For a second consecutive week a total of eight players were missing from the Shirley Premier League and with leader Phil Silver being one of those missing players he lost pole position surrendering it to Phil Thomas who after a 2-2 draw with Antony Daly and a 4-0 win over Michael Forsyth took over the number one spot with a total of 32 points from 10 games. Hot on the heels of Thomas is second in the table Steve Sidwell, the week’s biggest mover as he leapt up from ninth to the second place with straight 4-0 wins over Mark Gwalchmai, Derek Harper and Michael Forsyth putting him on 31 points just one short of Thomas with a game in hand. Gary Cleverley was formerly second in the table but he like Silver was another player that failed to turn out and drops to sixth place on 27 points from 11 games.
4-0 wins over Steve Heeks, Brian Lawton and Karl Wilson has seen Dave Heighway move up the table to fifth place just five points off the top with two games in hand which makes him a real contender for the title.
Despite the depleted turn out the week did produce the league’s highest finish so far a 152 game shot by Sean Talbot in a 4-0 win over Lee Harris, plus there was a 14 darts leg from Luke Symmons as he accounted for Michael Forsyth with a 4-0 scoreline.
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Week four of the Forest of Arden Summer League was not a good week for the Highwood teams in group one as all three of them lost. Highwood KB went down 5-4 to leaders Journeys End while Highwood Arms lost 8-1 to second placed New Inns and bottom of the table Highwood Exiles finished on the wrong side of a 7-2 result against Greville Arrows.
In group two there were 6-3 wins for the top two teams as leaders The Crown beat Chelmsley Town and second placed Dunky’s Boys won away at C’s Shamrocks, Crown remain top of the table with four legs of average to the good on Dunky’s.
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With the end of the South Birmingham Winter League season in sight The Trident managed to move off the foot of the division one table without throwing a single dart as the team just above them The Gate suffered a crushing 8-1 defeat away to Mackadown Social and drop to the bottom spot with an inferior average, both Gate and Trident have two points.
Division two produced not only a local derby between the two C’s teams but also a shock result as C’s Arrows who were third in the table lost 5-4 to C’s Flights who were bottom of the table without a win in thirteen games, Arrows drop two places to fifth.
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Calling all darts players, don’t miss out on what is going to be a fantastic weekend of darts over the weekend of the 14th and 15th July when the Winmau Darts Centre in the Wolverhampton Indoor Community Sports Arena, Racecourse Road, Dunstall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV6 0QU will once again be staging their Winmau BDO Wolverhampton Classic and the Winmau BDO Wolverhampton Open with a bigger prize fund totalling a fantastic £11,600.
Both knockouts will carry BDO category ‘B’ ranking points with the winner being entered into the 2018 Winmau World Masters and the 2019 Lakeside Play Offs
Cost of entry is £25 each day with prize money being paid out in both competitions down to the last 64 players. To enter players should visit www.bdodarts.com
As a run up to this outstanding weekend of darts there will be a warm up knockout at the arena on Friday 13th July for which players can enter on the day.
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East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association continued their tremendous run in the Small Heath League taking their undefeated run to 23 games with a 6-3 win away to bottom of the table Emerald Club. With E.B.A.H.A. already acclaimed champions, Heartlands Club, who have now completed their fixture card and will finish the season as runners up were awarded a 9-0 walkover as their opponents Sheldon Marlborough Arrows failed to turn up.
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The Brierley Hill Monday Night League were involved in their doubles knockout and winning through to the next round were B.Neale & R.Lenton, M.Hadley & W.Cairns (Bulls Head), S.Taylor & P.Humphries (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘B’), M.McAviney & J.Glazzard (Roebuck), C.Smith & R.Cartwright, N.Candlin & S.Grainger (Swan), B.Lewis & R.Rubery, D.Powell & A.Green, C.Powell & B.Denholme (Dudley Sports ‘A’), J.Archer & D.Golding, A.Colley & T.Wassell (Bull and Bladder), S.Baker & R.Jones (Portway), G.Peters & D.Brown, R.Taylor & R.Turner (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’).
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Week four of the Camp Hill League saw something of a shock result as reigning champions and currently second in the table Journeys End Lions lost their home tie with Station Wagon who were without a point from their opening two games. Station Wagon’s 4-3 win lifted them up two places in the table and are now three off the bottom. North Star are at the foot of the table, they went down 5-2 at Emerald Club.
Leaders Sheldon Marlborough Flights had a bye, they and Journeys End Flights and have now been joined on six points by Tyseley WMC and White Swan Nomads, Tyseley winning 5-2 at Sedgemere Devil’s Club and Nomads winning 6-1 at Wagon and Horses, apart from Sheldon, who have played three games, the other three teams have all played four.
