The West Midland Super League have been rounding off their 1998-99 season with various finals, which were staged at the county headquarters Chubbs Sports and Social Club, Wolverhampton. Taking the men’s singles title was seasoned campaigner Steve Parkes (Tipton) who has made a recent return to Super league darts and is certainly making something of an impact. Steve clinched the title with a final success over Blackheath’s Jess Archer. Losing semi-finalists were Mark Wellings and Scott Hicking both representing Bloxwich.
The women’s event was won by Burntwood’s Diane Tolley, Diane lifting the crown by beating team-mate and fellow county player Angie Perry in the final. Losing out in the last four were Gill Cook (Wednesfield) and Jean Denton (Burntwood).
Tolley the teamed up with Hednesfords Penny Hooley in the doubles knockout and doubled her success. Playing against Hednesford duo Frances Allen and Rose Sanders the first leg saw Allen and Hooley both hit 100, Tolley scored a 101 but more importantly checked out on 56 to give her and her partner first blood. Diane turned on the gas in the second leg hitting 140 and 100, Penny 94 and 81, but and again it was the former who finished the leg with a 16 outshot to secure the title by 2-0. Losing semi-finalist were Gill Cook and Angie Perry (Wednesfield) plus Jean Denton and June Clark from Burntwood.
The men’s pairs semi-finals Steve Parkes and Tom Aldridge (Tipton) squared up to another formidable pairing, that of Wayne Jones and Steve James (Wednesfield). As expected the match went to the line, the Tipton pair winning through to the final by the odd leg. In the second of the semi’s it was success again for Tipton as Dave Robbins and Ian Jones accounted for Paul Johnson and Avtar Singh from Bloxwich with a 2-0 result.
In the best of three legs 701 up final the first of the legs went to Parkes and Aldridge, the former shooting out on 108 after Jones and Robbins had left themselves on double five. The Jones Robbins partnership blossomed in the following leg, Jones hitting 125, 140 Robbins 140 and 100 but also double twenty to level the match. The deciding leg was a real thriller. Parkes kicked off with a maximum and after only 18 darts; he and his partner were down to a bull finish. Meanwhile Jones and Robbins were not exactly hanging around with Jones matching his opponents 180 and they having played down to double eighteen after a similar 18 darts. Because of the first throw advantage Jones had first strike at his finishing double and as expected, with a handful of darts Jones did not fail, wrapping up the issue with a 2-1 verdict.
In the league’s Delegates Cup Coseley’s Dave Walker was the surprise winner. Dave produced some good darts throughout the knockout, none better than in the final where he faced Paul Johnson (Bloxwich). In the first leg Dave had top scores of 100 and 140 as Johnson struggled to find a rhythm. Johnson stepped up a gear in the second leg with top shots of 140,100 and 99. However as he left himself on double seven Walker following 2×100 and 123 checked out on 38 to seal his 2-0 victory.
Avtar Singh with a 2-0 result took the averages title, beating Paul Johnson in the final. The women’s title went to Dawn Holdcroft. Dawn beat Frances Allen 2-1 and won the decider in style checking out on 104.
As the West Midlands County prepare for the forthcoming season, it was decided at their recent AGM that Dot Harvey, together with all of her other commitments, would officially take over the County’s Press Officer’s post, vacated by the untimely death of former officer Bill Dawson.
Elected to the position of women’s team manager was Gill Cook and joining the women’s selection committee is Penny Hooley.
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It was the turn of south Wales to play hosts for this years Glamorgan versus Midland Counties select annual friendly. The first encounter saw the Midlands take the initiative with a 3-1 win by Neil Birkin (Derbyshire) over Barry Bates. The home side was quick to reply Steve Williams and Neil Lewis Defeating Oxfordshire’s Joe Palmer and Chris Hill from Derbyshire. Vanda Adams extended Glamorgan’s advantage to 3-1 with her 3-2 success over Claire Bywaters before Helen Tipple managed to reduce the deficit with her straight three legs win against Leanne Mansell. A 3-1 win from Andy Thomas (Oxfordshire) over Paul Higgins squared the match at three each. Then for the second time in the match the Midlander’s took the lead. It was Kev Tomlinson’s
(Nottinghamshire) 3-1 victory over Tony Bradley that gave the visitors the edge, but as before it did not last long as in the very next game Eric Burden swept aside the challenge of Nottinghamshire’s Allan Bridges, beating him 3-0. Glamorgan got their nose’s in front again thanks to Vicky Bishop’s 3-2 win over Jan Bell. Only to see Louise Hathaway win 3-0 against Sonia Stock to lock the teams again, the running score being 5-5.
