Congratulations to Warwickshire’s “Golden Girl” Trina Gulliver who for a record breaking sixth time has won the Winmau World Masters title. Prior to the finals Trina and Eric Bristow were the only two players to have won their respective events on five occasions but a 5-2 win in the final over Deta Hedman puts Trina way out in front on her own with six wins.
In the last four games Trina won 4-1 against Sweden’s Vicky Pruim while Hedman took out Devon’s Maria O’Brien. The final saw Trina race into a 3-0 lead before her opponent got her first stripe on the board. The fifth leg went to Gulliver and the sixth to Hedman then in the seventh leg the Warwickshire player requiring 72 hit single five, single seventeen and rounded off a superb win with the bull to take the title she last won in 2005.
In the men’s event Warwickshire’s Jamie Hughes reached the semi finals where he bowed out 5-0 to reigning champion Glen Durrant who went on to retain his title with a final win over former Warwickshire man Mark McGeeney.
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Week five in the Sheldon and District Winter League brought together the premier division’s top two team’s leaders Crown at Olton playing away to second placed Langley Hall Sports and Social Arrows. The 6-2 result went to Crown to keep them in pole position with nine points while for their opponents this was their first defeat and with seven points drop to third place one point behind Mackadown Social who take over the number two spot following their 5-2 win over Highwood KB’s. At the other end of the table there was a first win in five for Saltley Amateur Gardeners who for so long were a major force in the league.
In division one Willclare Sports and Social made it five wins in as many games when they won their home tie with Sheldon Marlborough Flights 5-3, this being Flights first defeat and sees them drop to third place on six points two adrift of Crown Arrows whose 5-3 win at Holy Souls takes them into second place on eight points, two fewer than Willclare.
Ridgemere Social Flights top division two their 6-2 win over bottom team Langley Hall Sports and Social Flights keeping them two to the good on second placed Shirley RBL Misfits who won 5-3 at Small Heath Amateur Gardeners to make it three wins in as many games.
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The first round of their Divisional Cups were on the fixture card for the South Birmingham League and in the division one games there were wins for Erdington Members Club, Mackadown Social, Banbury Arrows and Coleshill Social while making their way into round two in the second division games were The Gate, The Dog, Banbury Flights and The C’s.
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Round two of the Presidents Cup in the Forest of Arden Winter League matched the top two division one sides, leaders Journeys End taking on and beating second placed Kingshurst Knights 7-2. Third in the top division Highwood KB had a 6-3 home win over Crown Arrows who are placed second in division two and there was a win for another division one team Greville Arrows who beat Highwood Arms from division two 5-4.
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Hillyfields ‘B’ hold on to the number one spot in the Kings Norton League after a convincing 6-1 home win over Grant Arms. Two other teams who have also won their opening two fixtures are West Heath and Stirchley United who in turn had close 4-3 wins over Rubery RBL and Hillyfields ‘A’ to keep them locked together in second place level on both points and average and only three legs of average short of the leaders.
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As the Winmau Centre Monday Night League nears its halfway stage What’s The Point have a nine points advantage at the top of the table over their nearest rivals Smash It. In the latest fixtures What’s the Point had a 37-11 win against Keep It In The Family while Smash It in week ten had a bye.
No fewer than six people found the three treble twenties this week Ian Hawkins, Vic Lloyd, (Oche Dokie), Simon Key (The Untouchables) and there were two for James Owen (Double Trouble), Paul Simmons (Oche Dokie) and Andy Busby (The Untouchables).
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Quite a bit of movement at the top of the Shirley Red Lion Premier League in week 14 as former leader Andy Hoy drops to fifth after losing 3-1 to Mick Gorst and winning 3-0 against Mark Cater. New leader Gorst moves up from fifth place as he followed up his win over Hoy with a 2-2 draw against Antony Daly and added a 3-0 win over Jack Nason.
There was a rise of four places to second for former leader Paul Higgins although he did have mixed fortunes as he beat Steve Heeks and Jack Nason 3-0 and then lost 3-1 to Steve Sidwell to give him the same 63 points as Gorst in pole position but he has played three games more than Gorst.
Chris Thomas was another player to move four places up the table taking over third place after having 2-2 draws with Mark Gwalchmai and Ken Hopton and then winning his last game of the night 3-0 against Tom Bent.
The league is so fiercely fought this season that there is just two points separating the top six players.
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In what is becoming an annual event the South Birmingham League took on the Forest of Arden League in a charity game to raise money to buy Christmas presents for the children in the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
As ever it turned out to be a huge success but it was greatly aided this year by sponsorship of Jamie Carter of Vapour Trail who also added a further £100 to the coffers, in addition Trade Counter Butchers, Chelmsley Wood donated a £25 meat voucher to raffle off on the night.
The final score was an 8-4 win for South Birmingham but as is always the case in these charity events it’s the charity that‘s the biggest winner and from the night the Birmingham Children’s Hospital will benefit to the tune of a massive £651.
