Warwickshire’s eighth fixture of the season in the Elite Premier Division of the UKDA National League was a home tie with Hampshire, a game that the hosts were really expected to win as prior to the encounter their opponents were some five places below them in the table and eighteen points behind them. Nevertheless the weekend did not have the best of starts as the ladies ‘B’ finished all square at 3-3 with Wendy Adams (19.27) their top player and the men’s ‘B’ lost out 7-5 with Dave Hill taking their match award for his 26.19 average.
Sunday’s ‘A’ team games saw the ladies having to fight back from 2-0 and 3-2 down to once again share the spoils in a 3-3 draw, lady of the match Tammy Montgomery (21.72) winning the final game to salvage the points. The men’s ‘A’ turned out to be the only bright point of the weekend as they won 7-5 with Noel Grant the man of the match with a superb 31.23 average.
The overall result was an 18-18 draw which sees Warwickshire hold on to third place in the table and despite London joining them on the same 186 points they do have a game in hand on not only them but also the two teams above them Yorkshire and leaders Lancashire.
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In the AON Championship division of the UKDA National League West Midlands suffered a 25-11 defeat playing away against Berkshire. This latest result looks as though West Midlands are destined to play next season in division one as they are currently next to bottom of the table on 134 points from nine games, just four to the good on bottom placed Oxfordshire who have a game in hand and nine behind the team just above them Cambridgeshire who also have a game in hand.
Both ladies games finished with a 4-2 result the ‘A’ side losing and the ‘B’ winning by that margin, taking the respective match awards were Katherine Jenkins (17.58) and Shellbie Simmons (18.41).
It was a disastrous weekend for the men as the ‘B’ team lost 9-3 and the ‘A’ 10-2 with Ash Khayat (26.09) the ‘A’ team’s man of the match and Jon Platt (26.37) taking the ‘B’ award.
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What an inaugural county season Black Country has had with seven wins and one draw in their eight games season in the Darts for Windows division three of the UKDA National League. With a total of 207 points they finished their campaign 22 points ahead of runners-up Gloucestershire.
The final fixture of the season was an away game against Pembrokeshire which produced three wins and a draw. Saturday ladies ‘B’ game finished all square at 3-3 with Heather Wright’s 17.23 average earning her the match award while Tammy Chance (18.33) was the ‘A’ team’s lady of the match in what was a 5-1 victory.
The men’s ‘B’ team won 8-4 and the ‘A’ 9-3 with awards going to respective winners Rich Bowen (25.47) and Graham Hall (29.85).
The overall result was 25-11 to Black Country.
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With the top two places already confirmed in division one of the Four Oaks and District League, champions Boldmere St Mikes added a 7-2 win away to bottom of the table Pint Pot Flights to their account to give them a total of 32 points with one more game to play. It was not such a good week for runners-up Erdington Arrows as they lost 5-4 in their home tie with eighth in the table Golden Hind Lions to leave them on 26 points. It was also a bad week for third in the division Red Lion who lost 5-4 at home against fourth placed Old Oscott Arrows who have now drawn level on 18 points with their hosts and trail them by a single leg of average.
In the second division, the match between Heartlands and Rosey Mac’s was postponed and second placed Bishop Vesey took the opportunity to draw level on 28 points with leaders Heartlands by winning 6-3 against Bills Arrows but Heartlands now have a game in hand, one they cannot now afford to lose.
This week’s only maximum came from M.Corfield (Red Lion).
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In the Kings Norton League champions Copper Fox made it 20 wins in 21 games when they won 7-2 playing away against Rubery Legion. The result could well have cost the Legion any chance they may have had of finishing as runners-up as they lie third in the league two points behind E57 who also have a better average than Legion after their 4-3 win against next to bottom of the table Kings Heath.
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Langley Arrows have lost pole position in the premier division of the Sheldon and District Winter League following their 7-2 defeat away to third in the division Dunky’s Boys. Langley are now two points behind new leaders Sheldon Marlborough Arrows who won their home game with Hobs Meadow 5-4 to put them on 24 points with just one more fixture top play, Dunky’s stay third on 20 points.
In division one leader’s Hollywood Social versus bottom placed Meadway Sports and Social was a late result and as a consequence drop to second place, level on 18 points but behind on average to Kingshurst Labour Club who won 6-3 at third in the division Sheldon Dukes.
Langley Flights drop to second place in division two after their fixture with Willclare Sports and Social was postponed. A 5-4 home win over Sheldon Marlborough Ridge has seen Journeys End take over at the top of the division with points from 11 games Langley two points behind them have a game in hand.
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The Shirley and District Monday Night League staged the quarter-finals of their Divisional Cups which produced no shocks at all from either division.
In the division one game’s there were wins for Dunky’s Boys, Lions, Lodge and Saracens Swords who in turn defeated Cider House (5-4), Solihull Municipal (6-3), Wharf (8-1) and Wythall Legion (6-3).
Going into the semi-finals in division two will be Vikings, Yardley Wood Social, Highwood and Saracens Misfits who took out respective opponents Legion Royals (6-3), HSCC (6-3), Saracens Slingers (8-1) and Sharmans Cross (6-3).
