Warwickshire County Darts Organisation’s new county home venue Hen Lane Social Club, 6 Beacon Road, Holbrooks, Coventry, CV6 4DS was the setting for the Coventry Christmas Open Singles and Doubles Knockouts with both competitions attracting top class players and producing some first class darts, none better than that in the early rounds when Nick Fullwell produced a NINE darts winning leg against Andy Maher giving him an outstanding 39.24 average. Fullwell then progressed as far as the semi-finals where he made his exit after going down 5-4 to Warwickshire’s Rob Comben. From the other half of the draw Australia’s Damon Heta booked his final place with a 5-3 win over Sam Whittaker and Heta maintained his top form in the final in which he went on to clinch the title plus the top prize of £300 with a 6-2 win against Comben who collected £150.
There was £75 for players reaching the last four, £30 for the losing quarter finalists and £10 for players who reached the last sixteen.
In the doubles knockout West Midlands duo Ian Jones and Mark Craddock successfully retained their title with a final 4-2 win against Ian Withers and Scott Williams to earn themselves the winner’s prize money of £180 with Withers and Williams receiving £90.
In the semis Jones and Craddock won 4-1 against Kevin Bambrick and Joe Taylor while with a similar result Withers and Williams defeated Prakash Jiwa and Charlie Symons, the losing semi-finalists picking up £40. The doubles making their exist in the quarter finals received £20.
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The Shirley Legion Double Top League’s final fixtures of 2019 saw Gary Cleverley with a 4-0 win over Sean Talbot followed by a 3-1 success against Dave Fisher move up from fourth in the table to take over in pole position with 27 points from 10 games. John Smyth had mixed fortunes as he began the night with a 4-0 win over Lee Lattimer but then lost 3-1 to Jordan Ottley, nevertheless Smyth moved up one place to second just one point behind Cleverley.
After the top two just one point separates the next seven players, Antony Daly, Sean Talbot, Sam Hicks and Dave Heighway are all three points off the top with 24 and a further one point adrift are Thomas Bent, Craig Clarke and Emmet Leonard, last season’s runner-up Thomas Bent jumping up twelve places in the table to seventh after he won 4-0 against Sam Hicks, beat Chris Thomas jnr and Sean Talbot 3-1 and lost 3-1 to Antony Daly.
Finding the three treble twenties this week were Lee Lattimer, Sam Hicks, Gary Cleverley and Mark Henderson while Tony Daly Daly had the highest finish of 132.
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The Four Oaks and District Winter League ended the year with various cup games the first of which was the Brian Goodman Cup in which Boldmere St Mikes took the first five games then went on to beat Old Oscott Arrows 6-3 to book their place in the last four. Red Lion beat Pint Pot Flights 5-4 and Golden Hind won by the same margin at The Boat. Bishop Vesey progressed to the next round in style with a 9-0 win over Rosey Mac’s Leopard.
In the quarter finals of the Ken Rust Cup the biggest winners were Walmley CSC Flights who handed their opponents The Black Signet a 9-0 whitewash, Oscott Social Club were not far behind as they swept Rosey’s Chaps aside with an 8-1 result. Walmley CSC Flights had a 5-4 win over Deers Leap while Oscott Sports were taken to a final game by Roseys Mac’s before they won by the same 5-4 margin.
Reigning champions of the Coronation Shield The Boat lost 9-6 to the team they defeated in last year’s final Boldmere St Mikes. Pint Pot Flights won the first game against Erdington Arrows 3-0 and kept the lead to go on and win 8-7. The Digby had already won at Oscott Social Club with two games to play, the final score being 10-5. Pint Pot Flights had a close 8-7 win at Erdington Arrows and making up the last four will be Drakes Drum who had a bye.
Second division Rosey’s Chaps trailed 7-5 against first division Bishop Vesey in the Norman Day Cup but recorded an unlikely 8-7 win by taking the final game 3-0. Deer’s Leap beat a depleted Rosey Mac’s Leopard side 8-7 while both Red Lion and St Thomas Arrows in turn had comfortable 10-5 wins against Walmley CSC Arrows and Oscott Sports.
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After the opening eleven games in the Camp Hill Marston’s League just one point of average separates the top two teams. White Swan Nomads top the table, their 5-2 win over New Inn giving the slight advantage over second place Emerald Club whose 6-1 win against Sedgemere Devil’s Club reduces the arrears on the Nomads to a single leg of average with both teams having 20 points. Third in the league Tyseley WMC had a 6-1 win at Marlborough Star to keep them within two points of the two teams above them while fourth placed Roost Rebels were the week’s biggest winners as they accounted for bottom of the table Peaky Blinder with a 7-0 result.
