With the ninth Shirley Premier League season completed the league decided to run a singles competition at what will be their new venue for the forthcoming season Shirley Legion which attracted 18 entries. The format was such that there were four groups, two of four players and two of five with the top two players from each group going into the quarter finals and the third placed player being entered into the Plate competition.
Winning through to the semi-finals of the main event were Paul Higgins, Phil Thomas, Mark Gwalchmai and Adam Stuart. Paul Higgins eased through to the final with a 3-1 win over Phil Thomas whilst Mark Gwalchmai came from 2-1 down against Adam Stuart to win 3-2.
The final saw Higgins take the first leg and then power into a 3-0 lead in what was the best of seven legs, however Gwalchmai fought back to reduce the deficit to 3-2 before Higgins won the sixth leg for a 4-2 victory.
In the plate competition it was a tale of two Andy’s as Thomas and Hoy respectively beat Steve Heeks 3-2 and Chris Thomas snr 3-0. The final was a tight affair, Andy Hoy taking the honours with a 3-2 result.
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It was cup week in the Four Oaks and District League and in the Brian Goodman Cup St Thomas’s Social Club were level at 3-3 with league leaders Royal Sutton Flights before surrendering the final three games to give Royal Sutton Flights a 6-3 win. St Thomas’s Arrows fared no better losing 7-2 to Old Oscott Arrows while Red Lion went 2-1 up against last year’s league winners The Boat, but finally bowed out with a 7-2 reversal.
In the Ken Rust Cup Plough and Arrows continued their winning streak beating The Boot 6-3. Erdington Arrows after losing the first game to Sutton Sports and Social Club took the next five to win 5-3.
Highlights of the week include a 180 from M.Cain (Red Lion) and a 174 from J.Liggins (Royal Sutton Flights).
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The South Birmingham League played the first round of their Roy Parry Cup in which league leaders Erdington Members Club had a resounding 8-1 win over division one bottom team The Gate. There was a tremendous win for division two club Iron Horse who beat their division one rivals Coleshill Social 5-4.
Other teams making it into round two were The Trident, Pavillions, The Dog, Banbury Arrows and The Raven.
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E57 lost their second place in the Kings Norton League in week seven when they suffered a surprising 4-3 defeat away to Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club who are just four places off the foot of the table and had previously only won one of their six games. West Heath with a similar 4-3 win at Thurlestone have taken over the number two spot and share the same 12 points as leaders Avenue Social who won their home game against Cock Inn 6-1 to hang on to their pole position on average.
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The Forest of Arden Winter League had the semi finals of their Pairs Cup on the fixture card both games finishing with close 8-7 results. League leaders Journeys End won against Highwood KB’s while Kingshurst Knights accounted for Greville Arrows.
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Dunky’s Boys have been ousted from the number one position in the Shirley and District Monday Night League after going down 7-2 away to Drawbridge Bears who are fifth in the table and now level on 18 points with their second placed opponents.
Highwood have moved up one place to the top of the table, their 6-3 win away to fourth in the table Cider House giving them a two points advantage over the rest of the field. Red Lion who beat The Lodge 7-2 are third and like Dunky’s, Cider House and Drawbridge are on 18 points.
Player of the week was clearly Ravi Saggo who won his singles match with a 113 finish then won his doubles game with a 102 finish to seal a 5-4 win for Saracens Jesters against Sharmans Cross.
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The Winmau Centre Monday Night League have completed their season and taking the title with a total of 508 points is Misfits who rounded off their campaign with a 38-10 win over Keep It In The Family. Runners up The Untouchables had a similar closing 38-10 win against Make Mine A Double to put them on 461 points some 47 short of the champions.
Unleashed Warrior played the whole fourteen fixtures without a single win ending with a 37-11 defeat at the hands of the Full Monty team.
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Dean Bayliss began week eight in the Erdington Red Lion Double Top League with a 3-0 win over Ryan Barritt but then lost by the same margin to Lewis Bayliss to see him fall eight points behind leader Will Naylor who won his first game against Stuart Larvin 3-0 and followed that with a 2-1 win over Richard O’Grady to put him on 40 points.
Third in the table Jim Frost is on the same 32 points as Dean Bayliss after he beat Richard O’Grady 3-0 and John Frost 2-1, fourth in the table Matthew Cain is a further two points behind.
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There was a first win in six games for Emerald Club in the Small Heath League when they won 5-4 away to Sheldon Marlborough Arrows who are now the only team without a win in the league, two points adrift at the foot of the table.
League leaders East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association had a bye in week seven but remain in pole position with a perfect 12 points and a two point’s lead over their nearest rivals Heartlands Club who won a crucial home game against third in the table Sheldon Marlborough Flights 7-2 to give them a two points breathing space over their opponents.
