The adverse weather conditions had its toll on many of our local darts leagues and competitions and also county fixtures as the Warwickshire versus Glamorgan fixture was cancelled, however there were still many that braved the weather to play their darts.
The Shirley and District Monday League’s week nineteen results saw leaders Highwood hand out a 9-0 whitewash to their hosts Blue Bell and moving up one place into second with a similar 9-0 win against Shirley Golf Club was Red Lion who are level on points and average with Dunky’s Boys but take second place by virtue of the fact they have won two more legs than Dunky’s however, Dunky’s 6-3 win against Solihull Sports and Social Club leaves them and Red Lion just two points behind Highwood.
Fourth placed Drawbridge Bears recorded a 7-2 win at Sharmans Cross but are some six points adrift of the leaders.
In the battle between the two teams at the foot of the table Plume of Feathers won 6-3 away against bottom team Shirley Spartac to put a clear four points between them.
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The Forest of Arden Winter League staged the final of their League Cup which was a local derby between Journeys End Flights and Journeys End the league’s top two teams currently placed first and second respectively.
The outcome of the game was a close 5-4 win for Flights in what was a very high scoring affair.
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The Four Oaks and District League had their Coronation Shield and Norman Day Cup semi-finals on their fixture card. In the Coronation Shield Royal Sutton Flights, who had previously taken out last year’s winners The Boat won the first six games against St Thomas’s Social Club and then powered their way into the final with a 12-3 result.
It proved to be a step too far for Bishop Vesey as after sharing the opening six games with The Boot they then lost the last three and made their exit finishing on the wrong side of the 9-6 verdict, losing out in the last four for a second consecutive season.
In the Norman Day Cup Golden Hind from division one were too strong for their third division opponents The Oscott Social as they stormed to an unassailable 8-1 lead and went on to win the tie 13-2.
Golden Hind will now play last season’s beaten semi-finalists Pint Pot Flights in the final after they won by the same 13-2 margin against Sutton Sports and Social Club who lost out after struggling on finishing doubles.
J.Burdett (St Thomas’s Social Club) recorded a maximum.
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The Camp Hill League had their League Cup semi-finals on the agenda in which league leaders Journeys End Lions squared up to White Swan Nomads who are currently third in the table and some eight points behind their opponents. The result was as expected a win for Journeys End Lions, the score 5-2. The second semi was between second placed Holy Souls and Cotterills Lane Club who are fifth in the table with games in hand. The 6-1 result went in favour of Cotterills who will now take on Journeys End Lions in the final.
The Consolation Cup semi-finals saw Tyseley WMC beat Emerald Club 5-2 and joining them in the final will be bottom of the table Station Wagon who had a close 4-3 win over Wagon and Horses who are next to bottom of the table.
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The Erdington Red Lion Double Top League are up to week eighteen and nothing has changed between the league’s top two players as they both recorded two 3-0 wins. Leader Will Naylor defeated Stuart Larvin and Richard O’Grady while second placed Dean Bayliss accounted for Clive Austin and Lee Austin to remain six points behind Naylor.
Third in the table John Frost fell further behind the leading duo as he won his two games against Micky Wilde and Alex Downes 2-1 leaving him trailing Bayliss by seven points and Naylor by thirteen.
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Misfits opened up a 32 points lead at the top of the Winmau Centre Monday Night League when in week six they handed out a massive 45-3 defeat to Unleashed Warrior. Misfits nearest rivals are The Untouchables in second place who had a somewhat closer 28-10 win against Bloody Good Shot Sir!
Above Average, formerly Kristian, won 40-8 against Full Monty to put them third in the table on 192 points just two short of Untouchables and 34 fewer than Misfits but with a game in hand on both teams.
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Week nine of the South Birmingham League brought together the top two teams in division one with leaders Erdington Members Club playing away against second in the table Crown at Shard End. The outcome was a 6-3 win for Erdington to take their unbeaten run to nine games and open up a six points lead over their opponents who have played one game fewer than them.
In division two there was a shock for leaders Iron Horse who had previously won all of their seven games, as in their away game against Chelmsley Conservative Club, a team who had only won two of their six games, they lost 6-3. Despite the defeat Iron Horse hold on to pole position with 14 points two more than second placed C’s Arrows who suffered a similar 6-3 defeat at The Dog.
