Leaders of the Shirley and District Monday Night League Highwood had a bye in week eighteen and the chasing pack and nearest six rival teams took full advantage to reduce the arrears as they all won. Nevertheless Highwood remain top of the table on 30 from 16 games while second placed Red Lion, who won 8-1 at home against Saracens Misfits have 28 points from 17 games. Third and fourth in the league The Wharf and The Bears after seventeen games are also on 28 points and in turn won 7-2 against Legionnaires and 8-1 away to Shirley Spartac.
Legion Flights and The Lodge both have 24 points following their wins in turn over Legion Royals (6-3) and Sharmans Cross (9-0). Making up the top seven teams is Cider House whose 8-1 win away to Saracens Jesters puts them on 22 points.
With all of the chasing teams winning there was no positional changes in the table whatsoever this week.
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Three division one fixtures were played in the Four Oaks and District Winter League and all three finished with close 5-4 results. Top team The Boat at 4-1 up were cruising to victory against Boldmere St Mikes but then lost the next two games to lead 4-3 and with two 15 darts legs of 501 including a 180 from A.Kimberley the fixture was taken to the very last game. Boat then rescued the tie when they won the final game 2-1 despite a 180 from Boldmere’s M.Wild. Second in the division and on the same unbeaten 8 points as Boat, Old Oscott Arrows took their winning run to four games with a win over Red Lion while Pint Pot Flights chalked up their first win of the season when they won at The Boot.
In the second division both St Thomas’s Social Club and Erdington Arrows won 6-3 against respective opponents Bishop Vesey and Oscott Social to put both teams on 8 points with St Thomas’s staying just ahead of Erdington on average. Third placed Fox took the final game to secure a 5-4 win at Drakes Drum and keep within two points of the leading duo.
Similar to division one all of the games played in division three had 5-4 scorelines leaders Oscott Sports winning at St Thomas’s Arrows to keep them two points ahead of second placed Rosey Mac’s who beat The Digby.
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The Small Heath League had their Jim Haveron 3 A-Side Knockout on the agenda but actually ran out of time to complete the four quarter finals and only three were played in which Heartlands Club ‘C’ won 5-4 against Cob’s Bar ‘B’, Heartlands Club ‘B’ beat Wagon and Horses ‘B’ 6-3 and Heartlands Club ‘A’ lost 7-2 to East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association ‘B’. The one outstanding game between Sheldon Marlborough Arrows ‘A’ and East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association ‘A’ is to be played at a later date.
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Week three of the Shirley Premier League saw Thomas Bent retain his top spot. After going down 3-1 to Pete Silver Bent recovered to win 4-0 against Jordan Ottley to give him a total of 21 points from seven games and a lead of three over Mark Henderson who has moved up into second place following his 3-1 wins over both Mark Gwalchmai and Kevin Graver. Mark is just one point to the good on four players, Antony Daly, Dave Heighway, Phil Thomas and Sam Hicks, Daly having 3-1 wins over Jack Barrows and Brian Lawton while Heighway won his first game against Derek Harper 4-0 and then lost 3-1 to Mark Gwalchmai. Phil Thomas also had mixed fortunes as he won 3-1 against Chris Thomas jnr and then lost by the same margin to John Smyth and Sam Hicks finished all square at 2-2 with both Colin Geens and John O’Sullivan.
Just one ton plus finish on the night which saw John Smyth checking out on 114 in his win over Phil Thomas to clinch the week’s £5 prize for the highest finish. There were 180’s from Mark Henderson, Steve Harper and Chris Thomas jnr.
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With a fixture free week the Camp Hill League decided to hold a charity night at the Sheldon Marlborough Cricket Club in memory of the league’s former chairman John Young.
Despite a poor turnout a fantastic amount of £135 was raised and will be donated in John’s memory to a local dogs trust.
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With only two more fixtures to play in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ virtually guaranteed themselves the winner’s trophy when they won their home tie with fourth in the table Mount Pleasant 6-3. The win has taken the Ex Serviceman’s points tally to 54 and with the three teams just below them all losing they have a four point’s advantage plus a superior average. Second in the table Bulls Head (Netherton) fell four points short of the Ex Serviceman’s Club when they surprisingly lost their home tie with Rose and Crown 5-4, Rose and Crown some six places below them and have 16 points fewer. Bulls Head are the only team now who could possibly take the title off Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ but it would need big wins for them and big defeats for the Ex Serviceman’s.
