Warwickshire County Darts Organisation go into their second of nine fixtures in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships this coming weekend when they play hosts at the Bishopsgate Club, Foleshill Road, Coventry to neighbouring West Midlands. Both teams are seeking their first win after losing their opening fixtures, Warwickshire who are on 17 points are just two points and two places above their opponents in the table.
Last season, playing on the West Midlands home board the 19-17 result went in favour of Warwickshire, who with home advantage will be looking for a repeat performance, while their counterparts will be looking to avenge last season’s defeat.
Team selection for Warwickshire is Men’s ‘A’:- Steve Hine, Kevin Dowling, Nigel Heydon, Mark Westgarth, Noel Grant, Antony Allen, Tom Aldridge, Ian McFarlane, Dean Stewart, Ian Shaw, Ted Evetts, Charlie Symons, Men’s ‘B’:- Tom Ryan, James Hykin, David Hill, Karl Reynolds, Ashley Hykin, Rob Comben, Mark Carter, Anthony West, Mark Strong, Tom Martin, Carl Green, Jack Wareing, Reserves:- Tom McGlone, Richard Foster, Prakash Jiwa, Gareth Braham, Reece Colley, Jamie Hughes, Luke Kennedy, Women’s ‘A’:- Natalie Gilbert, Sue Gulliver, Wendy Adams, Nina Bolt, Caroline Pike, Kat Spanswick, Women’s ‘B’:- Donna Pinch, Helen Rigg, Angela Jones, Melanie Jones, Chloe McKivett, Marian Conway, Reserves:- Lucy Keyte, Denise Keyte, Vicki Cross.
Selected to play for the West Midlands are Men’s ‘A’:- Gavin Baker, Scott Baker, Mark Craddock, Matthew Dicken, Adam Edgar, Nick Fullwell, Kevin Harris, Liam Kelly, Glen McGrandle, Robert Smith, Jonathan Platt, Neil Pointon, Men’s ‘B’:- Michael Baker, Trevor Brennan, Martin Greenwood, Alfie Jacques, Stephen Jones, Ash Khayatt, Danny Coyle, Shane Price, Mark Rollinson, Avtar Singh, Paul Wells, Matthew Coleman, Reserves:- Mark Dyke, Dean Mills, Danny Nicholls, Women’s ‘A’:- Sarah Roberts, Lisa Badger, Debbie Loon, Kath Jenkins, Gemma Barrett, Cheryl Alcock, Women’s ‘B’:- Lizzy Arnold, Shellbie Simmons, Heather Wright, Kat McLean, Jacqueline Maiden, Shannon Hall, Reserves:- Kim Fellows (capt), Sophie Singh, Grace Angell, Samantha Maiden, Claire Hobbs, Debra Banks, Stella Sims, Chelsea Millward.
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Rubery RBL suffered their first defeat in their opening five games of the Kings Norton League when they lost their home tie with league leaders Avenue Social 5-2 to put them third in the table two points behind their opponents. West Heath are second in the table on the same ten points as leaders Avenue but their 5-2 win over Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club was their sixth game whereas Avenue have only played and won five.
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Highwood, formerly Sharmans Sharks took their unbeaten run in the Shirley and District Monday Night League to eleven games when they won their home tie with Saracens Jesters 8-1 while second in the table The Wharf also made it eleven wins in as many games when they handed their hosts Shirley Spartac a 9-0 whitewash to leave them trailing behind Highwood on average only. Steve Veitch hit a maximum for Wharf.
The Bears moved up one place into third four points adrift of the leading duo after beating Red Lion 5-4 , Red Lion dropping one place to fourth.
Other players finding the three treble twenties were Mark Gamsby (Legionnaires), James Hinkley and Dan Lee (The Lodge) while Paul Taylor, also from the Lodge had a superb 158 checkout.
