Warwickshire County Darts Organisation ended their run of two defeats in the premier Division of the BDO Inter County Championships at the Bishopsgate Club, Coventry when they finished all square with Essex.
Expectations were high for home win but after the first day’s play the hosts actually trailed 10-8 as the ladies ‘B’ lost 4-2 with Wendy Adams, for the second successive game taking the match award with a 17.21 average. The men’s ‘B’ after going 4-2 down salvaged a 6-6 draw when Tom Martin won the last game of the day against Robert Turner 4-1. The man of the match award went to David Hill who in the opening game of the day beat Lennie Holmes 4-2 after Holmes had won the first two legs, Hill’s average 27.19.
The ladies ‘A’ made it four draws in six games with all of the wins going to the player with the first throw advantage. Sue Gulliver made it three award wins from the six games with her 23.86 average.
Taking the men’s ‘A’ award with a terrific 31.17 average was, for the second consecutive fixture Ian McFarlane who was first on and beat Jamie Peetoom 4-2 as the team went on to win 7-5.
The overall 18-18 draw left Warwickshire still fourth in the table on 119 points four short of third placed Glamorgan who are their next opponents.
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West Midlands fixture in the Premier Division of the BDO Inter County Championships was a home tie against bottom of the table Cheshire, a game they desperately needed to win to evade any possibility of relegation.
Both of the ladies teams shared the points as the ‘B’ team went from 2-1 down to 3-2 up and then lost the last game to finish level, the lady of the match award going to Shellbie Simmons who beat Lyn Marsden 3-2 and averaged 15.42. The ‘A’ side after trailing 3-1 battled on to finish all square at 3-3 with anchor player Sarah Roberts winning 3-0 against Jane Stubbs to not only salvage a draw for her team but at the same time take the match award for her superb 24.64 average.
Both of the men’s teams finished on the wrong side of a 7-5 result with Shane Price the ‘B’ teams top player with a great 30.25 average and for the ‘A’ it was Nick Fullwell who averaged 29.47.
The overall 20-16 defeat has seen West Midlands drop into the bottom two places in the table on the same 95 points as their bottom placed opponents with both team’s three points short of Essex who are just above them.
With tough away games against Lincolnshire and Glamorgan and just one home tie with current league leaders Lancashire relegation now looks a real threat for the Midlands side.
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The Wharf slipped upon week 28 of the Shirley and District Monday Night League and surrendered any outside chances they had of winning the league title plus they may also have lost out on the runners up spot when they lost 6-3 away to The Highwood who with just two more games to play top the table with 48 points.
With The Wharf dropping to third place Red Lion have taken over the number two position, their 9-0 win at Legion Royals taking their points tally to 44, the same as Wharf’s but with a superior average.
Highest finish this week went to Thomas Allcott (Plume of Feathers) who checked out on 116 while there were maximums for Mick Bown (Red Lion), Gary Cleverley (Legion Flights), Shay Darby (The Highwood), James Hinkley, Dan Lee (The Lodge), Matt McCallion (Cider House), Sean Talbot (Saracens Misfits), Chris Thomas snr (The Bears).
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East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association had their fixture with Wagon and Horses cancelled in the Small Heath League but nevertheless they remain in pole position with 32 points and have two games in hand on their nearest rivals Heartlands Club who won 7-2 against Sheldon Marlborough Flights, Jim Frost in fine form for Heartlands with two 120 breaks and one of 100 together with scores of 140 and 100.
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A 4-0 win over Kevin Graver plus a 2-2 draw with Gary Cleverley keeps Thomas Bent top of the Shirley Premier League with 80 points from 25 games. Mark Gwalchmai suffered a bad week as he lost 3-1 to both Jordan Ottley and Trevor Carter and as a result drops one place in the table to third. Taking over in second place from Gwalchmai is John Smyth who beat Derek Harper 4-0 and Colin Geens 3-1 to put him on 70 points from 26 games, one more than Gwalchmai from the same number of games.
