An away game against Lincolnshire was Warwickshire’s latest fixture in the Premier Division of the BDO Inter County Championships and it turned out to be one they will quickly want to forget. Prior to the fixture Lincolnshire were languishing at the foot of the table on 42 points with their opponents some twelve points and four places to the good, a win not out of the question for Warwickshire, but sadly the year ended on somewhat of a sour note as they went down 21-15.
The weekend began well with both the ‘B’ teams winning, the ladies chalking up their best win of the season so far 5-1 with Melanie Jones (21.82) their lady of the match. The men’s ‘B’ side recorded their first win in four a 7-5 result with Tom Ryan (27.14) their top man.
Sunday was a different story with both of the ‘A’ teams losing heavily, Natalie Gilbert (20.59) the sole winner in the ladies 5-1 demise while man of the match Jamie Hughes (27.34) and Dean Stewart were the only two winners in a 10-2 reversal for the men.
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West Midlands player Mick Baker has unbelievably won the Winmau Centre Thursday Night Champions League title, plus the lucrative twelve months sponsorship deal supplied by Winmau that goes with the title for the last three seasons and after catching up with some of his outstanding fixtures has now replaced long term leader Tony Randell in pole position.
Baker’s latest fixtures have seen him win 5-2 against Adam Quinton and 6-1 against Rob Montana to put him on 111 points from 19 games, Randell who has now dropped into second place has 104 points from 20 games and with third placed Jordan Ward having played 24 games and being 14 poinyts adrift of Baker the title looks almost certain to go to one of the current top two players.
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An 8-1 win over The Gate in division one of the South Birmingham League has taken leaders Erdington Members Club’s unbeaten run to six games and after a 5-4 home defeat for second placed Banbury Arrows by Coleshill Social Erdington have a four points lead over second and third placed Banbury Arrows and Crown at Shard End, Crown have a game in hand on the two teams above them.
With Iron Horse having a bye in division two C’s Arrows have taken over from them in the number one spot after a 7-2 win over Crown Jewels, they lead Iron Horse by just one leg of average as both teams have ten points. There was a first win in four for Chelmsley Conservative Club as they beat C’s Flights 7-2.
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Royal Sutton Flights recorded a 6-2 win at Golden Hind in the Four Oaks and District League and after five games are tied at the top of the first division with The Boat on ten points but take pole with a superior average. The two teams will square up to each other in the next round of fixtures to end the first half of the season.
Trailing 4-2 Drakes Drum staged a monumental comeback at St Thomas’s Social Club to take the final three games 2-1 and earn their first league win of the season.
In the second division Red Lion resumed their winning ways with a 7-2 win against The Fox to take them top of the table while Bishop Vesey dropped down one place to second after losing 6-3 at Erdington Arrows. Plough and Arrows doubled their points tally with their second consecutive win a 5-4 success at Old Oscott WMC.
The Oscott Social remain unbeaten at the top of the third division an 8-1 win against Sutton Sports and Social Club giving them a perfect ten points two more than second in the table Boldmere Tap who had a 7-2 win against Lad In The Lane.
R.Hawker (Royal Sutton Flights( hit his second 180 of the season and K.Brown (Drakes Drum) his first.
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With Journeys End Flights having a bye in the Forest of Arden Winter League their local rivals Journeys End have replaced them at the top of the table with a 6-3 win at Kingshurst Knights, both Journeys teams are on 22 points but Flights now have a game in hand. Third placed Highwood KB gained an important win when they beat fourth in the table Greville Arrows 6-3 to open up a two points lead over their opponents.
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The Henley and District League had round one of their League Cup on the fixture card and the four teams winning through to the next round were Studley Cricket Club, Wharf Swifts, Wootton Bears and Beausale. The four losing teams Studley Conservative Club, Dorridge, Village inn and Wythall Legion go into the Consolation Cup.
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Will Naylor continues to impress in the Erdington Red Lion Double Top League with 2-1 and 3-0 wins over respective opponents Lewis Bayliss and Ryan Barritt to give him a total of 35 points from an unbeaten thirteen games. Jim Frost surrendered his second place to Dean Bayliss after he lost 2-1 to Lee Austin and Bayliss, Bayliss also having a 3-0 success against Micky Wilde to leave him six points adrift of Naylor but two ahead of Frost in third place.
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After losing 29-19 to leaders of the Winmau Centre Monday Night League Misfits, Just The Tip have slipped down to third place behind The Untouchables who won 34-14 against What’s The Point. Despite their big win Untouchables are still a huge 47 points behind the leaders but go four ahead of Just The Tip.
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The Brierley Hill Monday Night League played off the finals of their Singles Knockout and taking the title with a final straight 3-0 win over H.Wakefield (Brickmakers Arms) was R.Powers representing Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club.
In the last four games Powers beat L.Davies (Lamp Tavern) 2-0 while Wakefield was taken to a deciding leg by J.Glazzard (Roebuck).
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Avenue Social consolidated their number one spot in the Kings Norton League when they took their points tally to ten with a 6-1 win away to Toby Jug, however also on ten points are E57, West Heath and Rubery RBL, E57 winning 5-2 against Bournbrook, West Heath had a close 4-3 home win over Grant Arms and Rubery had a confident 6-1 win against Weoley Hill.
Week six was a good week for Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club as they recorded their first win in six a 6-1 result away to Man on the Moon.