South Birmingham and Forest of Arden Select teams.
Simon Edwards (180), Sue Kingdon and Robbie Earl (Best average)
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With the Winmau Centre Thursday Night Champions League taking a break until January the centre is laying on a couple of knockouts the first of which saw West Midlands player Sam Guest take the top prize with a final 6-2 win over Robert Pierce.
In the last sixteen round Guest beat Shropshire player Rob Harris 4-0 and with a similar scoreline accounted for Jason Gayle in the quarter finals then booking his final spot with a 5-2 win over Matt Padgett. From the other half of the draw Pierce had 4-2 wins against Chris Fox and Mark Bayliss and reached the final with a 5-1 win against Chris Williams.
The centre in Racecourse Road, Wolverhampton, WV6 0QU will be staging the second of their knockouts tomorrow night with a guaranteed £100 for the winner. Cost of entry is £5 with all money paid in being paid out.
There is a 7.45 deadline for registration with match play getting underway at 8.00pm.
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Tomorrow night the Warwickshire Men’s Super League will be staging their annual Dennis Roberts Cup at the Bishopsgate Club, Foleshill Road, Coventry. Cost of entry is £5 per player, all teams should note that they are required to send a minimum of four players and these players should also be signed up super league members. Final roll call 8.15pm.
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A 6-3 win away to middle of the table Old Oscott WMC keeps Kingstanding Ex Serviceman’s Club in pole position in the Aston League with a total of 16 points from their nine games. Second placed Erdington Club lost ground as they suffered a 5-4 defeat away to their fiercest rivals Sportsmans Rest who have now drawn level on 14 points with Erdington and trail only on average.
After the leading three teams comes a six points drop to fourth placed Drakes Drum who in week nine won their home tie with bottom of the table St Thomas 7-2.
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With wins for the top three teams in the Brierley Hill Friday Night League after thirteen games only average separates the top two, Pensnett Welfare Club ‘A’ are current leaders adding a comfortable 6-1 win over fifth in the table Samson and Lion to their tally while second placed Brickmakers Arms were 5-2 winners at home to Dudley Sports. Third placed Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’ were also 5-2 winners away to Fox Inn (Lye) to remain two points off the top.
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It was a case of the top half playing against the bottom half in week eight of the Small Heath League and with the results all going in favour of the top teams there was no change at all in the league positions. East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association remain in the number one spot their 8-1 win over bottom team Emerald Club maintaining their six points lead over both Mitre and Gulp Tribe, Mitre handing out a 9-0 whitewash to their visitors Wagon and Horses while Gulp won 6-3 at Cob’s Bar.
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Ashwood ‘A’ continued their push for the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League title with a 5-2 home win over Dudley Sports taking their lead over second in the table Miners Welfare to four points as they lost 6-1 at Brickmakers Arms who are now level on the same 36 points as Miners. Ashwood ‘B’ and Gornal Conservative Club are also both on 36 points, Ashwood ‘B’ having a close 4-3 verdict away to Ten Arches ‘A’ while Gornal had a bye this week.
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It’s as you were in the Camp Hill League as the top five teams all won against the bottom five teams, leaders Cotterills Lane Club holding on to their two points advantage over second placed Hay Mills Social Club with a 5-2 win at Devil’s Club while Hay Mills handed their visitors Station Wagon a 7-0 whitewash.
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The Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League played off their Riley’s 4 A-Side Cup and in the division one contest it was the quartet of Phil Mayo, Simon Pritchard, Steve Ritchie and Matt Smart from Riley’s ‘C’ who lifted the title with a final 4-2 result over the Roebuck side of Allan Davies, Jamie Daly, Tom Fletcher and Lee Jordan.
The division two final was also 4-2 the title going to Phil Thomas, Paul Jackson, Dan Elcock and Dave Lewis representing Lanesfield RBL after defeating Sophie Fawcett, Eddie Gripton, Russ Smith and Jack Duck.
The league will be holding their AGM to form their new season on Tuesday 24th January 2017 at The Emerald Club, Cross St North, Wolverhampton. The meeting will get underway at approximately 8.00pm all prospective teams must bring a list of player names plus £50 towards their league fees.
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This season the Pip Club League have changed their format and in addition to having the usual two divisions they also have a combined division. Fixtures are such that all teams from both divisions play each other and when they are drawn against a team in their respective division the result is added to that table and when they draw a team from another division it goes into the combined table.
The Current leaders of division one are Bulls Head ‘A’ (Polesworth) who have a two points lead over both Queens Head and Winning Post.
The division two leaders are Globe (Wilnecote) with a slender one point advantage over Old Liberal.
In the combined division its Bulls Head ‘A’ who again lead the field with a total of 10 points but their lead is only on average from Queens Head with Winning Post third a further two points adrift.
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