The Midland Counties won two of the following men’s three encounters; Drew Smith (Leicestershire) beat Chris Jones 3-1 despite a 146 checkout by Jones in the second leg. Gareth Hurton took just three legs to defeat Leicestershire’s Graham Roberts and then Roberts county team-mate Ricky Sudale won by 3-1 against Dai Caller giving Midlands the 7-6 lead.
Rhianon Thomas kept Glamorgan in the hunt with her three legs success against Melanie Bell, but a 3-1 verdict over Chris Yews by Mary Latham restored the visitors slender lead. At number sixteen for Glamorgan Wayne Davies opened up a commanding 2-0 lead over Andy Thomas, but Thomas fought back in style, winning the last three legs to snatch a 3-2 victory and at the same time put the Midlands within one game of victory. The penultimate encounter was nip and tuck all the way. Phil Mann won the opening leg; the next two went to Leicestershire’s Stuart Lilley. Mann won the fourth to force a deciding leg. It was Lilley who had first strike at a double, but he failed and in stepped Mann to clinch a 3-2 win with a 30 outshot. The result now hinged on the final game. As far as Glamorgan were concerned it could not have been in safer hands than those of Kevin Thomas. Thomas gave his opponent, John Thompson (Nottinghamshire) no chance whatsoever as he won the first leg in 18 darts and followed that with two 14 darts legs including a 177 and a 180 to average a tremendous 32.67. The win by Thomas put the result all level at 9-9, completing a great day of darts.
Sunday’s encounter saw the host’s take a 2-0 lead through Kieron Carter and Alan Potter who both won 3-1 against respective opponents Kev Thomlinson (Nottinghamshire) and Buster Ford (Northamptonshire). Worcestershire’s Colin Fowler reduced the arrears with his 3-2 win over Tim Jones and with West Midlands Diane Tolley adding her 3-1 win against Jackie Jones, the Midlands were back in the game at 2-2. From here on in Glamorgan did not take the lead again until the penultimate game.
Mo Davis gave the away team the 3-2 lead when she won her game against Judith Thomas in three legs. Top finishes of 110 and 144 were the difference between Ian Phillips and Drew Smith, (Leicestershire) as Phillips cancelled out the one game advantage with a 3-2 win. From 3-3 the Select team stormed to a 6-3 lead. Stuart Lilley (Leicestershire), Terry Jenkins (Worcestershire) and Gill Cook (West Midlands) chalked up victories against, in turn Gareth Hughes, Tony Doyle and Babs Aherne. Janine Gough stopped the rot when she beat Louise Hathaway 3-1 that together with John Picton’s and Steve Durnell’s 3-2 successes against Graham Roberts (Leicestershire) and Tom Aldridge (West Midlands) levelled the score yet again.
The next four games were shared. Ricky Sudale (Leicestershire) beat Chris Bailey 3-0, Glamorgan’s Dil Walters had a 3-1 verdict against Helen Tipple, Midlands Jackie Jenkins won 3-2 against Rose Newman and West Midlands Dave Robbins lost out to John Roberts 3-2 to give an 8-8 tally with two to play.
Northamptonshire’s Darren Williams found the finishing doubles hard to come by and allowed Phil Begley to seal a 3-0 win giving the home team a 9-8 lead at a vital point in the match. Last on for Glamorgan was John Butler, for the Midlands, IanJones (West Midlands). Butler twice took the lead; he won the first leg in 20 darts and the third in 24, Jones winning the second in 22. Two 140’s and 100 gave the edge in the fourth leg, which he won on double sixteen with his sixteenth dart. The final leg was a cracker undoubtedly the best of the day. Butler had first throw advantage and kicked off with scores of 60-100-180-95 and 50 to leave 16 after only 15 darts. Jones meanwhile had been scoring 45-180-140- and 96 to leave himself on his favoured double twenty. With no hesitation he planted his first dart in the double bed to secure an overall 9-9 draw, exactly the same as the previous day.
