It was not the result that Warwickshire would have wished for in their final game of the season in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships as they slipped to a 20-16 defeat to Devon, this being their third home defeat of the campaign having won just one game at home against Nottinghamshire in October and winning three of their away fixtures.
The defeat sees them drop from third and finish the season in fifth place with 168 points seven short of third placed Lincolnshire and two ahead of Devon who finished sixth.
There were mixed results for the two days fixture as on Saturday the ladies ‘B’ finished all square at 3-3 with Kerry Bambridge (19.03) taking the match award, the men’s ‘B’ losing 7-5 with Thomas Ryan in superb form winning 4-0 against Darren Collis in 15,18,15 and 15 darts for a tremendous 31.81 average the best ‘B’ team average of the weekend.
Sunday’s games saw the ladies ‘A’ go down 4-2 leaving them without a win all season. For the fourth time in the nine games played Trina Gulliver (21.47) took the lady of the match award. The men’s ‘A’ with wins in the final two games from Antony Allen and Anthony West earned a 6-6 draw, Jamie Hughes in top form with his 4-1 win over Mark Turner and 32.96 average.
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In division one of the BDO Inter County Championships West Midlands were involved in a home tie with London and with just one point separating the two teams it was a decider which would dictate who would gain promotion to the premier division.
Saturday saw the ladies ‘B’ win 4-2, Heather Wright their top player with a 21.17 average and with the men’s ‘B’ winning 7-5 West Midlands were taking an 11-7 lead into Sunday’s games. Dean Mills was the ‘B’ team’s man of the match with a 29.21 average.
The ladies ‘A’ suffered a huge 5-1 defeat with Sarah Roberts their sole winner beating Leanne Topper in the final game 3-1 to clinch her fifth award of the season with a 23.47 average.
The men’s ‘A’ looked all set for a big win as they stormed into a 5-1 lead but London fought back to go 6-5 up to leave all of the season’s efforts resting on the result of the last game of the weekend to decide who would be promoted. Shaun Carroll proved to be the West Midlands man of the weekend if not the man of the season as he beat Chris Stevens 4-1, taking the match award for his 31.35 average and putting the final score at 6-6 plus the overall result at 18-18 which was enough to keep West Midlands one point to the good on their opponents and earn promotion to the premier division.
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The South Birmingham League played off the finals of their Roy Parry and Roy Parry Consolation cups. In the Roy Parry cup the top two division one teams Erdington Members Club and Mackadown Social squared up to each other, the 7-2 result going in favour of current league leaders Erdington Members Club.
The Raven and The Dog did battle for the Roy Parry Consolation cup title and it was the division one outfit Raven who got the better of their division two rivals with a convincing 8-1 result.
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The top two players in the Shirley Red Lion Premier League Lee Harris and Mark Gwalchmai both took five points from a possible eight in week nine to see Harris lead the field with 56 points from 18 games and Gwalchmai second with 54 points from 17 games, both players keeping intact their undefeated record. Harris had a 3-1 win over Andy Thomas in which he recorded a 152 break and an eight darts game and followed that with a 2-2 draw with Mick Bown while Gwalchmai after a 2-2 draw with Pete Silver won his game against Mark Cater 3-1, the leading duo now opening a gap between them and the rest of the field.
Special mention for Tim Lowe who chalked up his first win in 18 games this week when he beat Nick Walker 3-1, despite the win Lowe remains rooted at the foot of the table with Walker just above him two points better off plus he has a game in hand.
The £5 prize for the highest finish of the week went to Tony Daly who in his 4-0 win over Lee Holtham checked out on 116.
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East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association have lost their 100% win record in the Small Heath League going down for the first time in six outings when they lost 6-3 at home to their nearest rivals Gulp Tribe who are now level on the same ten points and only trail on average.
Third in the table Foaming Tankard kept to within two points of the leading duo with a 7-2 win away to Wagon and Horses.
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The Winmau Centre Thursday Night Champions League are up to week 18 and so fierce is this season’s competition that any one of the top six players are still in with a chance of taking the title. Louis Burley currently heads the table with 164 points from 31 games his latest fixtures seeing him hand out a rare defeat to Sam Guest as he beat him 5-2, he followed that with a 7-0 win against John Porter. Chris Williams is second in the table adding a 6-1 win over Chris Manoila and a 5-2 success over Chris Fox to his tally to give him 157 points, seven short of Burley but with two games in hand. Guest is third on 151 points with three games in hand but still not out of the frame is reigning champion for the past two seasons Mick Baker who despite being sixth on 127 points has a massive eight games in hand which could net him a possible 56 points.
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The Camp Hill League have played their singles knockout down to the last eight and making the quarter finals are, Adrian Radbourne (Station Wagon), John Lee (Devils Club), John Paul Roddy (Eagle and Ball), Paul Osborne, Pete Shipley (New Inn), Richard Cooper (Cotterills Lane Club), Simon Edwards (Hay Mills Social Club Lions), Steve Ollenrenshaw (Tyseley WMC).
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The Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League have completed their domestic fixtures and Ashwood have enjoyed a very successful season as the ‘A’ team won the league title with 56 points and the ‘B’ side finished as runners up on 50 points just pipping Brickmakers Arms and Miners Welfare to second place on average as they also have 50 points..
Taking the wooden spoon were Hare and Hounds who won just one of their 31 games. Ten Arches ‘A’ won the Shadow League with 18 points two more than runners up Fox Inn (Lye).
