Congratulations go to Warwickshire County Darts players Marian Conway and Nina Bolt who this weekend playing away to Cornwall will respectively chalk up their 100th and 50th county appearances. Not only a great achievement by both players but also fantastic loyalty and dedication. Well done ladies!!
Nina Bolt with Brian Johnson
Marion Conway with Brian Johnson
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The Shirley Legion Double Top League staged another of their “between seasons” knockouts, the quarter-finals continued with top class darts that had been apparent in the earlier rounds, Sam Hicks hit a maximum in his 3-1 win over Gary Cleverley who had a 110 checkout in his winning leg. John Smyth was in top form beating Mark Gwalchmai 3-0 in 15,17 and 13 darts and joining Hicks and Smyth in the last four were Chris Thomas snr and Dave Heighway who in turn took out Luke Harris and Steve Sidwell.
Dave Heighway was taken to a deciding leg in the semis just edging out Sam Hicks with a close 3-2 result while John Smyth had a straight 3-0 win over Chris Thomas snr.
With high scores throughout, the final was a very entertaining affair with John Smyth ending the night as the 3-1 winner and Dave Heighway runner-up.
This coming Friday the league will be running a 24 hours dart-a-thon challenge to raise funds for British Legion Poppy Appeal. Four teams of six players are scheduled to take part and will kick start the event at 6.00pm on Friday. Why not drop in to the Shirley Legion and support a very worthy cause.
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The South Birmingham League had played off the finals of their Doubles and Ladies Singles knockouts, in the former Gavin Jones and Dylan Holt lost their last four game against Richard Mills and Sue Kingdon 2-0 while Simon Edwards and Wayne Yates had a closer 2-1 success over Steve Sweetman and Bob Jones.
The final also went to a deciding leg with Edwards and Yates just getting the edge on Mills and Kingdon.
Dave Kingdon (Vice-Chairman), Wayne Yates, Simon Edwards (Winners) and Sue Kingdon (Chairman)
Dave Kingdon (Vice-Chairman) with runners-up Richard Mills and Sue Kingdon.
In the ladies singles semi-finals both games were won 2-0 with Sue Kingdon beating Louise Beale and Charlie Kingdon accounting for Melissa Beale to set up a mom versus daughter final.
It took the full three legs to decide the winner with Charlie’s mom Sue taking the title.
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The Sheldon and District Winter League staged the preliminary round of their Punchbowl and winning through to the next round were Holy Souls, East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association, Langley Arrows, Meadway Sports and Social, Highwood Gerry’s Boys, Raven Arrows, Sheldon Marlborough Arrows, Maggies, Dunky’s Boys, Shirley Misfits and Yardley Ex Colts. The Lyndon Old Boys versus Inn on the Green was a late result.
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Week 21 of a scheduled 32 in the Shirley and District Monday Night League and with no change in the top four placing’s Dunky’s Boys continue to lead the field with a total of 40 points from 21 games after adding their latest impressive 9-0 win over the Lodge who are fourth in the table on 30 points from 20 games, Bob Nixon, Andy Hutchings and Pete Yardley all recording a maximum for the winners while Neil Parsonage hit two 180’s for the Lodge. Highwood, who are in second place won 8-1 against Sharmans Cross to keep within two points of Dunky’s and two ahead of third in the table The Lion who were 5-4 winners at Cider House, Lion have a game in hand on the two teams above them.
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Played eleven, won eleven that’s the record for East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association in the Small Heath League, game number eleven seeing them win 7-2 at home against Cob’s Bar to leave them four points to the good on their nearest rivals Heartlands Club who were not far behind with an 8-1 success at Emerald Club.
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As the Kings Norton League reaches the midway point of its season Avenue C.Fox added a 4-3 win at Bournbrook to their tally to give them a perfect score of 22 points from their eleven games. Second in the league Rubery RBL went one better with a 5-2 win at Grant Arms to keep in the title race just two points short of the leaders. Bournbrook’s defeat saw them drop from third in the table to fifth with Cock Inn moving in the opposite direction from fifth to third following their 6-1 home win over Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club.
There are only three catch-up games to be played to complete the first half of the campaign.
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The Camp Hill League had their presentation night which saw double winners White Swan Nomads presented with the League and League Cup trophies.
White Swan Nomads
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The Netherton Thursday Night League played off the finals of their Doubles Knockout and in the first round of the night the quarter finals the Netherton Conservative Club duo of J.Wood and D.Haywood were unable to attend with one just coming out of the hospital and the other due to work commitments so Kurt Wright and Arron Dingley (Bulls Head) had a bye. Joining them in the semis were Ross Turner and Colin Hickman, Bob Carr and Darren Brown plus Anthony Tonks and Phil Tonks all representing Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club.
So with Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club having three of the four teams in the semi-finals the odds were that was where the title was going, but it was not to be as in the semis Ross Turner and Colin Hickman lost 2-0 to team mates Anthony and Phil Tonks and by the same margin Bob Carr and Darren Brown lost to Kurt Wright and Arron Dingley.
