Warwickshire County Darts Organisation finished the year on a low when for the third successive season they lost to Lincolnshire.
Playing at home at the Bishopsgate Club, Coventry Warwickshire’s weekend got off to a reasonable start as the ladies ‘B’ finished all square at three each with Donna Pinch their lady of the match, a 3-1 win over Heather Lodge which gave her a 19.61 average. Other winners were Angela Jones and Melanie Jones.
The men’s ‘B’ side went down 8-4 after trailing 6-0 at the halfway stage. James Hykin stopped Lincolnshire’s charge in the seventh game when he beat Jonathon Bywater 4-0 and took the match award for his 27.08 average. Other winners for the men were Mark Strong, Carl Green and David Hill.
After three consecutive draws the ladies ‘A’ suffered a 5-1 defeat with Natalie Gilbert the sole winner her 3-1 win over Laura Tye giving her an award winning average of 22.41.
Following their opening day 8-4 defeat away to Yorkshire the men’s ‘A’ have been in tremendous form beating West Midlands and Cheshire and against Lincolnshire winning 9-3 their best win of the campaign so far.
There were wins in the first half for Ian McFarlane, Dean Stewart and Antony Allen but in the second half they had a clean sweep taking all six games thanks to Steve Giddings, Tom Aldridge, man of the match Jamie Hughes (31.46) who beat Geoff Heath 4-1, Noel Grant and rounding off the 9-3 win Ted Evetts.
Despite the 19-17 defeat Warwickshire are fourth in the divisional table with 84 points just five short of third placed Glamorgan.
———————————
Week six of the Shirley Premier League sees three players top of the table on 34 points Trevor Carter, playing catch up with 3-1 wins over Brian Lawton, Thomas Bent and Antony Daly to move up from eighth to the top of the table level on points and average with Gary Cleverley who had similar 3-1 wins over Mick Bown and former leader Mark Henderson who drops to fourth in the table. The third player with 34 points is another former leader of the league Phil Thomas whose 3-1 success against John O’Sullivan and 4-0 win against Derek Harper has left him trailing the two players above him only on the games lost as in their twelve games Carter and Cleverley have won eight and drawn four while Thomas has won eight drawn two and lost two.
The league title is so fiercely fought this season that after the top three players on 34 points there are three players Mark Henderson, Thomas Bent and Sam Hicks all just one point behind on 33 points.
Best finish of the night was supplied by Trevor Carter who in hiswin over Brian Lawton checked out on 128 to collect the week’s £5 prize.
Fastest leg of the night and equalling the best of the season so far was a 13 darter from Mark Gwalchmai.
———————————
Pint Pot Flights opened up a 5-4 lead in the first round of the Four Oaks and District Winter League’s Coronation Shield but reigning but last season’s Norman Day Cup winners were unable to win another leg and eventually lost 10-5 to Golden Hind. St Thomas’s Social Club a Coronation Shield semi-finalist last year also lost 10-5 to their visiting team Oscott Sports. The Fox dominated their match against The Boot finishing with an 11-4 win against last year’s losing Coronation Shield finalists.
In the Norman Day Cup The Oscott Social advanced to the next round defeating Red Lion 10-5 while Boldmere Tap booked a place in the next round with an 11-4 win at Sutton Sports and Social Club.
———————————
The Camp Hill League’s Consolation Cup was played off at Journeys End and in the final North Star who finished the season next to bottom of the table found their opponents third place finishers Tyseley WMC a little too much to handle.
The League Cup final was staged at North Star and turned out to be a thrilling game contested by the league’s top two teams. With league champions White Swan Nomads first to find their finishing doubles league runners up Sheldon Marlborough Flights had to content themselves with second place once again.
———————————
The Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League played their Delegates Knockout and the new champions is fourteen years old Cameron Gill who took the title with a final victory over Nathan Whitney.
———————————
The Small Heath League has reached the halfway point of its season and leading the field is Birmingham Allotment Holders Association whose last game of the half saw them hand out a 9-0 whitewash to bottom team Sheldon Marlborough Arrows to put them on an unbeaten 24 points, four more than their nearest rivals second placed Heartlands Club.
———————————
The Kings Norton League has reached the midway point of the season, leaders Avenue Social winning their latest game 5-2 away to third placed West Heath to take their points tally to a perfect 28 from 14 games. Second in the table Rubery RBL were also 5-2 winners playing at home against Bournbrook to give them 24 points, four short of Avenue Social.
West Heath, E57 and Coppice are all eight points off the top with 20 points however Coppice do have a game in hand on the four teams above them, a win would see them replace West Heath in third place.
———————————
There were 8-1 wins for the two top teams in the Shirley and District Monday Night League in week 21 leaders Highwood winning at The Lodge and second placed The Wharf beating their nearest rivals third in the table Red Lion to put Highwood on 36 points, The Wharf on 34 and Red Lion who hold on to third place on 30 the same number as fourth in the league The Bears who were the week’s biggest winners as they handed their hosts Legion Royals a 9-0 defeat. Highwood, Red Lion and The Bears all have a game in hand on The Wharf.