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The Cradley Tuesday Night League had the second leg of the semi-finals of their League and Shadow Cups on their fixture card, first the League Cup in which league leaders Brickmakers Arms won 6-3 against Hawne Lane Tavern to give them an overall 12-5 victory, joining them in the final will be Wheatsheaf whose 5-1 win against Riddins Tavern gave them an overall 11-4 success.
In the Shadow Cup Gate Hangs Well had an overall 11-4 win over Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘B’ while Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘A’ won 10-0 against Chop House.
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Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club were the only losers in the top four teams in the Silver End Sunday Morning League, a somewhat surprising defeat as they lost 6-2 away to Glasscutters, the Ex Serviceman’s Club fourth in the table on 29 points and their opponents tenth with 17 points. The defeat now leaves Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club nine points adrift of leaders Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ who handed out an 8-0 whitewash to their hosts next to bottom of the table Kings Head.
Netherton Cricket Club are placed second they trail the leaders on average as they are on the same 38 points after beating their visiting team Portway 5-3, a win that keeps them five points ahead of reigning champions and third in the table Woodside who won their game away to Railway 6-2.
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It was week 21 in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League, the results not affecting the league table at all despite table toppers Tipton Sports losing their second game in 21 as they went down 4-3 at home to The Vine who are fifth in the table and ten points off the top. The defeat has seen Tipton Sports lead cut to just two points as second placed Dewdrop ‘A’ won their home fixture with Hayes Social 5-2. A 6-1 win at New Talbot keeps Waggon and Horses within four points of Tipton Sports and only two behind Dewdrop ‘A’.
At the other end of the table both of the bottom two teams lost 6-1, bottom team Dewdrop ‘B’ losing to fourth in the table Island Inn and next to bottom Sportsman losing out to Merry-Go-Round ‘B’
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With just one win from their opening nine games in the Netherton Thursday Night League Netherton Conservative Club (formerly The Crown) have begun something of a revival as they followed up the 6-3 win over Bulls Head in their last game with a 5-4 win away to Delph Bell and although they remain at the foot of the table they are now level on nine points with White Horse and Delph Bell and have a game in hand on both.
At the top end of the table the two leading teams played each other with Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club extending their lead to three points with a game in hand after beating second placed Riddins Tavern 5-4.
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Week three in the Brierley Hill Friday Night League saw two teams lose their unbeaten record, second in the table Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’ losing at home 4-3 to Ashwood and fourth placed Old Star going down by the same margin at Brickmakers Arms ‘B’, this being Brickmakers first win in three games.
Top of the table Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ were the only team not to win 4-3 as they won 5-2 at Dudley Sports to open up a two points lead at the top of the table and are become the only team in the league to have won all of their games.
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No change at the top of division one in the Sutton and District Summer League as leaders The Boat won their home game against The Fox 5-4, second placed Erdington Club stayed within two points of Boat with their 6-3 win over Oscott Social and third placed Golden Hind who are a further two points adrift beat Drakes Drum 5-4.
In the second division leaders Boldmere Tap won 5-4 playing away at The Boot who after their defeat dropped one place to fourth. Second in the table Pint Pot Flights had a 7-2 win at Lad in the Lane and taking over in third place from Boot is Old Oscott Arrows after they won 6-3 against St Thomas Arrows.
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The Woodside Inn staged another of their third Sunday in the month Brierley Hill Opens and winning the latest was Rob Powers. Powers took out Robert Pierce with a 4-1 scoreline in the semis and joining him in the final after winning 4-2 against Jordan Ward in his last four game was Josh Pickett.
The final saw Powers power through and take the top prize with a 5-2 result over Pickett
All players should note that the next knockout will actually be on the 22nd July not the 15th as that Sunday clashes with Wolverhampton’s Winmau Darts Centre’s weekend of darts extravaganza.
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The Royal, Albrigton laid on another of their knockouts with the top prize of £110 going to Ilkeston’s Matt Padgett. Padgett had a very close 5-4 win over Martin Price (Darlaston) in the semi-finals while his final opponent Sam Guest (Wednesfueld) beat Chris Hill (Willenhall) 5-3.
The final turned out to be a convincing 6-1 win for Padgett with Guest picking up £50 as runner up. Both losing semi-finalists received £20.
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On Friday 6th July the Mecca, Dudley Street, Wednesbury, WS10 7DR will be staging a ‘Legends of Darts’ night with players Steve Beaton, Colin Lloyd, Keith Deller and Adrian Lewis all taking part. Try your luck, play against one of the professionals and then see them take part in an exhibition match amongst themselves.
Tickets from £20 are available from skiddle.com
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