A.H.A, a convincing 8-1 verdict to keep them in pole position on 22 points and a lead of two on second placed Gulp Tribe who had a closer 5-4 win at home against third in the table Foaming Tankard. Gulp Tribe are now six points clear of Foaming Tankard and have a game in hand on both them and E.H.A.B.A.
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Just two main league results from the Forest of Arden Summer League which saw Journey’s End Flights awarded a 5-0 win over Chelmsley Town to put them level on eight points with leaders Journeys End but trailing slightly on average. The other game between The C’s and Crown Arrows resulted in a 7-2 win for Crown Arrows to take them up the table into fourth place on 4 points together with Highwood KB, Kingshurst Knights and Greville Arrows.
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With What’s The Point having a bye in week eleven of the Winmau Centre Monday Night League they have been replaced at the top of the table by Just The Tip who won 42-6 against bottom of the table Unleashed Warrior the only team in the league without a win so far. With a total of 351 points Just The Tip have a six points advantage over What’s The Point who have dropped to second place but are nine points to the good on third placed The Untouchables whose 27-21 win over Utter Nutters takes their games played to ten one more than What’s The Point.
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The Bilston and District League staged their Legends of the Oche competition which was restricted to signed league players only but paid out some big cash prizes. The best of three legs final went to the wire with Warwickshire county player Jamie Hughes just getting the 2-1 verdict over Tikey Gelder to give him the title plus the £200 top prize and Gelder £100.
Winner Jamie Hughes
Runner Up Tikey Gelder
In the last four games Hughes beat Alfie Jacques while Gelder took out Cav Timmins each of the losing players picking up £50.
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The Brierley Hill Monday Night League played their doubles knockout down to the last last sixteen pairs and winning through to finals night were I.Golding & C.Bowen, M.Hadley & W.Cairns, B.Neale & K.Lavender, W.Humphries and T.Humpries (Bulls Head), C.Tomes & S.Cartwright, M.Bennett & J.Batham (Delph Bell), J.McCormack & D.Moss, A.Neale & C.Weeks (Mount Pleasant), M.Garrett & P.Whitcombe, A.Stretton & N.Weaver (Blue Brick), N.Candlin & S.Grainger, S.Kite & D.Ellerton (Swan), N.Clarke & M.McAviney (Roebuck), R.Hunt & J.Poole (Portway), C.Pinion & D.Cooper (Brickmakers Arms), P.Tonks & M.Kendall (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club).
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With only a few outstanding fixtures remaining in the Winmau Centre Thursday Night League the big question is still who will collect the top prize of £300 as champion and also receive twelve months sponsorship from Winmau. With the top two players Sam Guest and Mick Baker not playing in week 25 they remain locked together on average and 226 points one of the two will finish as the winner and the other runner up.
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League week seventeen was a good one for the Ten Arches teams in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League as league leaders Ten Arches ‘A’ won their home tie with Crestwood 8-1 and Ten Arches ‘B’, who are second in the table, four points adrift of their ‘A’ team, also won 8-1 in an away game against fifth placed The Bridge (Kingswinford).
Third in the league Gate ‘B’ closed the average gap slightly on Ten Arches ‘B’ as they handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their hosts Old Cat Inn (Wordsley). Kingswinford Snooker Club also recorded a clean sweep as they won their home game against Starving Rascal 9-0.
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As a result of their 6-1 home win over Waggon and Horses and Island Inn’s unexpected 4-3 home defeat by bottom of the table Hayes Social, Dewdrop have gone two points clear at the top of the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League. Hayes Social’s win was only their second success in seventeen games.
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The Netherton Thursday Night League played off a couple of preliminary cup rounds, first the Andy Bastable Shadow cup in which Riddins Tavern lost 5-4 at home to Fairfield and the League Shadow cup in which Delph Bell beat The Crown 6-3.
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As the Yeltz Bar Tuesday Night 501 Singles League nears the halfway mark Tommy Johnson with a 4-1 win over Adam Hill took his unbeaten run to fifteen games to keep him two points ahead of second in the table Richard Reed who lost ground in the title race when he lost 3-2 to his nearest rival third placed Loz Slater. Slater is now just three points behind Reed and one to the good on fourth in the table Neil Steventon who won his fixture with the man just below him in the table Richard Hill 3-2.
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The top four teams in the division one singles league of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League all won in week 14 so there is no change at the top with Riley’s ‘C’ still in pole position on 26 points after their 5-2 home victory over Victoria. Second and third placed Sunbeam and Wednesfield Conservative Club are only separated on average as they are both on 22 points following wins over respective opponents Pavilion (5-2) and Bull (4-3). Riley’s ‘B’ are fourth their 6-1 win over Jack’s Bar seeing their opponents drop one place to sixth.
In the second division Dog and Partridge the only team in the entire league to have a 100% win record lead the way with 30 points after adding a 4-3 home win over Woodfield Social. Wednesfield Legion dropped from second to third after a 4-3 home defeat by Roebuck and taking over in second place is Shed who won their game against Riley‘s ‘D’ 5-2.
In the doubles leagues Riley’s ‘B’ lead division one with 26 points and a six points lead and it’s Wednesfield Legion who top division two again on 26 points and a six points advantage.
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5-2 wins for the top two teams in the Tettenhall Wednesday Night League, leaders ECC ‘A’ beating Riley’s while Whitmore Reans WMC had a crucial 5-2 win over Cleveland Arms who are third and now six points behind Whitmore.
ECC ‘B’ moved off the foot of the table with only their fourth win in fifteen when they won 4-3 at Brewood British Legion, Jones Road take over the bottom spot after their 5-2 defeat at Swan Compton.
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The Nutan continue to lead the field in the Wednesbury and Darlaston Wednesday Night League their latest success being a 7-2 win over Black Horse. Match thirteen’s biggest win however went to Horse and Jockey who beat their hosts Churchills ‘B’ 9-0.
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