It was not a happy ending to 2016 for the Warwickshire County Darts Organisation as in their final fixture for the year in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships their two game winning run came to an end when they lost 19-17 at home to Lincolnshire who lie next to bottom of the table, the defeat seeing the hosts drop to fifth place.
Three of the four games finished all square Saturday’s matches seeing the ladies after trailing 2-1 earn a 3-3 draw with Caroline Pike (18.04) their top player. The men’s ‘B’ team were the only losers of the weekend going from 4-2 down to 5-5 before losing 7-5 after Anthony West had given them the ideal start when he won the opener against Jock Watt 4-0 with a tremendous 31.31 average winning his legs in 13,14,18 and 19 darts.
On Sunday the ladies ‘A’ after going 2-0 up were reliant on a 3-2 win from Kerry Bambridge in the penultimate game to secure a 3-3 draw, Trina Gulliver back to top form with a lady of the match performance and a terrific 25.53 average.
The men’s ‘A’ with only one win from their opening four games kept their unbeaten run going with a 6-6 draw Ted Evetts chalking up a fabulous 32.41 average against Lloyd Pennell to take the teams match award, Ted having winning legs of 15,14,17 and 14 darts in his 4-3 win.
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After losing their first fixture of the season 20-16 away to Hampshire current leaders of division one of the BDO Inter County Championships West Midlands recovered to win the next three games 24-12 the latest of which was a home tie against Cornwall which saw them halve the deficit on Hampshire to just one point and maintain their second position in the table.
There were wins for all four teams the last time that happened was in March 2014 when they played Northamptonshire at home and won 25-11.
Both ladies teams won 4-2 with Sarah Roberts (23.90) making it three out of four awards for the ‘A’ team and for the ‘B’ side it was Jacqueline Maiden with an 18.90 average.
For the second consecutive fixture the men’s ‘B’ team won 9-3 their top player being Daniel Nicholls with a 28.36 average, the ‘A’ made it three 7-5 wins with Shaun Carroll taking the match award with a 29.65 average.
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The Preliminary round of the Punchbowl Cup was on the fixture card for the Sheldon and District Winter League the round producing no major shocks, going into the hat for the next round will be Sheldon Marlborough Arrows, The Pirates, Castle Vale Residents, Crown at Olton, The Harvester, The Pavilions, The Lyndon, Mackadown Social, Sheldon Dukes, Langley Hall Sports and Social Arrows, Ridgemere Social Flights and Meadway Sports and Social , the Holy Souls versus Crown-Forget-Me-Not tie was a late result.
On the league front Mackadown Social were held to a 4-4 draw away to The Lyndon and as a result lose top spot in the premier table to Crown at Olton and Langley Hall Sports and Social Arrows. Crown after a 6-2 win at Highwood KB’s and Langley who won 5-3 at The Pirates are level on both points and average.
Willclare Sports and Social have a two points lead at the top of division one a 5-3 win at Yardley Ex Colts extending their 100% record to four games.
Lyndon Old Boys have lost pole position in division two after going down 6-2 at Maggies and are now one point behind Ridgemere Social Flights who had a 7-1 home win over Greville Arms, Ridgemere have also played one game fewer than Lyndon.
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Erdington Members Club consolidated their number one position in division one of the South Birmingham League with a convincing 8-1 home win over bottom of the table Crown Arrows.
In division two the top two teams both won 6-3. The Dog top the table their win over The Bell taking their points tally to ten from six games while second placed The Gate beat Banbury Flights to leave them two points adrift of The Dog. Third in the table Toby Jug are on the same eight points as Gate after a 5-4 win at Smithswood Social and only trail their rivals by two legs of average.
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The Forest of Arden Winter League are up to week five of their season and the reigning champions for both divisions are once again leading the way. In division one Journeys End with a maximum eight points from their opening four games have a four points lead over second in the division Kingshurst Knights who have a game in hand on the leaders.
Journeys End Flights top the division two table undefeated in five games and have an advantage of four points over second placed Crown Arrows who have only played four games, the latest round of fixtures seeing the two teams matched against each other with Journeys chalking up a significant 7-2 win.
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Week seven of the Four Oaks and District League’s season and in division one there were 7-2 wins for the top two teams The Boat and Boldmere St Mikes as Boat won at Old Oscott Arrows to stay two legs of average ahead of St Mikes who won at home against Drakes Drum.
Plough and Arrows outscored Bishop Vesey but lost 6-3 to remain without a win in their seven games and stay rooted at the foot of the table. Golden Hind in third place proved that its doubles that count with 22 tons to their opponents 14 they lost 6-3 at Pint Pot Flights.
With some tremendous darts division two’s St Thomas’s Social Club were this week’s highest scoring team hitting 23 tons and winning 7-2 against Erdington Arrows. J. Collins hit 8 tons including a 180 for the winners. The Fox remain top of the second division with a 5-4 win over Boldmere Tap. Erdington Club beat Red Lion 6-3 with K. Shorthouse recording the week’s third maximum.
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A perfect score of 14 points is what East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association achieved in the Small Heath League when they won 7-2 at Gulp Tribe who drop one place to third being replaced in the second position by Mitre who were also 7-2 winners at home to Cob’s Bar, however after only seven fixtures Mitre are already six points behind E.B.A.H.A.