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In group ‘B’ of the South Birmingham Summer League the top two teams and the bottom two teams played each other, the outcome was that Iron Horse, with a 5-3 win over C’s Arrows extended their lead at the top of the division to four points over their opponents and Tridents 5-3 home defeat by Punchbowl left them two points adrift of their victors at the bottom of the table.
A 7-1 win at C’s Hot Shots saw C’s Top Guns take their points to eight at the top of group ‘A’ and hang on to their slender one points lead over Mackadown Social who won 6-2 at C’s Flights.
Just one result in group ‘C’ which saw leaders Marlborough Villains beat second placed Coleshill Social 6-2, both teams now on five points with the Villains having a game in hand.
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Sheldon Marlborough Flights lost ground in the Camp Hill League title race when they went down 4-3 at home to third in the table Tyseley WMC, both teams now on 18 points with Flights having the better average. They hold on to second place but are now four points behind leaders White Swan Nomads who won 7-0 away to bottom of the table Sedgemere Devil’s Club.
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The Warwickshire Youth Darts Organisation played their second fixture of the season an away tie against Nottinghamshire and suffered a narrow 8-7 defeat. The under 18’s lost 4-3 with George Ross, Mackenzie Nixon and Samuel McManus their winners. The ladies put on a grand show with Skye Pickard, Laura Bowley and Rosie O’Connor giving them a straight 3-0 victory, but there was little joy for the under 21’s as Joe Pitchford-Morris was their sole winner in a 4-1 defeat.
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East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association continued their fine start to the Small Heath League’s new season as they took their undefeated run to six games with a 6-3 win at Sheldon Marlborough Arrows who are third in the table on 6 points just half of the number of their opponents. Second in the table Heartlands Club had a bye this week and are now four points behind E.B.A.H.A with a game in hand.
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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night League played their singles knockout down to the last sixteen players and winning their way through to the final stages were T.Cunningham (Hare and Hounds ‘B’), K.Sprague (Gate Hangs Well ), B.Fitzgerald, J.Jackson snr (Britannia), A.Turley (Brickmakers Arms), R.Purchase jnr (Hop House), S.Skidmore (Kingswinford Conservative Club ‘A’), M.Bayliss, C.Fox (Ten Arches ‘B’), L.Stevens, S.Garland, R.Bowen (Ten Arches ‘A’), I.Walker, P.Hill (Bird, Wordsley), S.Bills (Crestwood), M.Cullis (Ashwood).
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The ECC Thursday Night Champions League is up to week three of its season and leading the field with 37 points from his first eight games is Robert Pierce. Just behind Pierce with 35 points from seven games is Andy Vellender with third placed Jordan Ward a further four points adrift after he has played eight games. However it is early days as yet and as always anything could happen before the end of the season, could five times champion Mick Baker, who hasn’t played a game as yet make it six?
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With only six fixtures remaining in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League the two top teams Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ and Bulls Head (Netherton) are locked together on 48 points. In the latest round of fixtures the Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ won their home tie with Portway 8-1 to go top of the table while Bulls Head finished on the wrong side of a 5-4 result in their home game against fifth in the table Mount Pleasant who are eight points off the top.
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The Rowley Monday Night League staged their Ray Farmer and Fred Holden 3 A-Side knockout producing a winning team from both the top and bottom halves of the table. The champions from the top half were Shane Price, Bobby Gillis & Trev Brennan from the Bell and from the bottom half Martin Crumpton, Roger Cockbill & L.Hawthorn representing Whiteheath Tavern.
The two winning sides then played each other and the overall champions were Shane Price, Bobby Gillis and Trev Brennan.
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Game number fourteen produced big wins for the top two teams in the Henley and District Summer League as leaders Studley Conservative Club won 8-1 at home against next to bottom Village Inn and second in the table Studley Cricket Club handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their hosts bottom of the table Beausale to remain two points behind the Conservative Club.