Another four games were played, John Thompson and Ricky Sudale won for the Midlands and Paul Davies and Steve Gillett for Glamorgan.
Glamorgan v Midland Counties (Saturday):Glamorgan names first:Men:6-6:- B.Bates 1 N.Birkin 3, S.Williams 3 J.Palmer 1, N.Lewis 3 C.Hill 2, P.Higgins 1 A.Thomas 3, T.Bradley 1 K.Tomlinson 3, E.Burden 3 A.Bridges 0, C.Jones 1 D.Smith 3, G.Hurton 3 G.Roberts 0, D.Caller 1 R.Sudale 3, W.Davies 2 A.Thomas 3, P.Mann 3 S.Lilley 2, K.Thomas 3 J.Thompson 0, Women:3-3:- V.Adams 3 C.Bywaters 2, L.Mansell 0 H.Tipple3, V.Bishop 3 J.Bell 2, S.Stock 0 L.Hathaway 3, R.Thomas 3 M.Bell 0, C.Yews 1 M.Latham 3, (Sunday):Men:9-7:- K.Carter 3 K.Tomlinson 1, A.Potter 3 B.Ford 1, T.Jones 2 C.Fowler 3, I.Phillips 3 D.Smith 2, G.Hughes 0 S.Lilley 3, T.Doyle 0 T.Jenkins 3, J.Picton 3 G.Roberts 2, S.Durnell 3 T.Aldridge 2, C.Bailey 0 R.Sudale 3, J.Roberts 3 D.Robbins 2, P.Begley 3 D.Williams 0, J.Butler 2 I.Jones 3, S.Berry 2 J.Thompson 3, P.Davies 3 T.Jenkins 1,
S.Gillett 3 S.Lilley 1, C.Williams 1 R.Sudale 3, Women:2-4:- J.Jones 1 D.Tolley 3, J.Thomas 0 M.Davis 3, B.Aherne 1 G.Cook 3, J.Gough 3 L.Hathaway 1, D.Walters 3 H.Tipple 1, R.Newman 2 J.Jenkins 3.
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Joyce Webster has had a fabulous 1999 so far. For the third consecutive season she has successfully defended the Birmingham Ladies Double Top League title and in the same league together with Vicky Edwards has won the doubles competition. Joyce plays in many leagues and has so far this year been part of teams that have won the Warwickshire Ladies Super League, the Bromsgrove League and the South West Birmingham Clubs Winter League. There as also been cup successes in the various leagues winning the Floss Banner Cup, Hospital Cup and the Benevolent Cup. In addition to this in the South West Birmingham League she won the singles, doubles (with Angie Bourne) and mixed doubles (with Paul James).
I think you will agree that is a pretty impressive list and believe it or not Joyce does all this at the age of 72, long may she continue to play, win and enjoy the sport, as she truly does.
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Now to another dedicated player who goes by the name of Tony Blakemore. Tony, known by members of the Sheldon and District Summer League as “ Blakey” has played in the league for many years, league officials believe about eight. Recently Blakey, playing for the Heathway shocked not only his fellow players but also himself when he won his match. You could easily say at this point what’s so surprising about that? Well when you realise that this was actually Blakey’s first win, no not of the season, but his first win EVER in the league then that is why Tony and his team mates were speechless after his dart went into the finishing double.
Well done Tony, who knows perhaps this could be the start of a winning role.
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Staying on the local league front congratulations to Midland Red who with a 6-3 victory over Wernley in a re-arranged fixture in the Harborne and District Winter League secured the premier division championship. 9-6 was the margin by which Midland Red defeated the Raven in the final of the league’s Skipp Cup. The Skipp consolation title went to Londonderry who beat Beeches 11-4 in their final
The Irish Centre Four a Side Ladies League has been won by Selly Park with 208 points. Northfield finished as runners up on 181 points. Other placings were Handsworth 171, Sheldon 164, Perry Barr 104, Ward End 100.
The winner of the singles knockout in the Birmingham Ladies Double Top League was Marion Walker who lifted the crown with a final success against Lucy Hart.
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