After finishing the Old Year on a low when they lost 19-17 at home to Lincolnshire, Warwickshire will be hoping to kick the New Year off with a win as they travel north to take on second in the Premier Division of the BDO Inter County Championships table Lancashire.
Lancashire are always a tough team to play against however Warwickshire have come up trumps in the last three encounters and a win in the fixture this coming weekend would see them move up into third place in the table.
Selected to play for Warwickshire are Men’s ‘A’:- Steve Giddings, Kevin Dowling, Nigel Heydon, Ted Evetts, Noel Grant, Antony Allen, Jamie Hughes, Ian McFarlane, Dean Stewart, Tom Aldridge, Ian Shaw, Charlie Symons, Men’s ‘B’:- Tom Ryan, James Hykin, David Hill, Tom Martin, Ashley Hykin, Rob Comben, Mark Strong, Steve Hine, Jamie Atkins, Karl Reynolds, Carl Green, Jack Wareing, Reserves:- Gareth Braham, Mark Carter, Tom McGlone, Richard Foster, Anthony West, Women’s ‘A’:- Natalie Gilbert, Sue Gulliver, Melanie Jones, Nina Bolt, Caroline Pike, Donna Pinch, Women’s ‘B’:- Wendy Adams, Denise Keyte, Angela Jones, Kat Spanswick, Chloe McKivett, Marian Conway, Reserves:- Vicki Cross, Helen Rigg, Lucy Keyte, Lisa Deslandes.
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With everyone still feeling the effects of Christmas it was encouraging to see that there were 84 entries to the Bishopsgate Christmas Open singles and 41 for the doubles knockouts with both events producing some top class darts throughout.
Two of the singles quarter finals matched Warwickshire players with Nigel Heydon beating Mike McFall 4-0 and in form Ted Evetts winning 4-2 against Jamie Hughes. The other quarter finals games saw Andre Luis beat Kevin Painter 4-3 and West Midlands player Mark Craddock account for Andy Kent with a 4-1 scoreline.
Both of the semi-finals finished with straight 4-0 wins for Mark Craddock and Ted Evetts who in turn took out Andre Luis and Nigel Heydon.
The best of nine legs final went the full distance with Evetts getting the very close 5-4 verdict to earn him the title and the top prize of £400 with Craddock receiving £200 as runner up.
Winner Ted Evetts with Neil Pritchard.
Runner Up Mark Craddock with Neil Pritchard.
There was £80 for each of the losing semi-finalists Luis and Heydon with £20 going to Kevin Painter, Andy Kent, Mike McFall and Jamie Hughes for reaching the quarter finals.
The doubles semi-finals saw Lee and John Russell beat Antony Allen and Steve Giddings 4-2 to set up a final against West Midlands duo Ian Jones and Mark Craddock who had taken out Trevor Ellacott and Paul Clowery in their last four game.
The final was the best of seven legs and like the singles knockout went to the final leg with Jones and Craddock getting the 4-3 result plus the winners £240, Lee and John Russell received £120 as losing finalists.
Winners Mark Craddock and Ian Jones with Linda Howe.
Losing semi-finalists received £60 and there was £20 for the pairs who went out in the last eight.
Neil Pritchard with the furthest Lady Sam Harris.
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At the halfway point of the Four Oaks and District Winter League The Boat stay two points clear at the top of the first division after winning 6-3 away to Pint Pot Flights, a match that produced 31 tons plus a 180 from Flights N.Robbins. Second in the table Old Oscott Arrows had to wait until the final leg of the last game to secure their 5-4 win against Golden Hind putting them two points clear of third placed Boldmere St Mikes who beat The Boot 6-3.
Leaders of division two The Fox had a bye in week seven but hold on to the top spot with ten points. Second and third in the table St Thomas’s Social Club and Erdington Arrows also had a bye and they have now been joined on eight points by Bishop Vesey after their 7-2 win at Boldmere Tap.
In the third division Oscott Sports were 4-1 down against Sutton Sports and Social Club and had to take the final four games to keep their unbeaten record intact, their 5-4 win keeping them two points clear of second in the table Rosey Mac’s who were 6-3 winners at Lad in the Lane..
N.Hawkley recorded a maximum for Oscott Sports but there’s a special mention for Oscott Social’s J.Morris snr as his 170 finish breaks a record in the leagues 74 year history as never before have two 170 finishes been recorded in a same season.
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The Bears were the only losers in the top six teams in the Shirley and District Monday Night League in week 22 as they finished on the wrong side of a 6-3 result against sixth in the table The Lodge who are now just one point behind their opponents. No such problem for the leading duo Highwood and The Wharf as leaders Highwood won their home tie with Blue Bell 8-1 to keep them two points clear with a game in hand on second placed Wharf who won their home game against Saracens Jesters 7-2.
The Red Lion held on to third spot winning 6-3 at the Cider House and leaving them six points off the top.
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In the latest round of fixtures in the ECC Sports and Social Club Thursday Night Champions League Chris Fox with a 6-1 win over Jordan Ward (in which he hit a maximum) he followed that with two maximums and a 7-0 result over Gemma Barrett to hold pole position with 67 points from 16 games. Second in the table Robert Pierce had a notable 4-3 win over reigning champion Michael Baker and then added a 5-2 success against Chris Manoila to give him 65 points from 17 games, Manoila in third place is on 63 points and has played 15 games.
