Warwickshire have completed what should have been their scheduled final premier division fixture of the season in the BDO Inter County Championships, an away game against Devon but due to adverse weather conditions their home tie with Glamorgan had to be cancelled earlier in the season and will now be played on the weekend of the 19th and 20th May.
The Devon game produced mixed results for the ladies as the ‘B’ side suffered their heaviest defeat of the season since the opening game when they lost 5-1 to Yorkshire, a result that was repeated at Devon with Chloe McKivett (19.68) the sole winner. Captain Sue Gulliver got the ‘A’ team off to a fine start as she chalked up her fourth consecutive match award and her sixth of the eight games played so far when she won 3-0 against Maria O’Brien with a 20.59 average. Further wins from Caroline Pike, Nina Bolt and Kat Spanswick saw the team win 4-2.
The men’s teams were in fine form with the ‘B’ side winning 8-4, James Hykin (27.45) their top player and the ‘A’ recording a 7-5 win with Nigel Heydon (28.88) taking the match award for a third consecutive time giving the squad an overall 20-16 victory.
Warwickshire are currently seventh in what is a ten team’s division but a win in their final game could see them finish the season much higher up the table.
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Four more outstanding fixtures were played in the Shirley Premier League leaving just one game to be played, a game which will decide the league championship. The outstanding fixture is between Phil Thomas and Dave Fisher with Thomas currently third in the table four points behind leader Paul Higgins but a 4-0 win would see him take the title as despite drawing level on 71 points with Higgins he will have registered more wins than his rival, however with Fisher now working away in London it does look as though the fixture may not take place and should that happen organizer Mark Gwalchmai would have no alternative but to scratch Fisher from the league and take out all of his results.
Currently the bottom four players are Lee Holtham, Steve Devlin, Nick Walker and Dave Fisher but should Fisher be taken out of the equation then Craig Johnson would replace him and the remaining four players would then on presentation night take part in a knockout with a first prize of £20.
Once again with so few league games to play a singles knockout was held which was packed with quality darts throughout. Mark Henderson was taken the full five legs distance in the semi-finals before accounting for Paul Higgins to reach the final after he had already beaten Jordan Ottley and Mark Gwalchmai, Gwalchmai recording a 141 game shot.
Following his wins over Ken Hopton and Dave Hesketh, Andy Thomas booked his final spot for a second successive week with a 3-0 win over Mick Bown and then made it two wins in as many weeks when he defeated Mark Henderson.
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A 5-2 win over Weoley Hill has taken Rubery RBL another step closer to clinching the Kings Norton League title as with 34 points they are four ahead of Avenue Social and six to the good on third placed West Heath who have a game in hand.
Fifth placed Bournbrook moved to within two points of fourth in the table E57 when they beat them 5-2, D.Collins notching a maximum for Bournbrook.
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With all of the domestic issues sorted the Camp Hill League have been busy with various knockouts the first of which was the Captains and Secretaries which was held at the Emerald Club, in the former Pete Yardley beat Liam Fox to take the title while Mick Tilley won the Secretaries with a final win over Derek Rivitt.
Tyseley WMC was the setting for the Consolation Singles and saw a firm favourite Matt Cooper taken out in the preliminary round by league chairman Derek Rivitt. The final was contested by Stuart Ollerenshaw and Simon Edwards and although Edwards found the big scores it was Ollerenshaw who got the 2-1 verdict.
The league are now looking for more teams to join them in their forthcoming new season, the AGM will be held at Wagon and Horses, Adderley Street, Digbeth, B9 4ED on Sunday 13th May at 11.00am, alternatively to register or obtain more information e-mail bigmark1@hotmail.co.uk or call Mark on 07733 397 704
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The Sutton and District League played the preliminary round of their Prestridge Shield which produced a few shock results. Division two leaders Pint Pot Flights had a 6-3 home win over The Fox who are placed fourth in division one and despite not having won in the league so far Drakes Drum and St Thomas Arrows in turn won 7-2 against Erdington Arrows and 6-3 against Old Oscott WMC.
Other winners from the preliminaries and joining Pint Pot Flights, Drakes Drum and St Thomas Arrows in the next round will be The Boat, Golden Hind, The Boot, Erdington Club, Oscott Social and Bishop Vesey.
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A massive 47-1 win over bottom team Three Men And A Lady keeps Misfits top of the Winmau Centre Monday Night League with a total of 472 points and a lead of six over second in the table Above Average who won their fixture with Unleashed Warrior 43-5. Making up the top three is The Untouchables whose 43-5 win over Here For The Beer leaves them on 461 points but not out of the frame for the title.
Three Men And A Lady are the only team not to have won in the thirteen games played but with just 69 points are firmly rooted at the foot of the table a huge 133 points short of the team just above them Unleashed Warrior.
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After beating Micky Wilde 3-0 in the Erdington Red Lion Double Top League Will Naylor moved ever closer to the title when he won by the same margin against his nearest rival, second in the table Dean Bayliss to open up a lead of 15 points between the two players. In his other game Dean Bayliss had beaten Steve Cain 2-1 to put him four points ahead of third in the table John Frost who added 2-1 wins over both Lee Austin and Ryan Barritt to his account.
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Tony Hamilton and his wife Kim have been running the annual Craig Beesley Memorial Knockout for the last 15 years in memory of a friend who sadly passed away 16 years ago. Proceeds from the event were originally donated to the children’s hospital but for the past few years have gone to Fisher House based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The latest of the knockouts was staged at Avenue Lodge, Weoley Castle and attracted 32 players, in the semi-finals Brian Harding beat John Best 2-1 and by the same margin Tony Hamilton won against Richard Mann.
