Week three in group one of the South Birmingham League matched the top two teams The Raven and The Bell. Playing on the former’s board the result finished all square at 4-4 to keep Raven in pole position on average and with a game in hand on their rivals.
Pavillions have taken over the number one spot from Iron Horse in group two after they won 5-3 at The Trident and Iron Horse lost by the same margin at home to The Dog who are now just two points behind them with a game in hand.
There were 6-2 wins for the top two teams in group three, leaders Mackadown Social winning at home against Coleshill Social while second placed Erdington Members Club handed out a first defeat to their visitors, third in the table Crown at Shard End.
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Only two results from the Small Heath League’s League Cup week which saw league leaders East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association hand out an 8-0 whitewash to their opponents bottom of the table Emerald Club and Wagon and Horses win 6-3 against Cob’s Bar.
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The Sheldon Heath Social Dukes In House League are up to week four and with joint leader Sean O’Donnell not playing this week Paul Sunner has now taken over as outright leader following his 3-0 win over Mark O’Donnell. Sunner maintains his 100% win record and at the same time has still not dropped a single leg in all four games. Sean O’Donnell is now placed second in the table three points behind Sunner with a game in hand.
Third in the table Phil Ashford is the only other player besides Sunner and O’Donnell not to have lost a game in the league, his 2-1 win over Perry Pudge taking him level on nine points with O’Donnell but he has played one game more than his rival.
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It was not unlucky week thirteen for Station Wagon in the Camp Hill League as for the first time in a dozen games they chalked up a win. Playing at home against Emerald Club, who are some four places above them they won 4-3, however despite the win they remain rooted at the foot of the table two points behind the team just above them New Inn.
At the other end of the table leaders Cotterills Lane Club made it thirteen straight wins with a 5-2 success away to Eagle and Ball. Second in the table Hay Mills Social Club Lions fought off the challenge of fourth placed Tyseley WMC to win 4-3 and keep within two points of Cotterills while third placed Holy Gulp were the week’s biggest winners handing out a clear cut 7-0 defeat to their hosts New Inn.
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Congratulations to Shaun Carroll from Landywood ‘A’ who from a field of 29 players in the West Midland’s County qualifier for the World Professional Tournament at Gilberts Bar, Willenhall beat Dave Redding from Crown ‘B’ 4-1 in the final with a 30.12 average.
Both finalists came through a tough field, with Carroll’s run to the final seeing him account for Chris Hickman (Allens Sports Bar ‘B’), Rob Smith (Crown ‘A’), Owen Maiden (Chillington) and Dean Mills (Duke of York) while Redding booked his final spot after wins over Luke Jones (Olde Queens Head), Mick Baker (Chillington), Wayne Willis (Allens Sports Bar ‘A’) and Chris Hill (Staffordshire Knot).
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Division one of the Sutton and District Summer League saw the top half play the bottom half and as expected all of the results went in favour of the top half teams. Leaders Golden Hind won 6-3 at St Thomas’s Club to hold on to their two points advantage over second placed The Boat who went one better with a 7-2 result at Plough and Arrows. Bishop Vesey are a further two points adrift third and they won 5-4 at Old Crown Arrows.
In division two top team Erdington Club hosted bottom of the table Pint Pot Flights and won 6-3 to keep them four points to the good on their nearest rivals Red Lion who were also 6-3 winners at Drakes Drum and now have a game in hand on the top team.
As in the division two fixtures, division three also produce a top versus bottom encounter when Old Oscott WMC travelled to take on Lad in Lane and returned with a comfortable 8-1 win to put them on 14 points at the top of the table. Second placed Fox, who have played one game fewer than the leaders won 7-2 at Rosey Mac’s to give them the same 14 points Old Oscott WMC.
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Journeys End have lost not only their top of the table position in the Forest of Arden Summer League but also their 100% win record after losing to their local rivals Journeys End Flights 6-3. Journeys End Flights are now the only team in the league to have won all five games and have a two points lead over both Highwood KB, who have moved up into second place and Journeys End. Highwood KB won their game against The C’s 7-2.
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Week thirteen saw big wins for the top three teams in the Winmau Centre Monday Night League as leaders Just The Tip beat Full Monty 41-7, second placed What’s The Point won 40-8 against Oche Dokie and third in the table The Untouchables got the better of bottom team Unleashed Warrior with a 41-7 result.
Just The Tip now have 419 points from twelve games while What’s The Point are six points behind them with a game in hand and Untouchables are a further fifteen points adrift having played the same number of games as the top team.
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Sheldon Marlborough Cricket Club and Foaming Tankard were involved in a friendly darts match and with wins for Martin Cain, Alex Downes, Jim Frost, Alan Wale, Ian Jones, John Frost, Clive Austin and Steve Cain Foaming Tankard won 8-2. Winners for Sheldon Marlborough were Dave Humphries and Martin Cox.
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Round two of the League Cup was the order of the day for the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League and winning through to the quarter finals were Old Cat Inn (Wordsley), Brickmakers Arms, The Bridge (Kingswinford), Stourbridge RBL, Church Tavern, Ten Arches ‘B’, Hare and Hounds ‘B’ and Ten Arches ‘A’.
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Woodside continue to dominate the Silver End Sunday Morning League, their 7-1 home win over Pensnett Welfare Club keeping them six points ahead of the rest of the field in pole position. Second placed Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ had a crucial 7-1 away win against The Bell who are third in the table and now five points behind their victors.
Although lower in the table than their ‘A’ team Brickmakers ‘B’ equaled their local rivals result with a 7-1 home win over Railway.