There are just four more weeks of fixtures to play and with only five points the difference between second and eighth place there is still lots to play for but Bent does appear now to have one hand on the winners silverware.
Brian Lawton was the only player to notch a maximum this week and Steve Sidwell had the highest finish of 108 on the night.
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The Camp Hill League staged round one of their League Cup, the biggest score of the round being 5-2 and was achieved by Roost Rebels, Emerald and New Inn who in turn defeated Station Wagon, North Star and Tyseley WMC. There were 4-3 wins for White Swan Nomads and Sheldon Marlborough Flights who took out Wagon and Horses and Sedgemere Devil’s Club respectively.
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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night League played their singles knockout down to the last two players at two venues. At the Britannia the final games saw Mark Bayliss and Keith Sprague win 2-0 against Lee Stevens and Tony Cunningham, while at the Ashwood both of the last two games finished with a close 2-1 scoreline going to Brian Fitzgerald and Richard Bowen who in turn took out Paul Hill and Chris Fox.
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Two points is the difference between the top three teams in the Kings Norton League, however leaders Avenue Social have two games in hand on the chasing duo Rubery RBL and Coppice.
Avenue took their undefeated run to sixteen games with a 5-2 win at E57 to put them on 32 points the same number as Rubery in second place after they won 6-1 at Kings Heath. Third placed Coppice also had a 6-1 win in their fixture away to next to bottom of the table Northfield to give them 30 points.
West Heath won 4-3 at Cock Inn and take over third place from E57 on average as both teams are on 24 points.
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Swan’s fine start to the new season in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League continues as they took their winning run to four games with a 6-3 win at Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ’B’. Dudley Ex Serviceman’s ‘A’ move up one place to second on the same eight points as Swan after winning 7-2 at Lamp Tavern, High Oak are also unbeaten and lost their number two position on average as they won 5-4 at Rose and Crown whose first defeat sees them drop from third to seventh.
Bull and Bladder chalked up their first win in four a 7-2 success away to bottom to Limes Club.
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An 8-1 win at Cottage saw The Bell take their unbeaten run in the Rowley Monday Night League to four games, nevertheless their lead was reduced to just one leg of average as their nearest rivals George handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their visitors Spring Meadow to put them on the same 100% eight points as Bell.
After the top two teams comes a chasing pack of six teams Ex Serviceman’s ‘A’, Tividale FC, Ivy Bush, Fairfield, Hare and Hounds and Windmills End, all on 6 points just two shy of the top two and all winning except for Ivy Bush who suffered their first defeat, 6-3 away to Cradley Sports and Social.
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Vine and Miners Arms made it played five and won five in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League when Vine won 7-0 at Hayes Social to lead the table on average and second placed Miners won 5-2 at New Talbot.
Third in the table Tipton Sports are the only other team in the league to remain unbeaten, their 5-2 win over Dewdrop ‘B’ being just their fourth game, their 8 points and better average putting them third in the table.
Strangely all of the bottom three teams suffered close 4-3 defeats, bottom team Court House with a 180 from D.Fellows losing at home to Sportsman, next to bottom Wonder also lost their home tie to Ivy Bush and Horseley Tavern completed a trio of home defeats as they lost to fourth placed Merry-Go-Round.
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After only three games and from a starting line-up of twelve teams Brickmakers Arms ‘B’ are the only team to have won all three of their fixtures in the Cradley Tuesday Night League. The leader’s latest fixture saw them win 6-3 at Dudley Labour Club to see them oust former leaders Netherton Sports and Social ‘A’ from the number one spot after they lost for the first time when they were beaten 5-4 at home by sixth in the table Roost, Netherton S & S ‘A’ drop to fourth place.
