After losses in their first three fixtures in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships West Midlands finished the year on a high as they finally got a win in their fourth encounter which was a home tie against bottom of the division Essex.
Saturday’s games saw the hosts open up an 11-7 lead as the ladies ‘B’ won 4-2 with Jacqueline Maiden taking the match award for her 4-2 win over Tracey Newman and a 17.98 average while the men’s ‘B’ had a 7-5 victory with Paul Wells their top player with a 25.79 average.
The ladies ‘A’ fell to their third 5-1 defeat in four games with Gemma Barrett the only winner and taking the lady of the match award for her 14.87 average.
The men’s ‘A’ made it two consecutive 7-5 wins, Shaun Carroll’s 4-2 win over John Costigan and 29.58 average earning him the team’s match award.
The overall 19-17 win sees the West Midlands move up one place in the table, three places off the foot of the table with 66 points and a lead of ten points over the team just below them Cheshire but they kick off the New Year with a tough away game against reigning champions and current leaders Yorkshire.
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After completing week five fixtures in the Shirley Premier League there is a three-way tie at the top of the table between Mark Henderson, Gary Cleverley and Thomas Bent, who all have 28 points from ten games. Henderson beat Dave Barrows 3-1 before drawing with Trevor Carter, while Cleverley beat Sam Hicks 3-1 and Lee Lattimer 4-0. Bent was playing catch up and had 2-2 draws with Steve Sidwell and John O’Sullivan before beating Mick Bown 3-1.
After the leading trio come two players Phil Thomas and Ken Hopton who are both just one point behind the top three players with John Smyth and Sam Hicks a further one point adrift.
Special mention this week goes to Lee Lattimer who recorded his first victory of the season as he beat Dave Heighway 3-1, a player who is twenty places above him and has 21 points more than him, no mean feat Lee.
This week’s fiver for the highest finish which was 129, went to John O’Sullivan in his 2-2 draw with Thomas Bent
Best leg of the night and of the season so far was a 13 darts game from Mark Henderson in his win over Dave Barrows.
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3-0 wins over Chris Cooke and Richard Meigh takes Bob Nixon’s unbeaten run in the C’s Club Double Top Wednesday Night League to 18 games and with second in the table Jake Webster not playing this week he now has an eight points lead over him, however Nixon has now played one game more than Webster.
Newcomer Simon Edwards continues to climb the table his 2-1 wins over Jay Pitts and Wayne Cooper plus a 3-0 success over Dan White, in which he checked out on 148, have seen him move up from twenty first to eleventh in the table on 28 points from ten games. Edwards is now 23 points short of leader Nixon but with eight games in hand he could amass a possible 24 points.
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The Boat is now the only unbeaten team in division one of the Four Oaks and District Winter League after handing out a first defeat of 7-2 to Old Oscott Arrows. They head the table with ten points two more than their second placed opponents. Boldmere St Mikes returned to winning ways after last week’s defeat, taking over third place following their 8-1 win at the Golden Hind who drop one place to fourth on the same six points as Boldmere.
It’s very tight at the top of the second division after both of the top two teams, St Thomas’s Social Club and Erdington Arrows lost 5-4 in turn to The Fox and Bishop Vesey, The Fox going level on eight points with the two top teams.
Oscott Sports continue to dominate the third division, an 8-1 win over Lad In The Lane keeping them two points clear of Rosey Mac’s who at 3-2 down took the final three games to win 5-4 against St Thomas Arrows.
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Just one first division game in the South Birmingham League which saw leaders Coleshill Social extend their lead at the top to four points with a 6-3 win at Punchbowl. Second placed C’s Top Guns, like Coleshill are unbeaten but they have only played one game so far.
Division two leaders The Dog had a 6-3 win over C’s Flight to take their points to six from four games. Second in the division Toby Jug also won 6-3 away to C’s Arrows and with two games in hand on The Dog are the only team in the division with a 100% record.
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Shirley and District Monday Night League leaders The Highwood continued their quest for the title with a 9-0 win at Legion Royals while their nearest rivals The Wharf won 6-3 at Saracens Misfits to keep within two points, but they have played one game more than the top team. Third in the table Red Lion are two points behind Wharf with a game in hand after being awarded a 9-0 win over Blue Bell who were unable to field a team.
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The Small Heath League were involved in their Consolation Cup which saw Cob’s Bar win 6-3 away to Wagon and Horses.
There was just one rearranged league fixture in which second in the table Heartlands Club won 7-2 at Emerald Club who are next to bottom of the league.
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Avenue Social have played thirteen and won all thirteen in the Kings Norton League the latest of which was a 7-0 success against Grant Arms in a very high scoring affair for Avenue as they recorded no fewer than 33 scores of a ton or more including a maximum from E.Simpson compared to Grant’s 10. Second placed Rubery lost ground as they suffered a 5-2 defeat away to Coppice who are fifth in the table four points behind their opponents.
Next to bottom of the table Kings Heath chalked up a rare win, only their second in 13 games as they beat middle of the table Weoley Hill 5-2.
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A final 6-3 win over Delph Bell in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League has confirmed Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ as champions with 60 points, four more than runners up Bulls Head (Netherton) who rounded off their campaign with a 7-2 victory at Dudley Sports ‘B’.
