A rearranged away game against Glamorgan completed Warwickshire County Darts Organisation’s fixtures in the Elite Premier Division of the UKDA National League and what a climax it turned out to be. The ladies ‘B’ began the weekend with a 4-2 win with Chloe McKivett taking the lady of the match award for her 3-1 win over Nicky Biddick with a 17.92 average. The men’s ‘B’ had to be satisfied with sharing the honours as they finished all square at 6-6 after trailing in the early stages at 3-1. Man of the match for the ‘B’ team was Scott Hope, his 26.93 average and 4-3 result over Dai Powell earning him the award.
Sunday’s games began as Saturday’s ended with a draw as the ladies ‘A’ ended at 3-3 with Tammy Montgomery in superb form taking the match award with a tremendous 28.87 average as she beat Eve Watson 3-2 with winning legs of 14, 17 and 14 darts and top scores of 180,3×140,137 and 5×100.
A draw was now required from the men’s ‘A’ for an overall win for the weekend but there was much more at stake than that as a win would see them overtake Yorkshire and lift them into a final runners-up position.
At the halfway stage Warwickshire were trailing 4-2 and after eight games losing 5-3 before the tide changed with wins supplied by Matty Washbrooke, Wayne Mynard and Jamie Atkins to see Warwickshire take the lead for the first time in the game, 6-5 up with just one to play. That one remaining game was to decide Warwickshire’s final position in the division. Prakash Jiwa was Warwickshire’s anchor man and they could not have asked for a better man to end the game and the season as he stormed to a 4-1 victory over Shaun Dibbs for a 7-5 win, an overall 20-16 victory and a final total of 253 points to oust Yorkshire out of the runners-up spot as they had one point fewer 252. What a finale, what a fantastic end to the season with Warwickshire finishing in their highest ever position in a county league. Congratulations to all players, officials, helpers and supporters.
———————————
More good news for Warwickshire was that of their Natalie Gilbert winning her first ever game for England as with a solid 64.41 average she defeated Lynsey Ward 3-0. Well done Natalie. The first of many more to come!!
———————————
As early as week three in the Sutton and District Summer League and in division one only two of the starting line-up of nine teams are able to boast a 100% win record. Highcroft Social and Walmley CSC Flights are those two teams and they are level on points and average leading the division one table.
Of the ten teams in division two Golden Hind Lions are the sole team to have won all three games.
Week four in the league was the first round of their Prestridge Shield and winning through to the next round were Old Oscott Arrows, Rosey Mac’s, Red Lion, Heartlands, Bills Arrows 6, Golden Hind Lions, Walmley CSC Flights, Highcroft Social and Old Horns Lions.
———————————
Cotterills Lane Club made it three wins in as many games in the Camp Hill League when they won 4-3 against third in the table Tyseley Bears, this being the Bears first defeat but they hold on to third place with four points. Second in the table Aston Inn Nomads were the week’s biggest winners as they handed their hosts Clumsy Swan a 7-0 whitewash to leave them just one leg of average short of Cotterills.
———————————
This week division two of the Shirley and District Monday Night League had a bye but it was business as usual in division one. However having said that the divisional leaders Dunky’s Boys had a bye, nevertheless they held on to pole position but have been joined on eight points by Tippetts Bar and Lions. Second placed Tippetts had a close 5-4 win at Wythall Legion to leave them just one leg of average short of Dunky’s while Lions 6-3 win over Solihull Municipal puts them third after playing one game more than the two teams above them.
Division one had no fewer than five maximums this week supplied by D.Palmer (Cider House), P.Sinnett (Lodge), J.Ottley and A.Thomas (Lions), and N.Slattery (Saracens Swords).
———————————
Despite there being a couple of outstanding fixtures remaining in the Netherton Thursday Night League this week was the scheduled final week of the season’s domestic fixtures and the outstanding games, irrespective of the outcome will have no bearing on the league positions whatsoever whether they are played or not.
The final week saw league champions Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club win 5-4 at Old Hill Cricket Club to give them 66 points from 26 games, runners-up Townsend Social Club won their home tie with The Clock 6-3 giving them a final total of 63 points from a completed season of 28 games.
Bulls Head finished the campaign on a low going down 8-1 at Netherton Sports and Social but with 48 points they still finished the season in third place.
———————————
Leaders of the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League White Horse had a bye this week but remain top of the table with 34 points from 18 games. Second placed Cross (Oldswinford) reduced the arrears to two points with a 6-1 win at Bird in Hand but have now played one game more then White Horse.
Third in the league Woodman are a huge ten points off the top even though they added a 5-2 home win over Fox Inn (Lye) to their tally.
———————————
Although leaders of the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League, Waggon and Horses had a bye this week second placed Dewwdrop ‘A’ were unable to capitalise on it as they, despite a 180 from their L.Fletcher went down 4-3 at home to Miners Arms ‘B’ who are third in the table and now level on 18 points with their hosts. Fourth and fifth placed Vine ‘A’ and Horseley Tavern swapped places after Horseley defeated Vine ‘A’ 5-2, both teams are on 14 points with Horseley having just one leg of average more than Vine ‘A’.