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The Netherton Thursday Night League played the second leg of the first round of their Andy Bastable Trophy and winning through to the semi-finals with overall 12-6 wins were Riddins Tavern, White Horse and Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club who in turn accounted for Fairfield, Netherton Conservative Club and Townsend Social Club. Bulls Head went one better with a 13-5 win over Saracens Head.
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Teams in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League have played seventeen games and the difference between the top two teams is just two points as Old Bulls Head with a 7-2 win over New Inn head the table on 30 points and Gornal Labour Club’s 5-4 win away to Gornal British Legion puts them on 28 points.
Coseley Tavern lost their third placing when they lost 5-4 at Jolly Crispin leaving them on 24 points and seeing them fall behind Five Ways on average after they won 5-4 at Chainyard.
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Massive 8-1 wins for the top two teams in the Henley and District Winter League. Leaders Studley Cricket Club won at home against Wootton Bears while second in the table Studley Conservative Club were winners at Wythall Legion to keep within two points of the Cricket Club.
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The South Birmingham Winter League played off the preliminary rounds of their Divisional Cups. There was just one division one game which saw Banbury Arrows beat Punchbowl 9-0.
In the division two fixtures, division leaders The Dog won 7-2 against The Trident while second in the table Toby Jug suffered a somewhat surprising 7-2 home defeat by C’s Hot Shots who are third in the table on four points just half of the number achieved by their hosts.
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With games now fast running out in the C’s Club Double Top Wednesday Night League a 2-1 win over Adam Gallett keeps Mitchell Mann in pole position with 83 points from his 35 games. Long-time leader Bob Nixon has slipped to third place with 73 points and although he may be ten short of Mann he has a massive eight games in hand. Second in the table Simon Edwards with 76 points has played one game more than Nixon and a 3-0 win for Nixon in that game would see him draw level with his rival.
The title now looks odds on to go to one of these top three players as fourth in the table Adam Gallett is on 67 points from 26 games and despite having played one fewer than Nixon is six points behind him.
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The Pip Club League had cup semi-finals on the fixture card and in the Belgrave Cup division one games there were wins for Queens Head and Belgrave Club who in turn defeated Belgrave Sports and Social Club and Sports Bar ‘180’. There were 180’s for Mark Tomlinson snr and Sam Whittaker for Queens Head. In the division two fixtures Progressive Club beat Pip Club and Globe (Wilnecote) had a bye.
In the division one games for the Belgrave Shadow Cup Birchmoor Club beat Glascote Club and Old Liberal House won against Dolphin Wanderers.
A maximum from Cliff O’Connor helped Wigginton Arms to their win over Gate (Amington) in the division two games and meeting them in the final will be Dolphin who took out Kettlebrook Club.
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The local derby between Ashwood ‘A’ and Ashwood ‘B’ in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League saw the two teams swap places in the table after the ‘B’ team won 4-3. The position at the top is now very tight as Swan despite surprisingly losing 5-2 away to thirteenth in the table Wilson Hall still lead the field with 44 points. Ashwood ‘B’ are also on the same number of points as Swan and trail by just one leg of average. Ashwood ‘A’ are third and they too are on 44 points and have a game in hand on the two teams above them.
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Played 24 and won 24 that was the record for Allen’s Sports Bar ‘A’ in the West Midlands Men’s Super League until they played fixture number 25 which for the first time this season they lost. Playing away against second in the table Yeltz Bar, Allen’s ‘A’ team went down 3-2, however they still have a huge advantage at the top of the table, a thirteen point’s lead over Yeltz who in turn are two points to the good on third in the table Woodside Inn who won their home tie with Horse and Jockey 5-0.
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Four teams began their quest for the Tettenhall Wednesday Night League title with 6-1 wins, ECC’A’, Hurst Hill, Moreton and Whitmore Reans WMC. ECC ‘A’ were involved in a local derby with their ‘B’ team and in alphabetical order top the table, Hurst Hill, Moreton and Whitmore in turn defeated Royal, Albrighton, Swan, Compton and McGhees.
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