With a 6-3 win at Pensnett Liberal Club, Dudley Sports ‘A’ have taken over third place from Delph Bell who lost by the same 6-3 margin at the Swan who are eleventh in the table. Mount Pleasant’s defeat has seen them drop one place to fifth.
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The Netherton Thursday Night League played the finals of their League Shadow Cup and in a game that went to a last leg decider it was league runners up Riddins Tavern who got the very close 5-4 verdict over Delph Bell.
Just one rearranged league fixture was played in which Bulls Head won 7-2 at Netherton Conservative Club to lift them over Fairfield on average and finish fourth in the table on the same 45 points as Fairfield.
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The outcome of the games in week twelve of the Kings Norton League resulted in no positional changes in the league table whatsoever. Leaders Avenue Social kept two points ahead of second placed Rubery RBL with a convincing 6-1 win at Coppice who are fourth in the table and now eight points adrift of Avenue with a game in hand. Rubery’s 5-2 win at Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club keeps them still well in contention for the title and two points to the good on third placed West Heath whose 5-2 win at Weoley Hill takes them to 18 points but from twelve games.
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After an 8-1 win at British Oak Brickmakers Arms have taken their unbeaten run in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League to an unbeaten 24 games, however despite such a fine run they only have a two points advantage over their nearest rivals Ten Arches ‘A’ who were 7-2 winners at Old Cat (Wordsley).
Biggest win of the week goes to Ten Arches ‘B’ and Hop House who in turn handed out 9-0 whitewashes to Hare and Hounds ‘A’ and Crestwood.
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Queens Head and Belgrave Sports and Social Club took their winning run in the Main division of the Pip Club League to an undefeated six games when the former handed out an 8-1 defeat to their hosts Glascote Club and the latter had a resounding 9-0 home win over Kettlebrook Club. With 12 points the leading duo have a two points lead on third in the table Birchmoor Club who beat Old Liberal House 6-3.
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The Silver End Sunday Morning League played off the finals of their League and Shadow cups which proved to be a very successful night for Brickmakers Arms. In the League Cup Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ beat reigning league champions Woodside 5-2 and then making it a great double for Brickmakers their ‘B’ side won 5-3 against Dudley Sports to clinch the Shadow Cup title.
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As a result of losing 4-3 at home to Waggon and Horses, Tipton Sports have lost pole position in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League and dropped to second place behind new leaders Dewdrop ‘A’ who won 5-2 at New Talbot. Tipton Sports were the only losers in the top five teams and with 64 points are two behind Dewdrop ‘A’ and level on the same number as third placed Island Inn who with a tremendous 170 maximum break from M.Bond beat Merry-Go-Round ‘B’ 5-2.
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The Cradley Tuesday Night League staged the finals of their 3 A-Side Knockout and in the last four games league champions Brickmakers Arms won 5-2 against Roost while Wheatsheaf lost 5-3 to Chop House who finished the season bottom of the table while their opponents ended the campaign in fourth place.
The final saw Brickmakers make it a fantastic league and cup double when they accounted for Chop House with a 5-1 result.
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Miners (Wollescote) were the only losers in the top half of the Brierley Hill Friday Night League in week 17 as they went down 6-1 at home to second in the table Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’ who keep within two points of leaders Brickmakers Arms after they won 5-2 at Netherton Cricket Club ‘B’.
Although third placed Ashwood won 7-0 at Delph Bell they remain six points off the top of the table and are level on 24 points with fourth placed Old Star who won 5-2 against Dudley Sports.
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After the opening ten fixtures in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League, Gornal Labour Club and Coseley Tavern remain locked together on the same 18 points at the top of the table. Despite Coseley winning 7-2 at Chainyard the Labour Club lead the field on average after their latest 6-3 win at White Lion. The top two sides are two points to the good on third placed Old Bulls Head who won their home game against Netherton Cricket Club 7-2.
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A 5-0 win for Allen’s Sports Bar ‘A’ over The Victoria and a close 3-2 defeat for Woodside by Landywood has seen Allen’s ‘A’ increase their lead at the top of the West Midlands Men’s Super League to twelve points. Woodside hold on to second place with 82 points but are now just one ahead of third in the table Yeltz Bar who won their game at Gilberts Bar 3-2, a further eight points adrift with 73 points is fourth in the table Landywood.
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The Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League staged the preliminary round of their Shadow Cup and winning through to the first round proper were Ashwood ‘A’, Netherton Cricket Club, High Acres and Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ who in turn accounted for Swan (4-3), King Arthur (4-3), Brickmakers Arms ‘B’ (6-1) and Fox Inn (Lye, 4-3).
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