After a long three years break due to the COVID-19 Pandemic the Shirley Legion Double Top League makes a welcome return to the local darts scene.
An encouraging 23 players signed-up for the new season with seventeen turning out on the opening night. Results from the first round of fixtures produced no major surprises with Kyle Bevan the early pacesetter as he chalked up two fine 4-0 wins over Luke Sahota (who notched a maximum) and Brian Lawton to give him a total of eight points and a two point’s lead over James Lee, Sean Talbot and Lee Lattimer. James Lee began with 3-1 wins over Mark Gwalchmai and John Bown while Sean Talbot had similar wins against Mick Bown and Kim Daly. Master of draws from the last season played Lee Lattimer opened up with a 4-0 success against Brian Lawton but then returned to his well-known and popular result when he finished all square at 2-2 with Mick Bown.
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Another league back after a three years break is the Sutton and District Summer League with a healthy 19 teams split into nine for division one and ten for division two.
The league is up o week two and in division one Highcroft Social followed up their opening 7-2 win at Pint Pot Flights with a 5-4 success at Bishop Vesey to put them joint top of the division with Walmley CSC Flights who also began their campaign with a 7-2 win beating Plough and Arrows before their 5-4 win over Old Oscott Arrows.
In division two Golden Hind Lions were another team to start the new campaign with a 7-2 win as they beat their hosts Sutton Sports and then in week two won 6-3 against Heartlands to put them top of the division with a slender one leg of average lead over Rosey Mac’s who chalked up 6-3 wins over Oscott Social and Sutton Sharks.
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The Sheldon and District Winter League are slowly running down the end of their season and the latest on their fixture card was the Singles and Doubles Knockout finals. In the singles event, winner of many, many trophies Neil Parsonage (Mackadown Social) made his way to the final with a 2-1 win over Robbie Earl and a 2-0 success over Matt Murrin. From the other half of the draw Terry Webster (Sheldon Marlborough Arrows) beat Jake Webster 2-1 and then accounted for Rob Wilson with a straight 2-0 result. The final went the full three legs distance with Parsonage adding yet another trophy to his huge collection
The doubles final saw Langley Arrows pairing Paul and Bobby Nixon win the third and deciding leg against Dunky’s Boys duo Richard Mills and Luis Barberan to lift the winner’s silverware.
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The Shirley and District Monday Night League played their League Cup down to the quarter-finals. The round produced no real shock results and winning through to the last eight were Lodge, HSCC, Tippetts Bar, Dunky’s Boys, Lions, Wythall Legion, Saracens Swords and Highwood.
In Dunky’s Boys 6-3 win over Leo’s Vikings J.Jennings and R.Mills both hit a maximum for the winners.
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Cotterills Lane Club have had an impressive start to the new season in the Camp Hill League following up their 7-0 win over Sedgemere Devils with a 6-1 result against Peaky Blinder to put them top of the table, with an average lead over Aston Inn Nomads and Tyseley Bears. Aston won their opener at Moseley Arms 5-2 and then won their home game against Tyseley WMC 4-3 while Tyseley Bears beat local rivals Tyseley WMC 4-3 and then by the same margin defeated former leaders Clumsy Swan.
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The finals of the 3 A-Side Knockout were the order of the day for the Netherton Thursday Night League with both of the semi-finals going to a deciding leg. Townsend Social Club, who will almost certainly finish the season as runners-up, were represented by S.Hill, D.Homer and P.Hadley, they beat P.O’Brien, B.Radcliffe and G.Billingham who played for Bulls Head. The second semi saw Netherton Sports and Social side R.Hodgetts, J.Southall and M.Redding win against The Clock team T.Johnson, D.Shilvock and A.Cowley.
The final was another full three legs affair which could easily have gone either way but it was Townsend Social Club who edged out Netherton Sports and Social to take the title.
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Waggon and Horses kept their unbeaten run intact in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League but only just, taking their consecutive wins to eleven games they recorded a very close 4-3 win away to Albion, who with three wins from eleven games are just two places off the foot of the table. Nevertheless a win is a win and they maintained their four points lead over second placed Dewdrop ‘A’ who won 5-2 in the local derby with their ‘B’ team.
In addition to Dewdrop ‘A’ and ‘B’ playing each other it was a week of local derbies as third placed Miners Arms ‘B’ were held to a close 4-3 result by their ‘B’ team but fourth in the table Vine ‘A’ lost by that same 4-3 margin against their ‘B’ side.
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White Horse moved another step closer to the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League title when they won their home game with Ten Arches 7-0. The win gives White Horse a two points lead with a game in hand on second placed Cross (Oldswinford) who have just four more games to play.
After the top two teams there is a gap of eight points to third and fourth placed Woodman, who had a bye and Bell ‘A’ who won 6-1 at Fox Inn (Lye).
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With two games to go to reach the halfway point of the Rowley Monday Night League just two legs of average separate the top two teams. Bell hold on to pole position with a 7-2 win at Loyal Lodge with second placed Whiteheath Tavern winning 6-3 at home to Romsley Cricket Club.