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No change at the top of the Silver End Sunday Morning League as all of the top four teams won their latest fixtures. Top of the table Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ were 5-3 winners at Old Star while second placed Netherton Cricket Club remain nine points behind Brickmakers after their 7-1 home win over new Talbot. A further five points behind in third place is Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club whose 6-2 win at Brickmakers Arms ‘B’ keeps them three points ahead of reigning champions and currently fourth in the table Woodside who had a 5-3 win at Pensnett Welfare Club.
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Netherton Conservative Club recorded a rare win in the Netherton Thursday Night League when they beat White Horse 5-4 only their fourth win in 21 games, however they still remain bottom of the table six points short of the team just above them Delph Bell. At the other end of the table top side Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club took their points tally to 51 with a very close 5-4 win at Fairfield and their nearest rivals Riddins Tavern joined them on 51 points with a 6-3 win over Delph Bell but they have now played one game more than the Ex Serviceman’s Club.
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No change at the top of the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League as the top four teams all recorded wins. Tipton Sports continue in pole position with a two points lead after their 5-3 win at fifth in the table The Vine. Dewdrop ‘A’ and Island Inn are second and third both on 54 points two short of the leaders after the former won 5-2 at Hayes Social and the latter 6-1 at Dewdrop ‘B’.
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Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ lead the field in the Brierley Hill Friday Night League and in week 14 handed their visitors Glasscutters a 7-0 whitewash to put them on 24 points to top the table on average. The chasing three teams of Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’, Ashwood and Old Star all won 6-1 against respective opponents Dudley Sports, Miners (Wollescote) and Delph Bell, the Cricket Club second with 24 points, both Ashwood and Old Star have 20 points and in turn are placed third and fourth.
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Reigning champions of the Pip Club League Queens Head followed up their opening 9-0 win over Sports Bar ‘180’ with an 8-1 success against Belgrave Club to put them top of the combined league table on average from Belgrave Sports and Social Club, Progressive Club, Old Liberal House, Pip Club and Bulls Head who have all won their first two games.
The second week of the season saw no fewer than six scores of 180 supplied by Ian Turner, Wayne Hewins (Belgrave Sports and Social Club), Mick Smith (Queens Head), Emily Jones (Sports Bar ‘180’), Mick Roe (Progressive Club) and Mark Faulkner (Globe, Wilnecote). Belgrave Club’s Bob Mills had a superb 158 finish.
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Despite having their fixture with their ‘D’ team postponed, Allen’s Sports Bar ‘A’ retained their pole position in the West Midlands Men’s Super League with 62 points. They now have a game in hand plus an average lead on second placed Yeltz Bar who won 3-2 against Bridgtown Social. Third placed Woodside are just two points behind the top two teams following their 4-1 win over Allen’s Sports Bar ‘C’
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There were 7-0 defeats for the two bottom teams Hare and Hounds and Brickmakers Arms ‘B’ in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League as they lost in turn to Holly Bush ‘B’ and Bell ‘A’. However the most surprising 7-0 result was the win by Ten Arches ‘B’ who moved up one place to sixth after beating Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ who dropped from fifth to eighth in the table.
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After the majority of teams in the Tettenhall Wednesday Night League have played 23 games just three legs of average separate the top two teams. Whitmore Reans WMC are ahead of Hurst Hill after their 6-1 win at McGhees, Hurst Hill having a slightly lesser 5-2 success at the Royal, Albrighton. Third in the table ECC ‘A’ kept within four points of the leading duo with a 5-2 win at Moreton however, they have played on game more than the top two teams.
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A 6-1 win at Wednesfield Conservative Club in the division one singles of the Wolverhampton Tuesday League has taken leaders Riley’s ‘C’ advantage to ten points over second placed Sunbeam.
In division two Wednesfield Legion have a six points advantage plus a game in hand on their nearest rivals Royal, Albrighton, Wednesfield beating Penn Bowling 5-2 while Royal had a bye.
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