Many congratulations to Jamie Hughes on winning the recent Romanian International Classic Darts Open held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Bucharest. England international Hughes hails from Tipton and is a regular Warwickshire County ‘A’ team player.
In the early rounds, from a starting line up of 178 Hughes beat Belgian Lakeside qualifier Cedric Waegemans 4-2, Northern Ireland international Paul Brown 4-3, Jim Williams from Wales 4-0 and in the semi finals Glen Upton from Sussex 5-0. In the final Jamie’s opposition came in the form of Worcestershire county player James Hurrell who he accounted for with a 6-4 scoreline to give him the title plus the winners 1600 euros.
After winning three overseas ranking tournaments in quick succession Jamie is now ranked number four in the BDO Rankings and all that after only being on the circuit for four years, look out Phil Taylor, Jamie Hughes is the up and coming star of the future.
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This coming weekend Warwickshire will reach the two thirds point of their nine games season in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships. Their latest fixture will be a home tie at Bishopsgate Club, Coventry against Cambridgeshire who are currently two places and six points above them and the new exciting news is that the ‘A’ team games will be televised.
After a somewhat disastrous 25-11 defeat away to high riding Lancashire the local county will be looking to quickly return to winning ways and the teams selected to do this are, Men’s ‘A:- Jamie Hughes, Noel Grant, Mark Carter, Tom Aldridge, Mark Strong, Dean Stewart, Richard Foster, Mark Westgarth, Jamie Atkins, Rob Hawker, William Naylor, Bob Nixon, Men’s ‘B’:- Ted Evetts, Simon Power, Tom McGlone, Carl Green, Michael Spencer, Antony Allen, Mark Archer, Luke Kennedy, Andy Hodges, Dane Vickers, Paul Deslandes, Dan Green, Reserves:- Steve Ward, Jimmy Hill, Dave Atkins, Dave Harris, Women’s ‘A’:- Trina Gulliver, Kat Spanswick, Wendy Adams, Denise Keyte, Melanie Hill, Angela Jones, Women’s ‘B’:- Donna Pinch, Lisa Whitmore, Kerry Bambridge, Lucy Keyte, Marian Conway, Nina Bolt, Reserves:- Sue Gulliver, Caroline Pike.
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After only three games in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League just three of the twenty one teams are unbeaten. Rose and Crown (Brierley Hill) with a 5-4 result inflicted a first defeat on Roebuck to take themselves into pole position on average from High Acres who won by the same 5-4 margin at home to Liberal Club and Bridge ‘B’ who again 5-4 at Dudley Sports ‘B’ are third.
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The Brierley Hill Friday Night League have completed just two fixtures and four teams, Bell, Brickmakers Arms, Miners (Wollescote) and Pensnett Welfare Club are the only teams still able to boast a 100% win record.
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With Lyndon having a bye this week in the premier division of the Sheldon and District Winter League, Saltley Amateur Gardeners were the only team to lose in the top five. Playing away to The Pirates Saltley went down 5-4 to leave them a massive eight points behind leaders Crown at Olton who won their home game against Sheldon Dukes 6-3. Second in the table Crown at Shard End had a convincing 8-1 win at George V to stay within two points of the leaders.
In division two Crown-Forget-Me-Not took their unbeaten run to twelve games with a surprisingly narrow 5-4 win at Langley Hall Sports and Social Flights who are two places off the bottom of the table and a huge 20 points behind Forget-Me-Not.
Winners going through from round one of the Punchbowl are, Maggies, Langley Hall Sports and Social Flights, Banbury Club, Crown at Shard End, Langley Hall Sports and Social Arrows, Castle Vale Stadium, Shirley RBL Misfits, Baldwin Bears, Crown at Olton, Marston Green Tavern, The Raven, Yardley Ex Colts, The Pirates, The Lyndon, Mackadown Social and Saltley Amateur Gardeners.
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In the Small Heath League Emerald Flights were looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat by Cobs Bar, but yet again they finished on the wrong side of a 5-4 result, this time it was bottom of the table Clock Inn who were the victors, their first win in ten games.
Sheldon Marlborough Flights were looking to keep in touch with the top teams but they also went down 5-4 at home to Cobs Bar.
At Warwick Arms the visitors were top of the table Gulp and after taking the first game the hosts were then unable to match the finishing power of their guests and despite taking a second game eventually lost 7-2.
Match of the night took place at the Wagon and Horses Mitre being their visitors. With the home side third in the table on 12 points and their opponent’s second just two points above them, both teams had everything to play for. A close game was envisaged and that was exactly what it was as Mitre won the points in the very last leg of the final game for a 5-4 win to put them four points clear of their hosts and level on 12 points with leaders Gulp, but having played one game more.