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The Brierley Hill Monday Night League played off the finals of their doubles knockout and in the last four games the two Delph Bell teams squared up to each other with C.Tomes and S.Cartwright losing 2-1 to M.Bennett and J.Batham. The other semi final saw A.Neale and C.Weeks (Mount Pleasant) win 2-0 against B.Neale and K.Lavender (Bulls Head, Netherton).
With good darts throughout the night the final saw Bennett and Batham win in three straight legs against Neale and Weeks to lift the title.
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On Thursday 21st December the Winmau Darts Centre in the Wolverhampton Indoor Community Sports Arena, Racecourse Road, Wolverhampton, WV6 0QU will be staging a pre-Christmas knockout with a guaranteed £100 first prize for just a £5 entry fee, plus all monies paid in will be paid out in prize money.
There will be a 7-45 deadline for registrations with an 8.00pm start.
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Camp Hill League leaders Journeys End Lions had a bye in week eight which gave second in the table Cotterills Lane Club the chance to reduce the arrears which they did with a 4-3 win over Tyseley WMC to put them on the same 12 points as Journeys End Lions but they have now played two games more than their rivals.
Third in the table Crown Jewels kept to within two points of Cotterills with a 6-1 win over Wagon and Horses plus they have a game in hand.
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The Office continue to lead both the Main and Seeded One divisions of the Pip Club League after their latest 8-1 win away to Globe (Wilnecote) keeping their unbeaten record going in both divisions. In the main division Office and Birchmoor Club, who won 6-3 against Sports Bar ‘180’ are on the same 14 points with Birchmoor having played one game more than Office while in the Seeded One division Queens Head and Birchmoor Club both have the same six points as Office with Office having a game in hand on both teams.
In the Seeded Two division Old Liberal House lead the way with eight points, their latest 5-4 win over Dolphin taking their undefeated run to four games and giving them a four points lead over second placed Pip Club.
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Just three results from the Brierley Hill Friday Night League the only team playing in the top three being Pensnett Welfare Club ‘A’ who won 6-1 against Dudley Sports leaving them six points behind leaders Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ and two behind second in the table Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’, the two top teams now having a game in hand on Welfare Club ‘A’.
In the other two games played Brickmakers Arms ‘B’ beat Delph Bell 6-1 and there was a 5-2 win for Fox Inn ‘B’ (Lye) over Netherton Cricket Club ‘B’, Fox ‘B’ moving up three places to sixth.
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The was a big upset in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League in week 37 as Ten Arches ‘A’ lost their number one spot when they went down 6-3 away to thirteenth in the table Fox Inn (Lye) who are a huge 32 points behind them. Ten Arches ‘A’ now drop into second place behind their local; rivals Ten Arches ‘B’ whose 6-3 win at Bird (Stourbridge) puts them on the same 64 points as their ‘A’ side but with a far superior average take over the leadership.
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The Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League played off the finals of their Delegates Cup and saw George Arnold from Island Inn beat Lee Rennie (Hayes Social) in the final 3-2 in what was a great game with both players having darts at a double to win the title.
Losing semi finalists were Ant Pitts (Waggon and Horses) and Paul Bladen (Dewdrop).
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Week ten of the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League saw leaders Parkes Hall chalk up an important 7-2 home win over third in the table Club Dudley to put four points between the two teams. Second in the table Old Bulls Head won their home game with Ashwood 5-4 to remain two points behind the leaders.
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The Nutan had a fantastic season in the Wednesbury and Darlaston Wednesday Night League winning three of the four divisions in the league, they won the Main title with 50 points 14 more than runners up Black Horse and the same two teams finished in the same order in the Singles and Doubles divisions with Nutan having a 21 points advantage in the Singles and six in the Doubles.
The Trebles divisional title went to Staffordshire Knot, with 21 points they were just two to the good on runners up Horse and Jockey.
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In the Premier division of the Sheldon and District Winter League Dunky’s Boys took their undefeated run to seven games with a 5-4 win at Forget-Me-Not and at the same time maintained their massive six points lead over four teams Iron Horse, Sheldon Marlborough Flights, Highwood KB’s and Pavilions.
In division one top of the table East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association suffered their first defeat in seven as they finished on the wrong side of a 5-4 result at Fox and Goose who are in the bottom half of the table. Nevertheless E.B.A.H.A. hold on to pole position but have had their lead over second and third placed Crown Arrows and Lyndon Old Boys reduced to two points.
It’s close at the top of division two with Inn on the Green and Yardley Ex Colts both having won the six games played, Inn on the Green on top with a superior average, the two teams are six points to the good on the rest of the field.
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