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The Small Heath League had cup games on their fixture card and first up was the Captains Knockout which saw East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association player Colin Wyatt win the event with a final 2-0 win over Ash Lattimer from Cob’s Bar.
The Secretaries knockout winner was Paul Webster again from East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association, Paul beating Rob Pikey, once again the runner-up coming from Cob’s Bar and yet again the score 2-0.
The Ladies Knockout title went to another East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association player, this time Lorna Wyatt who won the final against Michelle Cain (Heartlands Club) 2-1.
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The final few remaining games in the Shirley and District Monday Night League will decide who will pick up the champions silverware as currently Highwood after their latest 5-4 win at Cider House lead the field with 54 points from 29 games while second placed Dunky’s Boys added a 9-0 win at Sharmans Cross to their tally to give them 52 points from 28 games giving them a far superior average over Highwood.
Third in the league Lion have played the same 28 games as Dunky’s but have four points fewer than their rivals.
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Brickmakers Arms took their undefeated run in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League to 20 games when they won their home tie with Church Tavern 8-1. Second in the league Britannia were also 8-1 winners playing away to Swan but trail Brickmakers by six point’s, however the win puts Britannia six points to the good on the chasing pack of five teams Ten Arches, Bird (Wordsley) who beat Ten Arches 5-4, Hop House, Gate Hangs Well and British Oak who are all on 28 points.
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The Netherton Thursday Night League played off the final of their Andy Bastable Shadow Cup and winning the title with a final 6-3 win over Netherton Conservative Club were the Townsend Social Club.
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No change in the top two places in the Kings Norton League as leaders Avenue C.Fox beat Harborne C.Fox 5-2 and second place Bournebrook, who are four points behind and played one game more than the top team won 6-1 at Thurlestone.
Rubery RBL replace Cock Inn in third place after they beat them 6-1 and E57 move up one place to fourth after their 5-2 win at Coppice, Cock Inn drop to fifth on 24 points, two less than both Rubery and E57.
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Long-time leaders of the Silver End Sunday Morning League Woodside ‘A’ who are now placed second behind Glasscutters ‘B’, won their twenty-sixth fixture of the season at home to Three Crowns 8-0 leaving them one point short of the leaders who were 6-2 winners at Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ and with both teams having four more fixtures to play and with three points for a win the title is still a guessing game.
Third in the league Brickmakers Arms ‘B’ had a 5-3 win at Glasscutters ‘A’, they have just three more games to play and are five points adrift of leaders Glasscutters ‘B’.
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Leaders of the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League Old Bulls Head kicked off the second half of the season with a 7-2 win away to Five Ways to keep them just ahead of former league leaders Lamp Tavern on average after they won 5-4 at Gornal British Legion. With the top two teams on 26 points they are two ahead of third in the table Netherton Cricket Club whose resounding 9-0 win against Hilly House keeps them two points to the good on their nearest rivals New Inn whose latest fixture saw them win 6-3 at Gornal Labour Club to open a gap of four points between them and their fifth placed opponents.
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A 5-2 home win over Ten Arches ‘B’ in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League has seen leaders Ashwood ‘B’ open up a two points lead over their opponents who were their nearest rivals but now drop to fourth in the table level on points with both Swan ‘A’ and Brickmakers Arms who are in turn placed second and third. Swan ‘A’ had a comfortable 6-1 win away to next to bottom of the table Church Tavern while Brickmakers had a closer 4-3 home success over King Arthur. Apart from Swan ‘A’ all of the top four teams have played thirteen games, Swan with a game in hand could go level on points with leaders Ashwood ‘B’ should they win that fixture.
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A 6-3 home win over Globe (Wilnecote) has taken Belgrave Sports and Social Club’s unbeaten run in the Pip Club League to nine games and gives them a two point’s lead over second placed Birchmoor Club in the Combines Division of the league. Birchmoor’s 7-2 success at Dolphin keeps them on the same 16 points as third placed Dolphin Wanderers but with a slender one leg of average advantage after the Wanderers reduced the arrears with an 8-1 win at Aldergate Club.
In the Seeded One Division its Belgrave Sports and Social Club that lead the way once again, their perfect eight points from four games are two more than second and third placed Birchmoor Club and Dolphin Wanderers.
Leading the way in the Seeded Two Division is Pip Club who have eight points from their five games and a lead of two over Aldergate Club and Dolphin who have both only played four games so far.
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All players and officials in the West Midlands Men’s Super League should note the following two changes, The Bell have moved to Pensnett Social Club, 130 Commonside, Brierley Hill, DY5 4AE, and Woodside Inn will in future be playing from The Railway Tavern, Buxton Rd, Dudley, DY2 0ST.
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