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For the Netherton Thursday Night League it was the Doubles Knockout finals night and winning through from the quarter-finals were Steve Tipper / Carl Hadlington (Spring Meadow Social Club), Abdul Ghaleb / Mark Archer (Old Hill Cricket Club), John Watton / Phil Davies (Old Hill Cricket Club) and Tommy Johnson / Dave Shilvock (The Clock).
In the last four games Tommy Johnson and Dave Shilvock lost 2-1 to Steve Tipper and Carl Hadlington while John Watton and Phil Davies went out 2-0 to Abdul Ghaleb and Mark Archer.
The final went the full three legs distance and despite Ghaleb and Archer having their chances to win it was Steve Tipper and Carl Hadlington who lifted the winner’s silverware with a close 2-1 result.
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The League Cup was on the agenda for the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League in which current league leaders White Horse had a comfortable 6-1 win over Church Tavern to move into the last four. Second in the league Cross (Oldswinford) won 5-2 at Rose and Crown while third and fourth in the league Ten Arches and Bell ‘A’ played each other with Bell ‘A’ just getting the close 4-3 verdict. Gate Hangs Well booked their semi-final spot with a similar 4-3 win at Fox Inn (Lye).
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The Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League played off the semi-finals of their League Cup which produced a massive shock result as league leaders Waggon and Horses, who are unbeaten in six league games finish on the wrong side of a 6-1 result against Albion who are two places off the foot of the table and have only two wins from their opening six games.
Meeting Albion in the final will be Dewdrop ‘A’ who won 4-3 against Horseley Tavern.
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Old Bulls Head get closer and closer to the end of what could be a perfect season in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League as with just one remaining fixture they made it 21 wins from 21 games when they won their home tie with Five Ways 8-1. Already confirmed as champions, Old Bulls Head have a lead of eight points over both Gornal Labour Club and New Inn who played each other this week, the former winning 8-1 to replace their opponents in second place, a win now vital for Gornal Labour and New Inn in their last fixtures.
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Just two rearranged fixtures played in the Stourbridge and District League which saw Bell ’A’ beat league leaders White Horse 6-1 to move up from third to second in the table, level on 28 points, trailing on average but having played one game more than White Horse whose S.Hall recorded a 160 break.
In the other game Ten Arches won 5-2 against Ashwood.
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Week six of the Silver End Sunday Morning League saw leaders Bell ‘A’ suffer their first defeat of the campaign as they went down 5-3 at home to third in the league Dudley Sports who are third in the table on 13 points from five games whereas Bell ‘A’, who hold on to the number one spot have played six games and have 15 points. Dudley Sports are one of only two teams who have not lost as yet the other being second placed Old Star who have played six the latest game seeing them win 7-1 against New Talbot to put them on 14 points.
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After the opening nine games in the Rowley Monday Night League only average separates the top two teams. Bell hold on to pole with a 7-2 home win over Three Diamonds with second placed Gate Hangs Well having a closer 5-4 win at Romsley Cricket Club who are fifth in the table and one of four teams on 14 points, two fewer than the top two, the others being Plough and Harrow, who lost 6-3 at White Swan, Whiteheath Tavern beat Windmills End 7-2 and Cradley Sports and Social who were the week’s biggest winners with an 8-1 success at Roost.
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A 180 from Kevin Bambrick helped leaders of the Netherton Tuesday Night League Church Tavern to a 6-3 home win over Plough and keep them on leg of average to the good on second in the league Netherton Sports and Social who won by the same 6-1 margin at Quarry Bank Social.
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In the Ashwood Premier League Tom Stockton played just one game in which he beat Nick Fullwell 4-3 but with some of the other leading players playing more than one game he drops down to fourth place on 56 points from nine games. Connor Pickett played two games which saw him win 5-2 against Martyn Harper and 4-3 against Ash Marson to take him up one place into pole position with 62 points from ten games. Adam Edgar after playing three fixtures moved into the number two spot, however he had a rough night losing his opener 4-3 to Gaz Cartwright, then going down 5-2 to Nick Fullwell and finishing his three games with a third successive defeat 4-3 to Chris Manoila to give him 58 points one more than Fullwell who has only played nine games. On the night Fullwell lost his first game against Jayden Harper 4-3 then won against Edgar and finished with a 4-3 defeat to Stockton.
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Leader of the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Singles League Mal Pugh suffered his first defeat of the season when he began week eigt with a huge 7-1 loss to Andy Jervis. An 8-0 win for Simon Pritchard over Sarah Maybury has seen Pritchard join Pugh at the top of the table on the same 63 points with a game in hand.
It was cheers all round for Warren Bower as he chalked up his first win in seven when he won 7-1 against Eddie Gripton.
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Nick Fullwell and Shane Price have both played eleven games in the Black Country Thursday Night Singles League and are the top two players in the league with Fullwell on 97 points and Price having 86. Third in the league and former league leader Gareth Johnson has played one game fewer than Fullwell and Price and is on 83 points.
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