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The Netherton Thursday Night League had their three-a-side knockout on the cards and winning through to the semi finals were, R.Smith / N.Smith / A.Spittle / K.Bambridge (Springfield Social Club), P.Tonks / R.Carr / R.Riaz (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club), R.Tipper / C.Penzer / C.Davies / M.Frost (Brickmakers Arms) and C.Hadlington / B.Cartwright / N.Raybould (White Horse).
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Just one fixture played in the West Midlands Men’s Super League which saw league leaders Crown beat next to bottom of the table Bridgtown 5-2. Crown now lead the field with 55 points from 9 games but second placed Landywood Snooker Club are just five points adrift with a game in hand,
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The Tamworth League played off the finals of their Andrew Evans Memorial Cup which saw 4-1 wins for Fox and Dogs and Old Liberal House in the semis against respective opponents Belgrave Club and Longwood. League leaders Fox and Dogs were far too strong for Old Liberal House as they took the title with a clear cut 4-0 win in the final.
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As the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League move into the second half of the season Ashwood lead the field with a perfect score of 19 wins in as many games, their latest success being an 8-1 home win over Church Tavern who are sixth in the table. Second placed Ten Arches lost ground on the leaders going down 5-4 at home to Corn Exchange leaving them six points off the top, Corn Exchange move up one place to eighth.
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The Camp Hill League got their new season underway and the early pacesetters are Holy Gulp who handed out a 7-0 whitewash to their visitor’s Devil’s Club. Other winners in the opening games were Scruffy Ringers, Horses and Cotterills Lane Club.
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In the most recent fixtures in the Black Country Premier League leaders Hasbury Monks had a bye, but second and third placed Blackheath Beechers and Black Country Belters played each other, the outcome was a 9-6 win for Beechers to put them one point behind the Monks and two ahead of Belters.
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The Britannia Sports Bar Open was won by Ryan Tipper who collected the winners £150 after beating Joe Sharratt in the final 6-5, Sharratt receiving £100.
Sharratt had a big win in the last four when he took out Ian Jones with a straight 5-0 win, Tipper beating Kevin Bambrick 5-2, each of the losing semi finalists picking up £50 plus there was £5 for the losing quarter finalists Dave Simpson, T.Frost, Lol Frazer and Rob Pierce.
In the 101 Knockout Adam Robson was the winner with a final 3-2 win over Alan Carter.
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The second round of the Challenge Cup was the order of the day for the Four Oaks and District League and there were shocks galore, division one leaders The Beehive were knocked out in a big way losing 8-1 to their nearest rivals and reigning league champions Sutton Sports. Third division leaders The Fox were 4-3 down to first division’s Old Oscott Arrows and rallied to go on and win 5-4. In another upset the all division two contest saw Pint Pot Flights beat title contenders Boldmere Sports 5-4, while in the other game played division two leaders Golden Hind lost 6-3 at home to division one side Red Lion.
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Week two in the Cradley Tuesday Night League and only four of the 17 teams are unbeaten. White Horse and The Gate lead the way level on points and average, both teams just one point of average to the good on third placed Wheatsheaf. Roost ‘A’ are the only other undefeated team but they have only played one game so far.
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The South Birmingham League had their Singles Knockout on the fixture list and winning the event was Chris Millward snr (Crown-Forget-Me-Not) with a final 2-1 win over Raven’s Dave Mortiboys. Both of the semi finals also finished 2-1, Millward beating team mate William Naylor and Mortiboys winning against another Crown-Forget-me-Not player Jim Frost.
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After the latest fixtures Highwood ‘A’ and Olton Crown are still locked together on the same 18 points at the top of division one of the Forest of Arden Winter League, both teams won 7-2 Highwood ‘A’ winning at Ivy Leaf while Olton played at the Harvester.
In division two Iron Horse made it ten straight wins when they won their home tie with Crown Arrows 6-3 to remain two points ahead of Highwood ‘C’ who also won their game at Greville Arms 6-3.
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Birchmoor Club held on to their three points lead at the top of division one of the Pip Club League when they won their home game against Bulls Head (Two Gates) 5-2, their nearest rivals Bulls Head ‘A’ (Polesworth) winning 7-1 at Two Gates Club.
J W Belgrave suffered a setback to the division two title hopes when they lost 9-7 at Progressive Club who are seventh in the table and eight points behind J W. Despite the defeat J W are still four points ahead of second placed Sports Bar ‘180’ who could only manage an 8-8 draw at Pip Club who are fourth.
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