Four times champion Michael Baker has only recently joined the current campaign but has lost two of his first three games as after losing to Robert Pierce he then beat Sam Aitkens 6-1 but lost his third against Chris Williams 4-3. Could there be a new champion this season?
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The Camp Hill League ended the season with their Captains and Secretaries knockouts. In the Captains Cup final Pete Yardley of the Journeys End Lions beat Nathan Prentice from Tyseley WMC. Simon Edwards (Journeys End Lions) took the Secretaries Cup title with a final win over Joe Fox from the Emerald Club.
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After the opening seven games of the new season in the Shirley Premier League only three points separate the top six players. Ken Hopton began the New Year in style with 4-0 wins over Chris Thomas jnr and Dave Fisher and then added a 3-1 success against Tony Daly to his tally to give him 40 points and take him from ninth to top of the table with a slender one point lead over both Mark Henderson and Thomas Bent, Henderson winning 3-1 against Tony Daly and Thomas Bent after Bent had beaten Jack Barrows 3-1 in his first game.
After the top three come three players all on 37 points Gary Cleverley, Mark Gwalchmai and Sam Hicks, Cleverley having dropped from second to fourth, Gwalchmai moving up from tenth to fifth and Hicks remaining in sixth place.
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As the second half of the Small Heath League’s season got underway leaders East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association had a bye but they hold on to their number one spot with an unbeaten 24 points. Second in the table Heartlands Club took full advantage to reduce the arrears to just two points with a 7-2 home win over Cob’s Bar but they have now played one game more than E.B.A.H.A.
After the top two teams comes a huge gap of ten points with Sheldon Marlborough Arrows and Cob’s Bar both on 12 points, Arrows losing 5-4 away to Emerald Club.
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The Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League staged a Christmas Knockout with the winner Robert Pierce picking up a cool £100 after beating Matthew Davis 4-2 in the final. In the last four games Pierce won against J.Ward while Davis beat R.Bowen.
On the league front the lattest fixtures saw leaders Ashwood ‘A’ have a bye but at the end of the first half of the season they remain in pole position with an unbeaten 38 points two more than second placed Swan who added a 6-1 win at Ten Arches ‘B’ to their account. A further two points behind on 34 is Ashwood ‘B’ who won 5-2 away to Netherton Cricket Club.
Biggest winners of the week were Wombourne Cricket Club and King Arthur who in turn won 7-0 against High Acres and Brickmakers Arms ‘B’.
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The South Birmingham League have been involved in their Knockout Cup and providing the biggest win was C’s flights who are currently bottom of division two, they handed out a 9-0 whitewash to to their visiting team Punchbowl who are bottom of division one.
In the other games leaders of division two, The Dog beat their nearest rivals in the division Toby Jug 5-2 and in the all division two contest there was a 7-2 win for C’s Hot Shots over The Trident.
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The Brierley Hill Friday Night League ended their season with the final of their League Cup with the title going to Ashwood after beating Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’ 4-1 in the ultimate game
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After completing the opening three fixtures in the Henley and District Winter League three teams are level at the top of the table on a perfect six points. Reigning champions Studley Cricket Club have replaced Studley Conservative Club at the top of the table following their 9-0 win over Beausale and the Conservative Club’s close 4-3 win at Wootton Bears, the difference between the two teams just one leg of average. Third in the table Dorridge made it three wins in as many games when they won 5-4 at Wythall RBL to leave them six legs of average off the top of the table.
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Queens Head march on in the Pip Club League, they made it played five and won five when they handed out a first defeat to their nearest rivals Belgrave Sports and Social Club, a 6-3 win opening up a two points advantage over their second placed opponents.
Third in the Main table Birchmoor Club are now just two points behind Belgrave Sports and Social Club after their 6-3 win at Sports Bar ‘180’ and have a game in hand on the team just above them.
The league played the early rounds of their Open and Memorial Cups and in the former there were wins for Belgrave Sports and Social Club, Old Liberal House, Queens Head and Belgrave Club at the expense in turn of Pip Club, Dolphin, Dolphin Wanderers and Progressive Club.
Going into the next round of the Memorial Cup are Kettlebrook Club, Globe (Wilnecote), Birchmoor Club and Bulls Head who had respective wins against Gate (Amington), Glascote Club, Wigginton Arms and Sports Bar ‘180’.
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British Oak drop one place to sixth and were the only losers in the top five of the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League when they lost 5-4 at home to Ashwood who move up two places to fifth in the table.
Top of the table Brickmakers Arms made it 28 consecutive wins with an undefeated 56 points when they handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their hosts Crestwood, however despite their fantastic record they only have a two points advantage over second in the table Ten Arches ‘A’ whose latest fixture saw them win 7-2 against Hop House. A further four points adrift on 50 points come Ashwood ‘B’ who kept in touch with the leading duo when they won 9-0 away to eighth in the table Gate Hangs Well.
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