In their home tie against Cheshire in the premier division of the Riley’s BDO Inter County Championships, Warwickshire were unable to add to their previous win and lost the game 19-17. The result has seen them drop two places in the table to sixth.
It was a good weekend for the men’s teams as both of them finished with 7-5 wins. For the ‘A’ side Robert Hawker took the man of the match award with a tremendous 32.85 average, beating Peter Boughey with a straight 4-0 result. Mark Strong (25.28) was the ‘B’ team’s top player, he won 4-1 against Dave Patton.
Unfortunately it was a different story for the ladies. Prior to the match both teams were unbeaten, each having drawn both of their opening two fixtures. The ladies ‘A’ suffered a huge 5-1 defeat with only Trina Gulliver (22.77) managing a win. The ‘B’ side also lost, they went down 4-2 with Wendy Adams and Natalie Gilbert their two winners. The match award went to Natalie Gilbert, who won 3-1 against Vicky Martin with a 19.38 average.
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The League Cup was the order of the day for the Tamworth League the first round seeing wins for Three Tuns (Fazeley), Fox and Dogs, Dolphin ‘A’ and Sports Bar ‘180’. The same four winners were also successful in round two as Fox and Dogs beat Longwood 4-0, Three Tuns (Fazeley) had a 4-3 win over Wigginton, Dolphin ‘A’ accounted for Mile Oak Rovers with a 4-1 scoreline and Sports Bar ‘180’ took out their local rivals Sports Bar with a4-2 result.
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With Bulls Head (Rowley) already acclaimed as champions of the Rowley Monday Night League, the penultimate fixtures of the season brought together the two teams battling it out for the runners up place Bull Terrier and Ivy Bush ‘Z’. With home board advantage Bull Terrier’s 6-3 win confirmed them as runners up, Ivy Bush ‘Z’ will now have to win their final fixture at home to Moon Under Water to hang on to third place as The Bell, who play at Whiteheath Tavern in their final game could still overtake them.
At the other end of the table Moon Under Water rec0ored only their fourth win in 31 games when they beat Golden Cue 5-4, which saw them move off the foot of the table and be replaced by Fairfield, who lost 6-3 at Hunting Tree.
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Cotterills Lane Club kept the pressure on Scruffy Ringers, leaders of the Camp Hill League when they handed out a 7-0 whitewash to their visitors Station. Scruffy Ringers had a 5-2 home win over Shaftmoor Lions to give them16 points from 9 games, the same number as Cotterills, who now only trail the leaders by two legs of average.
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Noel Grant took the honours when defeating Dean Stewart in the Memorial Singles for Dennis Roberts the County’s former manager. Grant was in superb form all night and reached the semi final point where he saw off the challenge of the very inform Mark Westgarth by 4 legs to 0. There was also a 4-0 scoreline in the other semi final where Stewart defeated Jamie Atkins, one leg close to an elusive 9 darter with the two maximums scored. In the final Stewart roared into a 2-0 lead only for Grant to hit back with the next four to take the crown for the very first time.
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The South Birmingham League had their Roy Parry Cup on the fixture card and the round saw division two leaders St John’s host division one leaders Mackadown Social. As expected it was the division one side that won, but possibly not so much expected was the huge 9-0 margin.
The Crown were also big winners, the division one side with a maximum from N.Clarke beat their division two opponents The Trident 8-1. In the all division two clash between Iron Horse and Smithswood Social saw the former win 7-2 with the aid of a 154 finish and a nine darts game from R.Atkins.
Others winners from the round were, Punch Bowl, Riley’s Kings, Coleshill Social, Shard End Social and Pavilions.
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The Sheldon and District Winter League staged the preliminary round of their Punch Bowl and Shard End Social (Division one) were in top form as they beat their division two visitors Highwood Exiles 9-0. Premier division team Old Bill and Bull won their away game against division one opponents Crown-Forget-Me-Not 6-3, the same scoreline by which Shirley RBL Misfits took out their division two rivals Meadway Sports and Social.
Just one rearranged league fixture played a division game which saw EBAHA beat Riley’s Rags 6-3 to put them top of the table, two points ahead of second placed Raven. One late result from division two in which second placed Crown Arrows won 6-3 away to next to bottom Langley Hall Sports and Social Flights.
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Red Lion Flights maintained their number one position in division one of the Four Oaks and District League with a 7-2 home win over reigning champions Sutton Sports, who are currently fourth and after only three fixtures trail by four points.
The nomads beat Old Oscott Arrows 6-3 to stay just two points behind the leaders with a match in hand. At 4-0 up and their opponents not having won a single leg Deer’s Leap Stags must have been feeling pretty confident, but their opponents Drakes Drum staged a dramatic comeback to snatch a 5-4 victory, their first win of the campaign. Greyhound also celebrated their first win with a 6-3 success at Old Oscott WMC.
In division two The Beehive won 7-2 at Boldmere Sports to go top, but Anvil Nomads had a bye and are now level on points with a game in hand. Brookvale Social recovered from 4-2 down to take the points from Bromford Lions in a very close 5-4 result.
Both Bishop Vesey and White Lion kept their unbeaten run going in division three, the former winning their home tie with Pint Pot Flights 5-4 to put them just one leg of average to the good on White Lion, who won 7-2 as hosts to Crown Warriors.
M.Compton and E.Atkins recorded 180’s for Old Oscott Arrows it was Compton’s third maximum in four weeks. There were also maximum’s for A.Kimberley (Sutton Sports), D.Murray (The Greyhound) and N.Clarke (The Beehive).
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With just one fixture remaining in the Cradley Tuesday Night League, Brickmakers have won the title with Chainmakers ‘B’ finishing as runners up. The Shadow League title is still up for grabs with Gate (Darby End) and Crown both locked together on 22 points, the former just slightly ahead on average, but the final game of the season could still see a turn around.
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The top two teams in division one of the Forest of Arden Winter League, Highwood ‘A’ and Harvester both chalked up 5-4 wins in their latest fixtures, Highwood beating The Grange and Harvester accounting for The Crane. However, Highwood are the only undefeated team in the division and have a game in hand on Harvester.
In division two an 8-1 win by Sheldon Flights over Ivy Leaf Bulls has seen them go top of the table, but Chelmsley Town, who are currently third and two points behind Sheldon have two games in hand and are the only team in the division with a 100% win record.
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There were wins for the top three teams in the Small Heath League, leaders Gulp Tribe beat Clock Inn 8-1, while second placed Emerald Club had 6-3 win against Custard House Flights. Third in the table Custard House also won 6-3 against Wagon and Horses, who are one place below them.
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