After the top two there are a trio of teams, White Swan, Plough and Harrow and Gate Hangs Well all on 20 points, two fewer than the two teams above them. White Swan beat Spring Meadow 6-3, Plough and Harrow going one better with a 7-2 success at Ex Serviceman’s but Gate Hangs Well, for only the third time in thirteen games lost, they went down 6-3 at Tividale FC.
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The Netherton Tuesday Night League played their League Cup in two groups, Group ‘A’ saw Netherton Sports and Social, who are second in the league win 5-2 against current league leaders Church Tavern, the other game seeing Chop House record a narrow 4-3 victory over Quarry Bank Social Club.
The Group ‘B’ matches produced a convincing 6-1 win for Samson over Wheatsheaf, Plough scraping through with a close 4-3 win over Bulls Head.
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The Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League played off their Singles Knockout with all of the last eight games going to a deciding leg. Winners from the quarter finals were G.Cooper (Bird in Hand ‘E’), J.Green (Fox Inn, Lye), A.Nicholls (Bell ‘A’) and S.Skidmore (Bird in Hand ‘E’) who in turn accounted for G.Marson (Ten Arches ‘A’), M.Foxall (Ten Arches ‘B’), B.Hughes (Ten Arches ‘B’) and M.Pritchard (Bird in Hand ‘A’).
In the semis A.Nicholls beat G.Cooper 2-1 and J.Green had a straight 2-0 win over S.Skidmore. Green contiued his good form in the final beating A.Nicholls 2-0.
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Chris Willimas played four games in week nine of the Ashwood Premier League winning three and losing one to put him into pole position with 98 points from 20 games. Williams began the night with a convincing 6-1 win over Gaz Cartwright before losing his one and only game on the night a 5-2 reversal against Tom Stockton. However he recovered quickly to beat Geoff Marson with a close 4-3 verdict before signing off with a 5-2 win over Jon Underhill.
The 5-2 result against Tom Stockton was a vital one for both Williams and Stockton as Stockton followed up with a 6-1 win against Neil Murphy to put him level on 98 points with Williams with three games in hand.
Third in the league Chris Manoila kept in touch with the leading duo, only four points behind Williams, and like Stockton having three games in hand after winning 5-2 against Mike Cullis and 4-3 against Chris Fox.
Former leader Nick Fullwell didn’t play this week and drops to fourth on 91 points but he has only played 14 games, six fewer than Williams and three less than both Stockton and Manoila.
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Shane Price has taken over the top spot in the Black Country Thursday Night Singles League. In his latest fixtures Price handed out an 8-0 whitewash to Nick Whitehouse before being held to a 4-4 draw by Jason Lowe taking his points tally to 163 from 21 games. Second in the league Nick Fullwell didn’t play this week and although he is three points behind Price he has two games in hand.
Third placed Graham Hall is on 155 points, eight short of Price but he has four games in hand, he is one of only three players not to have lost so far, the other two being Nick Fullwell and Jamie Hughes.
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The Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night League is up to week thirteen and just seven points separate the top four players. Leading the field with 107 points is Scott Baker whose latest fixtures saw him beat Sandra Beardsmore 8-0 and then win 7-1 against Warren Bower. Second placed Andrew Jervis, like Baker has only played twelve games, he added a 6-2 win over Kris Jones to his account to leave him just two points short of Baker.
Simon Pritchard and Jon Blakemore make up the top four, Pritchard with 103 points from 13 games not playing this week but Blakemore wining his one game against Jon Williams 8-0 to put him on 100 points again from 13 games.
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Gilbert’s Bar was also the setting for the Gilbert’s Bar Grand Prix of darts which attracted 41 players. In the semi-finals Ben Johnson had a close win over Gav Smith going to the wire before he won 5-4 while Ryan O’Connor had a more comfortable 5-1 success against Jon Blakemore.
The final was extended to the best of eleven legs in which O’Connor continued his fine form to beat Ben Johnson 6-4. As winner O’Connor received £300 with £100 going to Johnson, Gav Smith and Jon Blakemore each received £50 as losing semi-finalists.
Left Ben Johnson (Runner-Up) and Ryan OConnor (Winner)
In the first round losers Plate Knockout the final was a close affair with Ian Jones just getting the 3-2 edge on Antony Dent to pick-up £40 with Dent collecting £20.
Antony Dent (Runner-Up) and Ian Jones (Winner).
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The Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League is up to week five and three teams, Gilbert’s Bar, Woodfield and Railway top the Singles Division table on eight points but of the three only Woodfield are undefeated and they also have a game in hand on their two rivals.
In the latest games Railway played hosts to Gilbert’s Bar and beat them 4-3, Gilbert’s first defeat of the season. Meanwhile Woodfield played away to Moreton Arms and returned with a 5-2 win.
In the Doubles Division, again there are three teams with eight points, ECC, Railway and Hurst Hill. Leaders on average ECC had a straight 3-0 home win over Dog and Partridge, Hurst Hill also winning by the same margin against Red Lion. The score for Railway was again 3-0 but unfortunately for them the result went in favour of their opponents Gilbert’s Bar.
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