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Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League played off the finals of their singles competition and making the final was arguably the best two players in the league Craig Butler and Wayne Griffiths the 3-1 result going in favour of Butler.
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With the top two players in the Shirley Red Lion Premier League Mick Gorst and Paul Higgins not playing in week thirteen Andy Hoy has taken over in pole position. Hoy began the night with a 3-1 win over Tom Bent before being held to a 2-2 draw by Adam Stuart who recorded a 14 darts leg. Hoy sits at the top of the table with 58 points from 26 games closely followed by Mick Bown who from the same number of games has 57 points. In the latest fixtures Bown recovered from a 3-1 beating by Mark Gwalchmai to win 3-0 against Stuart Dixon.
Former leader Mick Gorst is now lying in fifth place on 55 points just three short of Hoy but he has no fewer than five games in hand on the leader.
Individual highlights included Brian Lawton and Adam Stuart who both found the three treble twenties and Tom Bent who had a 116 finish.
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The Bilston and District League staged their annual Charity Night 3 A-Side Knockout at Allens Sports Bar. A total of 23 teams entered the event with last year’s winners Jamie Hughes, Lee Cox and Len Paskin taking the title again for a second successive year and dropping just one leg on their way to the final. The triumphant trio took out top teams from The Nutan, Tilted Barrel and Allens Sports Bar before taking on the Lanesfield RBL team of Dave Walker, Anthony Fellows and Devinder Singh in the final which they won 2-0.
Lee Cox was in tremendous form hitting a total of four maximums throughout the event with team mate Hughes notching another couple.
The evening raised a fabulous amount of £280 which the league is yet to decide which charity it will go to.
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The Kings Norton League have got their new season underway with fifteen teams doing battle for the title and after the first fixtures have been played its Hillyfields ‘B’ who top the table after an 6-1 win away to Weoley Hill, E57, Rubery RBL and Stirchley United are close behind as they in turn won 5-2 against Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club, Toby Jug Flights and Bear and Staff.
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The Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League staged the finals of their doubles knockout and in the semi finals Reece Cook-Lucas and Mark Lloyd (Gilberts Bar) took out Dave Lucas and Liam Bolton from Wednesfield FC, from the other half of the draw John Evans and Paul Bromley (Riley’s ‘C’) booked their final spot with a win over Len Slade and Simon New (Bird in Hand).
The final went the full five legs distance with fifteen years old Reece Cook-Lucas and his sixteen years old partner Mark Lloyd getting the 3-2 verdict.
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As the Brierley Hill Friday Night League nears the halfway mark it’s getting hot at the top as in week twelve fixtures the top two teams squared up to each other. Prior to the game between Pensnett Welfare Club ‘A’ and Brickmakers Arms the Welfare Club were top with a two points lead, however home advantage proved to be of no use as they lost the game 4-3 to see Brickmakers draw level with them on the same 20 points and trailing by just four legs of average. Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’, Pensnett Welfare Club ‘B’ and Samson and Lion are all on 18 points just two fewer than the leading duo.
At the other end of the table there was a first win in twelve for Lenches Bridge as they hosted the team just above them Fox Inn (Lye). The result was 5-2 to Lenches which puts them on the same two points as their opponents but leaves them still firmly rooted at the foot of the table.
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The Brierley Hill Monday Night League will be holding their AGM on Thursday 5th January at Dudley Sports and Social Club commencing at 8.00pm. Anyone wishing to enter a team for the 2017 season should attend the meeting all teams old and new are welcome.
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The Camp Hill League have been involved in cup semi finals in the League Cup just one result which saw Gulp Tribe beat Emerald Club while in the Consolation Cup there were wins for New Inn and Hay Mills Social Club who in turn defeated Devil’s Club and Eagle and Ball.
There was just one rearranged league fixture played which saw bottom team Station Wagon record their first win in fourteen games when they beat next to bottom team Wagon and Horses 6-1.
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It was the doubles knockout finals for the Netherton Thursday Night League and making up the final were Jeff Batham and Rob Powers (Dudley Sports) plus Bobby Carr and Darren Brown (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club). Both of the finalists won their quarter finals games 2-0 Batham and Powers taking out Phil Tonks and Matt Kendall (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club) Carr and Brown accounting for White Horse duo Carl Wakeman and Carl Hadlington.
Again in the semi finals both teams had the same 2-1 result Lee Banner and Paul Wells (White Swan) going out to Batham and Powers while Carr and Brown beat Dave Hughes and Neil Raybould from White Horse.
The final result was 2-0 going to Batham and Powers.
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With four wins in the first four games Bulls Head ‘A’ (Polesworth) lead the Main League in the Pip Club League with 8 points recording three 8-1 wins and one 9-0. Despite such a good start Queens Head are not that far behind the leaders as they too have a perfect 8 points from four games and are only six legs of average behind Bulls Head.
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With the league all done and dusted and Whitmore Reans WMC crowned champions with 68 points six more than runners up Cleveland Arms, the Tettenhall Wednesday Night League have been engaged with their Averages Knockout which was won by ECC ‘B’ player J.Evans who beat T.Durnall from Jack’s Bar in the final.
Evans won against A.Slade (ECC ‘A’) in the last four while Durnall beat C.Taylor (Whitmore Reans WMC).
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