Warwickshire began life at their new home venue the Hen Lane and District Social Club, Beacon Road, Holbrooks, Coventry, CV6 4DS with a tie against reigning champions Yorkshire but it was not their best ever start to a new season as Saturday’s games were definitely ones not to remember. The ladies after losing the first game then drew level with a 3-1 win for Kat Spanswick over Ann Waslin, but that was to be their only winner as Yorkshire romped to a 5-1 win, Kat taking the match award as the sole winner and her 12.43 average.
The men’s ‘B’ side slumped to their biggest defeat since their opener away to Yorkshire in the 2012 – 2013 season when they also lost then 11-1. The only winner for the ‘B’ side was Karl Reynolds who at number eight won 4-2 against Simon Birkett and took the award with a 20.76 average.
Sunday didn’t begin too well as the ladies ‘A’ finished on the wrong side of a 4-2 result the two winners being Natalie Gilbert and Sue Gulliver, Natalie with a superb 25.91 average in her straight 3-0 win over Linda Moorhouse taking the match award.
Despite the lows the weekend finished on a high as the men’s ‘A’ team stormed to a terrific 9-3 victory. Man of the match Prakash Jiwa with his 4-1 win over Ash Taylor gave them the ideal start as he secured the match award for his 30.45 average. After Jiwa’s win Nigel Heydon, Steve Giddings, Jamie Atkins and Kevin Dowling took the home teams lead to 5-0 before the visitors got their first stripe on the board when John Walton won 4-2 against Steve Hine. With further wins from Charlie Symons, Tom Aldridge, Ian McFarlane and Ian Shaw the 9-3 result took the overall score to 23-13 to Yorkshire.
It can only get better!!
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With the end of the season now in sight and only a handful of fixtures remaining just three games were played this week in the Shirley Legion Double Top League and it was one of those games that decided the top three places in the table as Lee Harris, who prior to the game was placed third, won 3-1 against Sam Hicks to secure the title with 102 points from 35 games. Long-time leader of the league Thomas Bent finished as runner-up, his 101 points just one point short of Harris and only one ahead of third placed Steve Sidwell. There are still a few outstanding fixtures none of them will affect the top three places.
Because there were so few games to be played the league held a knockout and in the semi-finals Mick Bown in a quality encounter with Lee Harris won 3-1 and with a similar scoreline Thomas Bent defeated Sam Hicks.
The final was another 3-1 result with Mick Bown taking the winners £37 and Thomas Bent the £13 as runner-up.
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Only one rearranged Premier Division league fixture was played in the Sheldon and District Winter League which saw East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association get off the mark with their first win in two games when they beat Kingshurst Labour Club 5-4.
The league staged the preliminary round of their league cups with just one Premier and one division one game played, Langley Arrows beating Raven Arrows 5-4 in the premier game and with a 9 darts leg from Simon Green the Dingle won 6-3 against Crown-Forget-Me-Not in the division one fixture.
There were two preliminary games in division two Meadway Sports and Social having a comfortable 8-1 win over Inn on the Green while CCC’s had a narrow 5-4 verdict over The Raven.
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Although White Swan Nomads won 5-2 away to New Inn they have lost their pole position in the Camp Hill League to Emerald Club who moved up from second place to top the table with their 7-0 whitewash of Sedgemere Devil’s Club giving them a slender one leg of average lead over the Nomads as both teams have won their first three fixtures. Tyseley WMC are third, they were the only team to record a home win in week three, they won 4-3 against North Star to keep intact their unbeaten record but they trail on average behind the two teams above them.
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Avenue C.Fox held on to their number one spot, their two points lead and their unbeaten record in the Kings Norton League with a 4-3 win over Weoley Hill. Although the leaders are only two points to the good on second placed Bournbrook they have two games in hand, Bournbrook having a 5-2 win against Dingle. Rubery RBL are third in the table on the same 14 points as Bournbrook with two games in hand after their 6-1 win at Thurlestone.
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In addition to winning their scheduled league fixture in the Small Heath League against Sheldon Marlborough Flights 9-0 East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association won their rearranged fixture against the same team by the same margin of 9-0 to take them into pole position with an unbeaten 18 points from their nine games. Heartlands who have been knocked off their perch at the top of the table won 9-0 playing away against Wagon and Horses leaving them two points behind the new leaders and eight ahead of their third placed opponents.
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C’s Hot Shots, leaders of group one in the South Birmingham League added a convincing 7-1 win over Banbury Arrows to their tally to give them 11 points from six games and a lead of four over second in the group Centurion who were held to a 4-4 draw by The Trident.
There was just the one result from group two which saw leaders C’s Top Guns beat bottom of the table C’s Bullets 8-0 to stay top of the group with nine points, however second placed Coleshill Social are just four points behind them with two games in hand.
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Glasscutters were the only losers in the top five teams in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League, not only did they lose 5-4 away to third in the table Stourbridge RBL but they also lost their fifth place to Ten Arches whose 9-0 win at Fox Inn (Lye) put them on the same 12 points as Glasscutters but with a superior average.
Top of the table Brickmakers Arms held on to their unbeaten record and two points advantage as they took their number of wins to eight with an 8-1 victory at Bird (Wordsley) while second in the league Britannia were not far behind with a 7-2 success at Hop House. Third and Fourth placed Stourbridge RBL and Gate Hangs Well are both a further two points adrift on 14 points.