Limes Club moved off the foot of the table in the very last game of the season as they won 6-3 away to King William who win the wooden spoon as they dropped to the bottom spot.
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With just one outstanding fixture to be played in the Camp Hill League 25 preliminary round losers in the singles knockout qualified for the consolation singles knockout at the Emerald Club. Of the 25 only 18 turned out to contest the title
The final two players were Paul Evans (Sedgemere Devil’s Club) and Ashley Pearson (Wagon and Horses) who went on to win the title with Evans runner up.
The league will be holding their AGM at the Wagon & Horses, Adderley St, Digbeth, B9 4ED on Sunday 16th December at 11.00am, anyone interested in entering a team in the league for the new season or requiring any further information should contact Mark Standley on 07733-397704 or e-mail him at [email protected]
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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night League are five games into the second half of their season and leaders Brickmakers Arms made it a perfect 26 wins with a 9-0 victory away to Garibaldi. Although Brickmakers have won all of their games they only have a slender two points advantage over second in the table Ten Arches ‘A’ whose latest result was also 9-0 away to Hare and Hounds ‘B’.
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The Netherton Thursday Night League played off the final of their Andy Bastable Shadow Cup and the 5-2 result and title went to Townsend Social Club with Riddins Tavern runners up.
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The doubles knockout was on the fixture card for the Silver End Sunday Morning League and taking the title with a final win over R.Tipper & A.Whyte (Brickmakers Arms ‘A’) were M.Rowley & R.Colley (Woodside). Losing in the last four games were J.Pickett & C.Pickett (Netherton Cricket Club), H.Wakefield & D.Cooper (Brickmakers Arms ‘B’).
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The Pip Club League staged the quarter finals of their divisional cups and in division one Belgrave Club, Queens Head, Glascote Club and Belgrave Sports and Social Clun made their way into the semi-finals with respective wins over Old Liberal House, Dolphin Wanderers, Sports Bar ‘180’ and Birchmoor Club.
Winners in division two were Pip Club, Wigginton Arms, Dolphin and Gate (Amington) who won at the expense of Bulls Head, Globe (Wilnecote), Progressive Club and Kettlebrook Club.
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Doubles finals were the order of the day for the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League and in a very close all Vine final Scott Norman and Martin Steventon beat reigning champions Duffy Bowen and Graham Parker 3-2.
Losing semi-finalists were S.Cliff and K.Follows plus Mark Watkiss and Craig Jones.
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It was the first leg of the league cup semi-finals for the Brierley Hill Friday Night League and taking a big 6-1 lead into the second leg over Brickmakers Arms ‘B’ will be Ashwood while the second game was a much closer 4-3 win for Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’ against Brickmakers Arms ‘A’.
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The Henley and District Winter League are up to week two of their league fixtures and the early pacesetters are last season’s runners up Studley Conservative Club who made it two wins when they beat Village Inn 8-1 to stay ahead of reigning champions Studley Cricket Club on average after they won 7-2 against Wythall RBL.
Dorridge are also on maximum points four from their opening two games the second of which saw them beat Wootton Bears 5-4 to put them third in the table on average.
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With one more fixture to the halfway stage of the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League just two points separate the top three teams. Gornal Labour Club are in pole position following their 6-3 win away to Five Ways giving them a total of 22 points. Old Bulls Head and Coseley Tavern are second and third respectively, both two points off the top after Old Bulls Head added a 7-2 win at Hilly House and Coseley beat Red Cow 5-4.
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The Rowley Monday Night League have completed their league fixtures and the new champions despite a final 7-2 defeat to George is The Bell. Bell finished two points to the good on runners up George who had held pole position for the majority of the season.
Ex Serviceman’s ‘A’ just pipped Cradley Sports and Social Club to third place on average, both teams finishing the season on 52 points, four short of The Bell.
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Ashwood ‘A’ took their undefeated run in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League to nineteen games when they won 6-1 at Brickmakers Arms ‘A’. The win keeps the leaders four points ahead of The Swan whose 5-2 home win over Bell ‘B’ was their eighteenth game, having played one fewer than Ashwood ‘A’.
Ashwood ‘B’ are third, week 20 saw them record the week’s biggest win 7-0 against Brickmakers Arms ‘B’ to give them 32 points, six adrift of their ‘A’ side with a game in hand.
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Congratulations to Riley’s ‘C’ team Paul Bromley, Jimmy Handley and Joe Cook on winning the division one 3 A-Side knockout in the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League, they beat Sunbeam trio Allan Davies, Jamie Daly and Richard Bradshaw in the final.
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There were 4-1 wins for the top four teams in the West Midlands Men’s Super League as leaders Allen’s Sports Bar ‘A’ won at Horse and Jockey, second placed Yeltz Bar played away and beat Allen’s Sports Bar ‘D’ to leave them 15 points behind the leaders, third in the table Woodside beat Gilberts Bar and fourth placed Landywood won against Allen’s Sports Bar ‘B’.
4-1 was also the scoreline for fifth in the table Cradley Liberal Club but the result went to their hosts The Crown.
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