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In the Small Heath League second placed Heartlands Club bounced back from last week’s 6-3 defeat to Sheldon Marlborough Flights as they beat Emerald Club 8-1 to keep within six points and have a game in hand on leaders East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association who in their latest fixture beat third in the table Sheldon Marlborough Flights 6-3. Sheldon Marlborough Flights are now a massive 14 points off the top as are Wagon and Horses, both teams having played one game less than the leaders.
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With the domestic fixtures all completed the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League played off the finals of their League Cup. In the semi-finals league runners up Ten Arches ‘A lost 5-2 to Brickmakers Arms who finished the season in fourth place eight points behind their opponents. In the other last four game fifth placed Bridge (Kingswinford) lost 5-3 to Stourbridge RBL who ended their season in eleventh place.
The final went as expected with Brickmakers Arms winning 7-2 against Stourbridge RBL.
The league will be holding their AGM on Sunday 18th March at 11.00 at the Brickmakers Arms, anyone wishing to enter a team, old or new should attend this meeting.
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Studley Cricket Club, leaders of the Henley and District League won a vital game against Dorridge 5-4 to give them the league title as the win put them six points clear with only two games to play, of Wharf Swifts who have replaced Dorridge in second place, Dorridge slipped to joint third with Studley Conservative Club who won their game at Village Inn 8-1 to move up from fourth to share third place. Wharf Swifts won their home tie against bottom team Beausale 7-2 to put them on 18 points as opposed to the Cricket Club’s 24.
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The Silver End Sunday Morning League were involved in their Knockout and Shadow Cups and making their way into the quarter finals of the Knockout Cup were Netherton Cricket Club, Bell, Brickmakers Arms ‘A’, Glasscutters, Woodside, Railway, Old Star and Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club.
Playing in the next round of the Shadow Cup will be Pensnett Welfare Club, Brickmakers Arms ‘B’, Three Crowns, Kings Head, Portway, Dudley Sports and New Talbot.
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Not a lot changed at the top of the Brierley Hill Monday Night League in week six as the top seven teams all chalked up wins. Leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club won 7-2 at The Swan to take their undefeated run to six games and keep intact their two points lead over Bulls Head (Netherton), Mount Pleasant and Dudley Sports ‘A’, who in turn had wins over Pensnett Liberal Club (9-0), Lamp Tavern (6-3) and Dudley Ex Serviceman’s ‘B’ (6-3).
Four teams are on eight points Bull and Bladder, Portway, Roebuck and Delph Bell, Delph Bell being the only losers in the top eight as they went down 7-2 at home to Roebuck.
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For the first time in seven games in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League Wagon and Horses lost, they went down 5-2 at home to Island Inn but hold on to second place in the table with 12 points two more than their victors who are third in the table.
As a result of Wagon’s defeat and a convincing 7-0 win over Rising Sun Tipton Sports are now the only team to have won all seven of the fixtures and hold a two point’s lead at the top of the table over Wagon and Horses.
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As the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League begin the second half of their season only two points separate the top four teams. Old Bulls Head are top of the table, their 6-3 win away to Club Dudley just keeping them ahead of second placed Parkes Hall on average after they won by the same 6-3 scoreline at home against Hilly House. Old Bulls Head and Parkes Hall are both on 28 points.
With just two points less than the leading duo third and fourth placed Ashwood and Coseley Tavern in turn won 6-3 against White Lion and 7-2 against Netherton Cricket Club.
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The Cradley Tuesday Night League played off the first leg of their League Cup and the winners on the night were Wheatsheaf, Brickmakers Arms, Riddins Tavern and Hawne Lane Tavern who defeated respective opponents Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’, Gate Hangs Well, Netherton Cricket Club ‘B’ and Chop House.
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Week six of the Rowley Monday Night League was a good week for Three Diamonds as they recorded their first win of the season, a 6-3 success away to Loyal Lodge. It was also a good week for unbeaten leaders George as they added a 7-2 win over Tividale FC to their account to put them two points to the good on Cradley Liberal Club, The Bell, Ex Serviceman’s ‘A’ and Ivy Bush.
George take over the top spot from Cradley Liberal Club as for the first time this campaign they lost playing away to their nearest rivals The Bell.
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The Yeltz Bar Tuesday Night Singles League staged their February edition of their monthly Air Ambulance Knockouts which as usual had a good turn out and produced some really high quality games of darts.
With a final 4-2 win over Matt Tedstone James Hykin became the second winner of the season joining Dan Nichols in the league team to face the Air Ambulance Charity Team in October.
The semi-finals saw Tedstone beat Reece Colley 3-1 while Warwickshire county player Hykin had a closer 3-2 win against Mark Bayliss.
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