The final was a high scoring affair with Harding hitting 3×140,123,2×100 and recording a 14 darts leg, but with a total of six tons it was Tony Hamilton who won the game and the title 2-1.
Winner Tony Hamilton and Runner Up Brian Harding
The night together with the raffle raised a terrific amount of £269.10.
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Current leader of the Winmau Centre Thursday Night Champions League is Jordan Ward who from 17 games has 79 points and a lead of three over second placed Sam Aitkens who has played 18 games. Third placed Adam Quinton is ten points off the top of the table but as he has only played 14 games he has three in hand on Ward, three games that could give him a possible 21 points.
Four times winner and reigning champion Mick Baker is in sixth place and his 54 points are 25 fewer than leader Ward, however Baker has only played ten games and his seven in hand could easily see him move up into his usual position in the league, pole position.
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Week twelve in the Silver End Sunday Morning League was a good week for King William as they not only won 5-2 against Railway but recorded their first win of the season which sees them move off the foot of the table and be replaced by New Talbot who lost their home tie with league leaders Netherton Cricket Club 5-3.
Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club have replaced Brickmakers Arms ‘B’ in fifth place after beating them 6-2, both teams have 23 points but the Ex Serviceman’s Club have the superior average.
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5-4 defeats saw Hop House and The Swan ousted from their joint top position in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League, the two teams in turn losing to Crestwood and Ashwood. Taking over in pole position is Ten Arches ‘A’ whose 8-1 win over Old Cat (Wordsley) gives them an average lead over second placed Brickmakers Arms who won 7-2 against The Bridge (Kingswinford).
Britannia and Bird (Wordsley) are the only other teams besides the leading duo to have won all three games so far, Britannia beating Hare and Hounds ‘B’ 8-1 and Bird winning 5-4 at Kingswinford Conservative Club ‘A’.
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With just four fixtures remaining in the Shirley and District Monday Night League the title is far from being decided as only average separates the top two teams. Highwood are top of the table, a 9-0 win over Cider House increasing their average lead over Dunky’s Boys who won 7-2 against Drawbridge Bears. Third in the table Red Lion are a four points behind the top two teams but kept in the chase with a 6-3 win away to The Lodge.
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Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ took their unbeaten run to 13 games in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League with an important 8-1 win away to Dudley Sports ‘A’ who drop from third to fourth in the table. Second placed Bulls Head stay within two points of the top side after winning 6-3 away to Delph Bell while Mount Pleasant replace Dudley Sports ‘A’ in third place on average after their 7-2 success against The Swan.
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Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club held on to their three points lead at the top of the Netherton Thursday Night League with a 6-3 win at Delph Bell while their nearest rivals Bulls Head won their home tie with White Horse by the same 6-3 margin. Riddins Tavern in third place are on the same 15 points as Bulls Head and just one leg of average behind them after they won 5-4 at home against Townsend Club.
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There were 5-2 wins for the top two teams in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League, leaders Tipton Sports winning at Horseley Tavern to stay two points ahead of Wagon and Horses who won at Hayes Social. A further two points adrift in third place is Island Inn who had a close 4-3 verdict against New Talbot to keep them just ahead of Dewdrop ‘A’ on average after they beat The Vine 5-2.
In the local derby between Merry-Go-Round ‘A’ and ‘B’ it was the ‘B’ team who got the 4-3 result to move off the foot of the table to be replaced by Sportsman who lost 4-3 at Ivy Bush.
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There were mixed fortunes for the two Ex Serviceman teams in the Rowley Monday Night League as the third placed ‘A’ team won 8-1 at Hare and Hounds and the ‘B’ side who are sixth in the table lost 8-1 at home to leaders George. The Bell with 24 points are two points behind George in second place after their 7-2 success against Whiteheath Tavern.
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As the Cradley Tuesday Night League nears the halfway stage only two points separate the top four teams. Brickmakers Arms top the table on 14 points, their latest win being 6-3 over Gate Hangs Well, second placed Bulls Head are on the same 14 points with an inferior average after their 5-4 home win over fourth in the table Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’. the Cricket Club are on the same 12 points as third placed Wheatsheaf who were the week’s biggest winners, 8-1 away to Chop House.
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A second knockout is planned at Colebatches Club, Leamore, Walsall on Saturday 12th May, cost of entry is £5 with all money in being paid out as prize money. Registration is 12.30pm with the draw being made at 12.45pm, all players are welcome.
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The Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League have played their divisional singles down to the last sixteen players and qualifying for the finals in division one were John Newell, Sarah Maybury, Pete Beighton (Dog and Partridge ‘A’), Denis Pilcher, Jamie Daly, Harry Small, Richard Bradshaw (Sunbeam), Andy Summers (Bull), Ben Forrest, Karl Hughes (Railway), Colin Banks, Paul Bromley, John Bailey (Riley’s ‘C’), Justin Evans, Luis Evans (Gilberts Bar), Dean Showell (Victoria).
Winning through in division two were Elliot Peace (Duke of York), Jon Blakemore (County), Alan Marsh, Paul Gubbins, Mick Noakes (Village Inn), Jamie Horton, Dan Knowles, Ryan Mitchell (Dog and Partridge ‘B’), Geoff Watts (Pendulum), Vince Cooper, Mark Haywood, Ant West (Royal), Lee Smart, Sid Bourne, Steve Potts (Wednesfield Legion), Ivor Newell (Yale Club).
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Queens Head and The Office continue to do battle for the Main Division title of the Pip Club League, the week 21 games seeing Queens Head holding on to pole position after their 7-2 win over Sports Bar ‘180’ to give them 38 points from 20 games while second in the table The Office won 8-1 away to bottom of the table Mercian who are without a win in 19 games.
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