This coming weekend both Warwickshire and West Midlands end the millennium with home fixtures in the BDO Inter Counties Championships. Warwickshire, looking to make it four wins in as many outings, will be playing at the Belgrave Sports and Social Club, Tamworth, where in their division one game they will square up to Norfolk. Lining up for the home team will be, Men’s ‘A’:- K.Dowling, A.Sharratt, S.Hine, L.Thompson, S.Dwyer, C.Fowler, P.Rouse, M.Hollyoake, P.Brotherton, T.Brown, A.Smith, P.Koyce, Men’s ‘B’:- D.Clarke, C.Laffar, R.Shenton, M.Strong, G.Podmore, D.White, T.Frost, P.Merrett, C.Betteridge, D.Harris, P.Lloyd, S.Cain, Reserves:- M.Flood, M.Kane, A.Mountford, P.Cummings, B.Stephens, Women’s ‘A’:- T.Gulliver, T.Bellamy, C.Pike, C.Jackson, J.Liddell, T.Montgomery, Women’s ‘B’:- S.Deery, C.Weston, M.Redmond, L.Butler, D.McPherson, P.Thornton, Reserves:- M.Jennings, D.Jones.
West Midlands on the other hand with two defeats and one draw, will be looking for their first win in the current division two campaign. Chubbs Sports and Social, Wolverhampton is the setting for their match with Buckinghamshire and hopefully the start of a winning sequence. Selected to play are, Men’s ‘A’:- T.Aldridge, I.Jones, D.Robbins, S.Parkes, M.James, G.Taylor, C.Davies, T.Walker, P.Johnson, A.Singh, D.Platt, A.Arnold, Men’s ‘B’:- V.Lloyd, S.Penwright, J.Biggs, A.Bradburn, M.Tibbetts, F.Johnson, B.Hadley, R.Johnson, M.Wellings, S.Brindley, A.Hammersley, J.Platt, Reserves:- A.Cockayne, P.Evans, P.Hadley, S.Cheadle, Women’s ‘A’:- D.Holdcroft, F.Allen, G.Cook, A.Perry, D.Tolley, J.Cox, Women’s ‘B’:- P.Hooley, R.Sanders, B.Phillips, J.Denton, T.Johnston, S.Smith, Reserves:- V.Arnold, C.Downing, D.Harvey, J.Clarke.
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Terri Bellamy was in top form for her team, Selly Park, in the Irish Centre Four a Side Ladies League, hitting no fewer than 8×100 plus 140 as they gained a 12-9 win over Northfield. On 126 points, Selly Park are in pole position. Second placed Acocks Green reduced the deficit as they romped to a 17-4 victory over Sheldon, but nevertheless still remain fifteen points adrift of the leaders.
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A.Caddick (EBAHA) hit a maximum and recorded an eight darts leg as his team went down 6-3 at Saltley Amateur Gardeners in the premier division of the Sheldon and District Winter League. Saltley’s T.Randell broke with 160. In the same division St Annes S.Harding had a nine darts game, the however lost 5-4 at Smiths Wood Snooker Club. Another player to finish on the wrong side of a 5-4 scoreline was Kinghurst Labour Club’s M.Turner. His 180 was not enough to avoid a defeat at the hands of the Silver Wings outfit in division one. 160 break and a nine darts leg is what C.Vann recorded as his team Mackadown Social beat Iron Horse. In the third division Glebe Community Centre had a similar win against Shard End RBL, J.Hadden having a 160 break for the winners.
The second round draw of the league’s Punchbowl is Malt Shovel v Olton RBL, Lea Hall RBL v Shard End Social, Iron Horse v British Telecom Club, Banbury Club v Sheldon Heath Dukes, Stechford Social v Mackadown Social, St Annes v Saltley Gardeners, Gables Tavern v Shard End Social Flights, Shard End RBL v Fordbridge Social. Matches are to be played on December 16.
The Sheldon Shield Preliminary Round Draw is Tipsy Gent v Lyndon Arms, Smiths Wood Social v Chelmsley Con Club, Millhouse v Silver Wings, Hobs Meadow v Lea Hall Mixed, Chelmsley Wood RBL v KDLC, Three Horse Shoes v Rooster Arrows, Sheldon Shoes v Great Western, Sheldon Heath Social v Spitfire, Lyndon Arrows v Yardley Ex Colts v EBAHA. Glebe Community Centre, Dovecote, Small Heath Gardeners, Old Bill and Bull, Hideout and BCS Club all have byes. All matches to be played on 16 December.
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P.Koyce produced a fabulous maximum finish of 170 plus a nine darts leg for the Bagot Arms as they won 6-3 at the Yew Tree in the Amber Windows League. KCA had a close 5-4 verdict at home to Vauxhall Social with two of their players hit the headlines. T.Kelly broke with 160 and T.Hodgkiss scored a maximum. Woodman lost 5-4 at home to Heartlands, both teams had a player register a nine darts game, J.Merrick for the former and N.Parsonage for the latter.
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It’s tight at the top of the Warwickshire Men’s Super League with Bedworth Bank’s and Birmingham Midland Red both on 64 points and Birmingham Vauxhall just one point behind. Bedworth who in their latest fixture won 5-3 at Kettlebrook Tamworth have played ten games, while Midland Red had a 7-1 win at bottom of the table Warwick Town and have a game in hand on Bedworth. The league’s early leaders, Birmingham Vauxhall, won 5-3 at home to Coventry Potters Green. They have also played ten games.
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A 160 break by E.Bullock and a 180 from J.Cawley helped Montgomerys to a 5-4 win over Red Hill in the Small Heath League. P.Randell chalked up an eight darts leg for the Custard Bar who nevertheless went down 6-3 to Saltley Flights. In the other matches played Gables defeated Sheldon Flights 5-4 and MvDwyers beat the Victoria 6-3.
On the 18 – 19 December the league are doing a twenty four hours marathon. This together with pool and domino events is a charity affair with all proceeds going to the Burns Unit of the Birmingham Childrens Hospital. Why not drop in and support a worthy cause.
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There was a shock this week for Red Arrows, reigning Forest of Arden Winter League champions, as in the final fixture of the first half of the season, they suffered an amazing 5-4 defeat at home to bottom of the table Mackadown Social. Following their 5-4 win against Silver Wings, Stechford Social have now taken over the top spot on 12 points, two clear of their rivals. A further two points adrift of Red Arrows are Hobs Meadow who had a terrific 7-2 away win at the Cock and Hens, who prior to the match were level on points with Hobs.
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