Sharmans Cross ended a lengthy barren run by beating the Plume 5-4 but with the Jesters winning 6-3 at Spartac they remain two points adrift at the foot of the table.
———————————
The Silver End Sunday Morning League played off their Singles Knockout and with a 5-3 result it was A.Whyte who lifted the winner’s silverware with C.Davies runner up.
In the last four games Brickmakers Arms representative Whyte beat J.Rollinson (Woodside) 4-3 while Davies had a more comfortable 4-0 success over his Netherton Cricket Club team mate J.Churchill.
Losing quarter finalists were S.Quarry, M.Rowley, M.Watson and B.Lewis.
———————————
The Netherton Thursday Night League was engaged in the play-off of their Captains Cup. In the semi-finals Carl Hadlington (White Horse) had a clear cut 2-0 win over Trevor Male (Bulls Head) while Simon Purcell (Riddins Tavern) was taken to a deciding leg by Johnny Green (Fairfield) before winning 2-1.
In the final Colin Hadlington produced another straight 2-0 win to clinch the title with Simon Purcell runner up.
———————————
With eleven wins from sixteen games Andy Vellender leads the way in the ECC Sports and Social Club Thursday Night Champions League. Vellender’s most recent fixtures saw him win 5-2 against Chris Fox with both players hitting a maximum and then 4-3 against Rob Montana with Vellender hitting a further two 180’s. With 69 points from his fifteen games Vellender has a seven point’s lead over second placed Chris Manoila who lost his first game against Chris Williams 4-3, Williams hitting a fantastic four maximums in the process. Manoila recovered from his loss to go on and beat Liam Baker 5-2 leaving him with a game in hand on leader Vellender.
Third in the table Robert Pierce is also on the same 62 points as Manoila but he has played sixteen games compared to Manoila’s fourteen.
———————————
The Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League have reached the middle of their season and with half of the fixtures completed top team Gornal Labour Club with an 8-1 win away to Red Cow are on 24 points from their 13 games. The nearest threat for the Labour Club comes from Old Bulls Head their similar 8-1 win against Gornal British Legion keeping them within two points of the leaders as are third in the table Coseley Tavern who won 6-3 at Netherton Cricket Club, Coseley way behind the two teams above them on average.
———————————
After the opening eight games in the Main Section of the Pip Club League just two legs of average separate the top two teams. Queens Head are top on 16 points the latest of their fixtures seeing them win 8-1 at Globe (Wilnecote) while second in the table Belgrave Sports and Social Club who are also on an unbeaten 16 points had the same 8-1 result against Belgrave Club.
There were no fewer than nine maximums in week eight supplied by Phil Daulman (Belgrave Sports and Social Club), Bob Mills, Martin Cairns (Belgrave Club), Sid Kirkham (Birchmoor Club), Eric Blount (Kettlebrook Club), Alex Randle (Wigginton Arms), Mick Hunter (Progressive Club) plus Mark Martin and Sam Whittaker from Queens Head.
———————————
The Brierley Hill Friday Night League played the second leg of the semi-finals of their League Cup and with an overall scores from the two legs Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’ beat Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ 8-6 and meeting them in the final will be Ashwood who took out Brickmakers Arms ‘B’ with an 11-3 scoreline.
———————————
Brickmakers Arms march on in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League their latest conquest being against Kingswinford Conservative Club ‘B’ who they handed a 9-0 whitewash to make it played 27 won 27. Although Brickmakers have a superb record they only hold a two point’s lead over second in the table Ten Arches ‘A’ who won their game at Fox Inn (Lye) 8-1. Third placed Ten Arches ‘B’ are four points adrift of their ‘A’ side in third place they had a 6-3 home win over Hare and Hounds ‘B’.
———————————
The Royal, Albrighton staged the latest of their ever popular knockouts and taking the top prize of £140 was Darlaston’s Justin Evans who after beating Mark Craddock (Cannock) in the semis went on to win 6-3 against Richard Hosey (Birmingham) in the final. Hosey beat Dave Bayton (Telford) in the last four games.
Hosey received £70 as runner up and there was £25 for each of the losing semi-finalists Craddock and Bayton.
———————————
Justin Evans was in top form again in the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League’s Averages Knockout as he won the title with a final win over Jamie Daly. The division two winner was Wayne Horton with Steve Potts the losing finalist.
———————————
Allen’s Sports Bar ‘A’ made it 18 wins in as many games in the West Midlands Men’s Super League when they won 4-1 away to Staffordshire Knot, however the three nearest chasing teams of Yeltz Bar, Woodside Inn and Landywood all went one better as they chalked up 5-0 wins in turn against Allen’s Sports Bar ‘B’, Colebatch’s and The Crown. Yeltz are on 99 points, 14 off the top while Woodside have 97 and Landywood 91.
———————————
I would like to thank all contributors and readers of this column for their continued support over the past year and wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year, I hope all of your wishes and dreams for the New Year come true.
———————————