Glasscutters went down 5-3 at Old Star and remain the only team in the league without a win so far this season.
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With only one more fixture to the halfway stage of the Brierley Hill Monday Night League only two points separate the top three teams. Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club lead the way on 26 points after adding their latest somewhat close 5-4 home win over Lamp Tavern who are just two places off the bottom of the table. Second placed Bulls Head (Netherton) also won 5-4 at Blue Brick and stay ahead of third in the table Mount Pleasant on average after they returned to winning ways with yet another 5-4 result at Pensnett Liberal Club who were the only losers in the top five teams. Fourth in the table Delph Bell beat New Talbot 6-3.
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Following their 4-3 defeat away to the Fox Inn (Lye), The Bell have dropped from pole position to sixth in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League and trail new leaders The Swan, who won 6-1 at home against Glasscutters, by two points.
In addition to The Swan having maximum six points so also have Ashwood ‘A’, Brickmakers Arms, Wombourne Cricket Club and Ten Arches ‘B’ who all made it three wins in as many game with respective wins over Dudley Sports ‘B’ (5-2), Hare and Hounds (6-1), Stourbridge RBL (4-3) and Station Inn (5-2).
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Langley Hall Sports and Social Club’s knockout attracted some first class Midlands darts players including the likes of Nigel Heydon, Jamie Caven, Ted Evetts, Ian Jones, Liam Kelly, Mike Mcfall, Nick Fullwell, Ian McFarland plus many more top players, all chasing the top prize of £500.
In the last eight Ian McFarlane and Mike McFall had close 4-3 win in turn against Jamie Caven and Liam Kelly, Ted Evetts won 4-2 against Nick Fullwell while Nigel Heydon had the biggest win of the round, 4-1 against David Pallett.
The semi finals saw both eventual finalists chalk up convincing wins, Heydon 5-0 against Ian McFarlane and McFall 5-1 against Ted Evetts.
Losing semi finalist Ian McFarlane with organiser Jamie Carter
Losing semi finalist Ted Evetts with organiser Jamie Carter
The best of eleven games final saw Nigel Heydon beat Mike McFall 6-3 to clinch the top £500 prize with McFall receiving £200. Both losing semi finalists Ian McFarlane and Ted Evetts received £75.
Winner Nigel Heydon with organiser Jamie Carter
Runner Up Mike McFall ith organiser Jamie Carter
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Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club suffered a shock defeat and had their lead at the top of the table reduced to six points in the Netherton Thursday Night League when they finished on the wrong side of a 6-3 result away to second in the table Riddins Tavern. Third placed Delph Bell won their home tie with White Horse 7-2 to put them on the same 18 points as Riddins but they do have a game in hand on both their opponents and the leaders.
Hill and Cakemore moved off the foot of the table with their first win in nine a 5-4 result against Townsend Club. Taking over the bottom spot is The Crown whose 7-2 home reversal against Fairfield leaves them on the same three points as Hill and Cakemore but trailing on average.
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Tommy Johnson and Richard Reed are setting the pace in the Yeltz Bar Tuesday Night 501 Singles League both players winning their latest fixtures 5-0, Johnson beating Richard Barrett and Reed winning against Richard Hill to keep Johnson two points ahead of Reed. After the top two comes a gap of eight points to third placed Loz Slater who didn’t play in week 16 and now has a game in hand on the two above him.
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The Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League played their doubles knockout down to the last eight of their two divisions and qualifying for finals night in division one were Simon Pritchard & Phil Mayo (Riley’s ‘C’), Allan Davies & Hamie Daley (Sunbeam), Joe Cook & Lee Cook (Riley’s), Steve Field & Martin Malone (Pavilion), Karl Noakes & Matt Smart (Riley’s ‘C’), Jeff Simmons & Steve Jones (Wednesfield Conservative Club), Les Marson & Paul Boddison (Riley’s ‘A’), Matt BIckerton & Dave Rowsell (Bull).
The division two winners were Lee Betts & Darren Walton (Royal), Phil Plant & Matt Evans (Woodfield Social), Chris Banks & Steve Beighton (Dog and Partridge), Simon Ward & Steve Hillman (Wednesfield Legion), Dean Fullwood & Kev Ansell (Ukrainian Club), Andy Harley & Steve Potts (Wednesfield Legion), Tom Fletcher & Richard Fletcher (Roebuck), Richard Mattox & John Newell (Dog and Partridge).
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Big wins for the top three teams in the Wednesbury and Darlaston Wednesday Night League, leaders The Nutan winning 7-2 at Horse and Jockey, second placed Black Horse handed a 9-0 whitewash to visiting team Staffordshire Knot ‘B’ and third in the table English Oak won 8-1 against Churchills ‘B’.
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ECC ‘A’ leaders of the Tettenhall Wednesday Night League had a surprisingly close 4-3 win away to bottom of the table Jones Road who have only won three of their sixteen games so far. Second placed Whitmore Reans WMC were not even that fortunate as they lost 4-3 away to fifth in the table Moreton and are now two points off the top..
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This week’s column ends on a sad note with the news that Dave Duncan, captain and a member of the Crown at Olton darts team for in excess of 30 years recently passed away.
A dear friend to many Dave’s funeral will take place on the 14th July at Yardley Crematorium at 3.00pm then afterwards at the Crown, Masons Way, Olton.
There will be family flowers only but should anyone wish to make a donation it will go to the Q.E. Hospital Sight and Skin Cancer or the Birmingham University Research for Immune Melanoma.
Dave Duncan
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