In the final the Bulls Head pair of Wright and Dingle beat Anthony and Phil Tonks 3-0.
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An 8-1 win at Lion (Stourbridge) took Brickmakers Arms points tally to an unbeaten 24 points at the top of the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League and kept intact their four points advantage over second placed Britannia who handed their visitors next to bottom of the table Hare and Hounds a 9-0 whitewash.
At the other end of the table, in addition to Hare and Hounds 9-0 defeat there was a similar defeat for bottom team Kingswinford Conservative Club who lost at home against British Oak.
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A 6-3 win away to Three Diamonds by the Bell in the Rowley Monday Night League now leaves them requiring just one more win from their last three games to secure the title as they have a six points and big average lead over second in the table George who won their game at Loyal Lodge 8-1. Third placed Cradley Sports and Social Club are on the same 46 points as George but trailing heavily on average following their 6-3 win against Cottage.
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The Cradley Tuesday Night League played their Singles Knockout down to the last eight and making the quarter finals were Phil O’Brien (Wheatsheaf), Anthony Jones (Riddins Tavern), Steven Tipper, Keith Morris (Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘A’), Chas Skelding, Nick Fullwell (Brickmakers Arms ‘A’), Grant Jackson, Richard Bowen (Brickmakers Arms ‘B’).
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Second in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League Tipton Sports had a convincing 6-1 win at New Talbot to keep within two points of leaders The Vine who won 7-0 at Court House, Vine having the further advantage of a game in hand on Tipton Sports.
Down towards the foot of the table, next to bottom Cottage Spring recorded a rare win, their sixth in 24 games when they beat Hayes Social, who are just above them 5-2, both teams together with Horseley Tavern are on 12 points.
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With five fixtures remaining in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ held on to their two points lead over second in the league Roebuck after they beat Fox and Grapes 9-0 and Roebuck won 7-2 against Swan. With the Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ on 52 points and Roebuck on 50, third placed High Oak, after losing 6-3 at home to fifth in the table Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘B’ are now some 18 points off the top of the table and now the current top two teams are the ones that will take the title and runners-up positions at the end of the campaign.
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The Silver End Sunday Morning League played the second leg of the semi-finals of their Team Knockout and Shadow Cup. In the former the game between Dudley Sports and High Oak went to a deciding 3 a-side after the scores were levelled at 8-8 and it was Dudley Sports who won the play-off to progress to the final. Also booking their final place were Glasscutters ‘A’ who had a massive overall 15-1 win over High Acres.
In the Shadow Cup Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club beat the Bell 11-5 and New Talbot won 10-6 against Kings Head ‘A’.
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A 7-2 win at Meadow Lark for Lamp Tavern and a similar result for Old Bulls Head at New Inn keeps both winners joint top of the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League on an unbeaten eight points after the first four games of the season. Third in the table Netherton Cricket Club are the only other undefeated team in the league, they also were 7-2 winners in their game against Pensnett Liberal Club to leave them just three legs of average behind the top two teams.
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4-3 home defeats have seen Ashwood ‘B’ and King Arthur lose their respective top and second placing’s in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League as Ashwood ‘B’, after losing to Bird (Wordsley) drop to third and King Arthur, who lost against Gate Hangs Well drop to fourth.
Taking over in pole position is Wilson Hall, their 4-3 win at Church Tavern ‘B’ giving them a slender one leg of average lead over second placed Swan ‘A’ who won 5-2 at Wombourne Cricket Club. The only other team not to have lost besides the top two teams is fifth in the table Ten Arches ‘B’ who have only played three games the most recent seeing them win 6-1 at home against Holly Bush.
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Week three in the Pip Club League and only two of the starting twelve teams are able to boast a 100% win record. Belgrave Sports and Social Club top the table after their latest 9-0 victory over Progressive Club with Dolphin Wanderers just average behind after they won 5-4 at fourth placed Birchmoor Club.
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Both of the top two teams in the West Midlands Men’s Super League handed out 5-0 clean-sweeps to their opponents, leaders Woodside Inn winning at home against next to bottom of the table Gunners Club and second placed Allen’s Sports Bar ‘A’ beating Yeltz Bar ‘B’ to remain six points behind Woodside.
ECC Sports and Social Club made it two wins in a row when they followed up their 4-1 win over Gunners Club with a notable 3-2 result away to Bridgtown Social who drop one place to sixth in the table.
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With Riley’s ‘C’, leaders of both the singles and doubles divisions of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League having a bye in game week 27, the chance arose for second placed Railway to close the gap but they didn’t take the opportunity in the singles as they lost 4-3 playing away to Gilberts Bar and as a result stay six points behind the leaders with a game in hand.
In the doubles division they won 3-0 against Gilberts reducing the arrears to four points with game in hand.
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