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With The Untouchables not playing in week six of the Winmau Centre Monday Night League Just The Tip with a 35-13 win over Keep It In The Family have replaced them at the top of the table on 196 points. What’s The Point had a convincing 43-5 win over bottom of the table Unleashed Warrior to leave them second in the table, nine points off the top with a game in hand. Untouchables are third on 182 points again with a game in hand on the leaders.
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The Sutton and District League have got their new season underway with three divisions as opposed to last season’s two. Boat and Old Oscott Arrows are the early leaders in division one in turn winning 7-2 against St Thomas’s Club and Plough and Arrows.
An 8-1 win against Drakes Drum puts Red Lion in pole position in division two while a 7-2 win by Rosey Mac’s against The Lane gives them the number one spot in the third division.
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A 6-1 win at Dudley Sports saw Brickmakers Arms wrap up the Brierley Hill Friday Night League title as they finished the season with 44 points two more than second placed Pensnett Welfare Club ‘A’ who won their final home game against Samson and Lion 4-3.
Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’ and ‘B’ finished third and fourth respectively with 40 and 34 points, the ‘A’ side finishing on a low as they lost their home tie with Fox Inn (Lye), who are just two places off the foot of the table, 4-3 while the ‘B’ team moved up one place to fourth with a 6-1 win at The Bridge (Kingswinford).
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Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club have taken over pole position in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League with a 6-3 away win over Blue Brick, replacing Bulls Head (Netherton) at the top of the table after they surprisingly lost 5-4 at Portway who move up one place to fifth.
Third in the table Mount Pleasant won 7-2 at home against Brickmakers Arms to put them on the same 18 points as Ex Serviceman’s and Bulls Head.
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The Bilston and District League have completed their league fixtures and taking the 301 league title with a total of 52 points is The Nutan with Tilted Barrel finishing second on 48 points. The roles were reversed in the 501 league as Tilted Barrel with 54 points finished as champions and The Nutan runners up with 50 points.
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In week fourteen fourth placed Whiteheath Tavern were the only losers in the top nine teams in the Rowley Monday Night League going down 5-4 at Tividale FC. Ex Serviceman’s ‘A’ continue to lead the field with 28 points after their latest big 8-1 win at Yeltz Bar. The Bell are second just two points behind the leaders keeping up the pressure with a 7-2 success over Haden Cross which also keeps them six points ahead of third in the table Cradley Liberal Club who won 5-4 at home against Roost.
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There were big wins for the top five teams in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League, leaders Ten Arches ‘A’ winning their home tie with sixth in the table Gate ‘A’ 7-2, second placed Gate ‘B’ went one better with an 8-1 win against Hare and Hounds ‘B’ to keep them within two points of the leaders. Brickmakers Arms in third place won 7-2 at Stourbridge RBL, fourth placed Ten Arches ‘B’ like their ‘A’ side won 7-2 in their away game at Fox Inn (Lye) and fifth in the table The Bridge (Kingswinford) had the best win of the week when they handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their hosts Hare and Hounds ‘A’.
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A 6-3 win at Hill and Cakemore maintains Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club’s three points lead at the top of the Netherton Thursday Night League and also their 100% win record. The Bell who have only played three games, like the leaders are undefeated, they moved up from fifth to second in the table with a 5-4 win at Riddins Tavern, Riddins dropping two places to fifth. Fairfield had a bye in week four and drop one place to third on the same six points as White Horse, Riddins and Townsend Club but with a game in hand on all three teams.
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Island Inn suffered a setback to their title aspirations in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League when they lost their home game against their nearest rivals Dewdrop 4-3, Dewdrop moving to within two points of their hosts.
The Vine and Old Hop Pole are placed third and fourth respectively in the league table and in turn won 6-1 at Horseley Tavern and 4-3 against Merry-Go-Round to put them both on 16 points two behind Dewdrop and four adrift of Island Inn.
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With the top two teams, Black Horse and Churchills ‘A’ losing in the Wednesbury and Darlaston Wednesday Night League The Nutan with a 7-2 win at Staffordshire Knot have taken over at the top of the table. Black Horse and Churchills ‘A’ both lost 5-4 in turn against Horse and Jockey and English Oak and although they have the same 12 points as Nutan have played one game more than the leaders. English Oak in fourth place are also on 12 points.
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The Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League have played their divisional singles knockouts down to the last sixteen and winning through to the finals night are, Division One:- John O’Kane (Jacks Bar), Jamie Aplin, Dean Showell (Victoria), Simon Pritchard, Paul Bromley, Dave Lucas (Riley’s ‘C’), Nigel Turner, Mark Busby, Paul Boddison (Riley’s ‘A’), Steve Jones, Jeff Simmons (Wednesfield Conservative Club), Paul Kennedy, Lee Jordan, Andrew Nicholas (Sunbeam), Ashok Shedev (Boat), Pete Summers (Bull), Division Two:- Matt Campbell, Stan Withnall (Riley’s ‘D’), Ivor Newell, Nathan Ward (Yale Club), Len Slade, John Jordan (Shed), James Fletcher, Tom Fletcher, Wayne Reed (Roebuck), Richard Mattox, John Newell, Terry O’Donnell, Steve Beighton (Dog and Partridge), Brian Clarke (Woodfield Social), Gurps Jaswal (Pendulum), Lee Smart (Wednesfield Legion).
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Cleveland Arms moved up two places to third in the Tettenhall Wednesday Night League following their 5-2 home win over Riley’s who drop from third to fourth in the table. Leaders Whitmore Reans WMC had a 6-1 win at Swan Compton while second placed ECC ‘A’ went one better with a 7-0 win over Village Inn to keep them just two points behind Whitmore.
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