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Woodside ‘A’ won the local derby with their ‘B’ side 5-3 in the Silver End Sunday Morning League and residing at the top of the table they remain four points ahead of their nearest rivals Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club who handed out an 8-0 whitewash to their visiting team High Acres. Third in the table Glasscutters ‘B’ won 6-2 at New Talbot and although they are six points off the top they do have a game in hand.
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The Cradley Tuesday Night League played the second leg of the semi-finals of their Shadow Cup and making the final with an aggregate 15-3 win over Dudley Labour Club was Brickmakers Arms ‘B’, they will face Netherton Sports and Social ‘A’ in the final after they won 13-5 against Roost.
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It was top versus bottom in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League and as expected leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ won 8-1 against King William to stay two points clear of second placed Roebuck who had a close 5-4 verdict at Wombourne Pool Bar. Third in the league High Oak won their home tie with Dudley Sports ‘A’ 6-3 but fourth placed Rose and Crown lost ground as they lost 5-4 away to Lamp Tavern who are ninth in the table.
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With leaders of the Netherton Thursday Night League Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club having a bye second in the table Riddins Tavern were able to reduce the arrears to six points with a 5-4 win over third in the table Bulls Head, however Riddins have now played two games more than the top team and with fixtures running out the Ex Serviceman’s Club are going to be hard to catch.
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The Sutton and District Summer League wound down their season with the finals of their Prestridge Shield and Roy Bird Shield, in the former league champions Golden Hind were unable to make it a double celebration as they went down 6-3 to league runners-up Boldmere St Mike’s.
The Roy Bird Shield title went to The Boat who defeated The Boot 8-1.
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The Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League have got their new season underway and sharing the number one spot with 6-1 wins are Ashwood ‘B’, Gigmill and King Arthur who in turn defeated Ashwood ‘A’, Holly Bush (Lye) and Fox Inn (Lye).
Bird (Wordsley) and Church Tavern ‘B’ in turn won 5-2 against Wombourne Cricket Club and Church Tavern ‘A’.
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The Brierley Hill Friday Night League had the final of their League Cup on the fixture card and taking the title with a convincing 6-1 result were Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ with Delph Bell runners-up.
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There was a bye for The Vine leaders of the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League and the chasing pack of six teams all recorded wins to reduce their lead. Second and third placed Tipton Sports and Dewdrop ‘A’ both chalked up huge 7-0 wins over their respective opponents Cottage Spring and Wonder. There were 6-1 wins for fourth and fifth placed Waggon and Horses and Merry-go-Round as the expense in turn of New Talbot and Court House while sixth and seventh placed Miners Arms and Island Inn had relatively quiet 4-3 win over Ivy Bush and Dewdrop ‘B’.
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Old Bulls Head began the new season in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League where they left off, top of the table. They kicked off the new campaign with a resounding 8-1 win over Five Ways to put them in pole position on average from Jolly Crispin, Lamp Tavern, New Inn, Pensnett Liberal Club, Meadow Lark and Netherton Cricket Club.
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The Ashwood Premier League is up to week nine and still top of the table is Nick Fullwell. Fullwell began the night with a 5-2 win over Jordan Ward but ended the night with a 4-3 defeat as he lost to Andy Vellender. From his 20 games Fullwell has amassed total of 137 points which is a huge lead of 29 over Chris Williams who after his 6-1 wins over Adam Glazzard and Andy Kennedy followed by a 7-0 success against Karl Aitkens moved up from fifth to second in the table. Connor Pickett despite winning 7-0 against Iain Mathers lost the number two spot as he had previously lost 4-3 to Robert Pierce. Pickett in third place is 31 points short of Fullwell but he has two games in hand to reduce that deficit.
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The results from game 22 in the Tettenhall Wednesday Night League made no difference to the league table whatsoever, leaders Hurst Hill have played 22 games and won the latest 5-2 at the Bull to put them four points ahead of Whitmore Reans WMC in second place who have played 21 games after they won 6-1 against Brewood British Legion. Third placed Cleveland Arms had a bye this week they are on 36 points from 21 games.
It was a good week for the ECC Sports and Social Club as their fourth placed ‘A’ side won 4-3 at Dog and Partridge and the ‘B’ team won by the same margin at home against Moreton.
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Riley’s ‘C’ top both the singles and doubles divisions of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League and in week 25 had a bye. Riley’s ‘A’ did their ‘C’ side no favours as in their fixture against Railway, who are second in both divisions they lost 5-2 in the singles and 3-0 in the doubles. The situation now is that Riley’s ‘C’ have an unbeaten 40 points from 20 games in the singles and Railway from 19 games have 36 points. In the doubles Riley’s ‘C’ are on 38 points from 20 games and Railway are four points adrift with a game in hand.
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The Henley and District Summer League have been busy with cup finals and the man in top form making it a clean-sweep was Studley Conservative Club player Paul Fackrell who after winning the singles title them went on to win the doubles knockout with partner Dean Harris, the mixed doubles title with Mandy Morgan and the captains and secretaries knockout again with Dean Harris. Winner of the ladies singles was Shannon Jones
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