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Making the last eight of the Camp Hill League’s Singles Knockout Neil Parsonage (Cotterills Lane Club), James Gavin, Dan Lee (Crown Jewels), Bill Carter, Mick O’Sullivan (Holy Souls), Mick Looby (Devil’s Club), Pete Yardley (Journeys End Lions) and Nathan Prentice (Tyseley WMC).
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Gate ‘B’, third in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League table were the only losers in the top ten teams in week 36. Playing with home advantage Gate ‘B’ lost 6-3 to fifth in the table Brickmakers Arms who with 52 points are now just two behind their hosts.
Top of the table Ten Arches ‘A’ had a 7-2 win at Kingswinford Conservative Club to preserve their two points lead over local rivals Ten Arches ‘B’ who handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their hosts Garibaldi.
In the eleven teams Shadow League Crestwood with a 7-2 win at Britannia were the only winners this week.
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After completing the opening ten fixtures in the Shirley and District Monday Night League three teams are on 18 points at the top of the table, Dunky’s Boys with a 170 break from Bob Nixon, a maximum from Andy Hutchings and breaks of 120 and 102 from Bob Vines and Karl Attwood respectively beat Saracens Misfits 9-0 to hold on to pole position on average from Highwood and Cider House who in turn won 9-0 against Shirley Spartac and 5-4 at Solihull Sports Club. The three teams have a two points lead over Red Lion and Drawbridge Bears.
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The Small Heath League are up to week six and keeping their place at the top of the table with an 8-1 win away to Emerald Club were East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association. E.B.A.H.A. with a perfect 12 points have a four points advantage over their nearest rivals Heartlands Club who had a bye this week and now have a game in hand on the leaders.
The two Sheldon Marlborough teams had 6-3 mixed fortunes as Flights won against Wagon and Horses and Arrows went down by the same margin at Cob’s Bar.
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The Netherton Thursday Night League have been winding down their season with various finals, Townsend Club reversed the previous week’s 5-4 defeat to Delph Bell in the final of the League Shadow Cup by beating the same opponents by the same margin in the Andy Bastable Shadow Cup final. The game went to the very last leg with Townsend taking their chance on the double to deny The Bell a second cup final win.
The Captain’s Cup was won by Simon Purcell (Riddins Tavern) who clinched the title with a final 2-1 win over Colin Hickman from Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club.
Both semi finals were won 2-0, Purcell beating Matt Hall (Delph Bell) and Hickman winning against John Green (Fairfield).
The league will be holding their AGM on Thursday 4th January all teams old and new who interested in entering a team for the forthcoming season are invited to attend the meeting.
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The Pip Club League played round one of their Divisional Cups and making their way into the last four for division one were Dolphin Wanderers, Belgrave Club, Queens Head and The Office while the winners in division two were Old Liberal House, Wiggington Arms and Pip Club, Red Lion had a bye.
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Pensnett Welfare Club ‘A’ are third in the Brierley Hill Friday Night League and week 15 saw them win a vital away game against second placed Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’ to reduce the arrears on their opponents to four points while the losers fell four points behind leaders Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ who won their home game against next to bottom of the table Britannia 7-0.
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The final of their Doubles Knockout was on the agenda for the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League and taking the title with a win over reigning champions Tony Kennedy and John Wright were Graham Parker and M.Bowen.
In the semi-finals L.Sherwood despite losing 2-1 registered a 170 checkout in his winning leg.
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The Shirley Red Lion Premier League staged three knockouts on their presentation night, the first being the ‘£50 Shoot Out’ for the league’s top four players, unfortunately due to ill health runner up Steve Sidwell was unable to attend so in stepped fifth placed Lee Harris. The semi-finals saw a high quality standard with league champion Tom Bent edging out Lee Harris whilst Mark Henderson started his semi-final with a 180 only to see Mark Gwalchmai hit back with finishes of 116 and 100 and then take the fifth leg and book his place in the final.
The high quality darts continued in the final Mark Gwalchmai winning the first two legs Tom Bent replying by winning the next two. Gwalchmai looked all set to collect the £50 top prize until Bent produced a sensational 153 checkout.
The ‘Win your £20 entry fee back’ play off between the league’s bottom four players was a hard fought affair too, in the semi-finals Nick Walker and Karl Wilson won 3-0 in turn against Tim Lowe and Noreen Harris. The final was a very close affair Nick Walker taking the honours with a 3-2 result.
Thirteen players did battle in the Singles Knockout with the eight players taking part in the two previous knockouts excluded. The semi-finals both went to a deciding leg with Tony Daly beating Sean Talbot and Dave Heighway taking out Andy Thomas, the final result going to Tony Daly.
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The winners of the Cradley Tuesday Night League 5 A-Side Knockout were Shaun Hill, Bryan Pearsall, Carl Newton, Mark Rutter and Michael Roberts while the 3 A-Side title went to Jeff Batham, Alf Turley and Carl Penzer.
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After just one week off the top of the division one doubles section of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League Riley’s ‘B’ with a 2-1 win over Wednesfield Conservative Club in the final fixture of the season have replaced their ‘C’ team at the top of the table to take the title. The division two doubles title went to Wednesfield Legion.
In the singles sections Riley’s ‘C’ won division one and the division two title went to Dog and Partridge.
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