———————————
Dudley Sports consolidated their number one spot in the Silver End Sunday Morning League when they won 7-1 at Brickmakers Arms. The win takes Dudley Sports points tally to 25 from ten games with second placed Bell ‘A’ one point short from one game more after they won 6-2 at home against Kings Head ‘B’. Third in the table, Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club beat New Talbot 6-2 to leave them on the same 24 points as Bell ‘A’ but with a game in hand.
———————————
The Brierley Hill Monday Night League are up to week twelve and just two legs of average separate the top two teams. Leading the way is Talbot whose latest fixture saw them win 6-3 at Dudley Sports ‘A’, second in the league Rose and Crown had a similar 6-3 win at Black Horse.
After the top two there are three teams Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’, Dudley Sports ‘A’ and Roebuck all on 18 points, two shy of the two teams above them. Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ had a convincing 8-1 home win over Brickmakers Arms while Roebuck finished on the wrong side of a 5-4 result at home to Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘B’ who are eighth in the league and some four points behind their opponents.
———————————
With all of the domestic fixtures completed and league positions all wrapped up the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League staged their Most Valuable Player Knockout. White Horse player Kevin Bambrick and J.Green (Fox Inn, Lye) both made it all the way to the quarter finals without dropping a single leg. Bambrick beat fellow White Horse team mate C.Pickett 2-0 and D.Hunt (Bell ‘A’) 2-0 before winning 2-1 against A.Nicholls (Bell ‘A’). Bambrick then won his semi-final game against D.Simpson (Ten Arches ‘B’) 2-0. From the other half of the draw J.Green had wins against N.Cooper (White Horse) 2-0, S.G.Skidmore (Bird in Hand) 2-0, G.Marson (Ten Arches ‘A’) 2-0 and J.Poole (Ashwood) 2-1 in the semis.
The final went the full three legs distance with Bambrick coming through as champion with Green runner-up.
———————————
The Netherton Tuesday Night League played week two of their League Cup with big scores in group ‘A’ as Church Tavern won 7-0 against Quarry Bank Social and Netherton Sports and Social beat Chop House 6-1. Both group ‘B’ games finished with a 4-3 scorelines with wins for Plough and Bulls Head against respective opponents Wheatsheaf and Samson.
———————————
As the Rowley Monday Night League goes into the second half of its season leaders Bell kept their two points lead intact in style as they handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their visitors Wonder. Close on the heels of the Bell are four teams, White Swan, Plough and Harrow, Whiteheath Tavern and Gate Hangs Well all on 22 points just two behind Bell. White Swan consolidated their number two spot on average with an 8-1 win at Windmills End, while third in the table Plough and Harrow had a much closer 5-4 home win over Whiteheath Tavern who drop from second to fourth. Gate Hangs Well won their home game with bottom of the table Roost 7-2.
———————————
Nick Fullwell played three games in week ten of the Ashwood Premier League winning 7-0 against Tony Bennett and 5-2 against Chris Fox before losing, for only the third time in seventeen games 4-3 to Dave Simpson who is some thirteen places below him in the table. Nevertheless Fullwell is in pole position with 108 points from his seventeen games and has a lead of three points plus four games in hand on second placed Chris Williams who played just the one game this week which he won 6-1 against Craig Lowin. Third in the league Chris Manoila is two points behind Williams with two games in hand after he won 6-1 against Mitch Pickett and then lost 5-2 to Rob Pierce.
After the top three fourth and fifth placed Connor Pickett and Adam Edgar are both on 100 points, Pickett having played 18 games and Edgar 20.
———————————
What an impressive week Graham Hall had in the Black Country Thursday Night Singles League as he began the night with an 8-0 win over Kieron Ford and then recorded two fantastic wins as he beat third in the league Nick Fullwell 5-3 and followed that with a similar success against Jamie Hughes to put him in pole position with 179 points from 20 games. Hall not only has a lead of five points over second placed Shane Price but also three games in hand.
Price lost 6-2 to Jamie Hughes but ended the night on a high with a 7-1 win against Kieron Ford. After losing to Hall third placed Fullwell was then held to a 4-4 draw by Reece Colley to leave him on 168 points from 21 games.
———————————
A 6-2 win for Scott Baker over Martin East was enough to keep him top of the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night League with 115 points from 13 games. Close on the heels of Baker is Simon Pritchard whose 8-0 whitewash of Lee Quarry has put him within two points of Baker but from 14 games.
Just three players remain unbeaten in the league Baker being one of them the other two being Andrew Jervis and Steve Lynch. Jervis is placed fourth with 103 points from 12 games and Lynch ninth with 84 points from 11 games.
———————————
Railway and Woodfield are locked together on ten points at the top of the singles division of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League. Railway’s most recent and sixth fixture saw them win 6-1 at Stile while Woodfield beat Jack’s Bar 5-2 in what was their fifth game.
In the doubles division three teams are on the same ten points, ECC, Railway and Hurst Hill. ECC and Railway have both played six games and in the latest ECC won 2-1 at Red Lion (Wednesfield) and Railway 3-0 at Stile. Hurst Hill who have only played five games won their tie at Yew Tree 3-0.
———————————