This coming weekend Warwickshire County Darts Organisation will be looking to add to their fantastic opening 20-16 win over Yorkshire in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division of the UKDA National League when they travel to take on Essex at the Chelmsford Social Club, 55 Springfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 6JG. After the season’s opener Warwickshire are fourth in the table on 23 points just one to the good on their hosts who are fifth in the table after their 19-17 win at Kent.
Lining up for Warwickshire will be Men’s ‘A’:- Jamie Atkins, Gareth Braham, Kevin Dowling, Noel Grant, Steve Hine, Jamie Hughes, Prakash Jiwa, Tom Martin, Wayne Mynard, Jack Wareing, Matty Washbrooke, Chris Wickenden, Men’s ‘B’:- Carl Green, Adam Hancock, Nigel Heydon, Dave Hill, Mark Martin, Ian McFarlane, Lee Miller, Karl Reynolds, Mark Strong, Martin Tonks, Carl Winters, Adam Wood, Reserves:- Dave Honey, Noah Rose, Darren Swords, Mark Tomlinson snr, Jenson Walker, Women’s ‘A’:- Marian Conway, Natalie Gilbert, Sue Gulliver, Tammy Montgomery, Caroline Pike, Donna Pinch, Women’s ‘B’:- Wendy Adams, Nina Bolt, Angela Jones, Melanie Jones, Chloe McKivett, Hannah Meek, Reserves:- Courtney Hine, Denise Keyte, Luct Keyte.
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After suffering relegation from the Championship division of the UKDA National League last season West Midlands have not found their start to life in division one any easier as in their opener away to Leicestershire they returned on the wrong side of a 19-17 result. Fixture number two this weekend is a home tie against Worcestershire who following their first game at home against Somerset are riding high at the top of the table on 24 points after a 21-15 victory. With West Midlands currently just two places off the foot of the table with 17 points taking on the divisional leaders will once again be a trying time for them but an early win in the season is what they require to restore some form of confidence.
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Black Country were promoted last season as champions from division three of the UKDA National League but haven’t had the best of starts in division two as their journey to take on West of England in their opening fixture resulted in a 20-16 defeat and a home tie in their second game against top of the table Norfolk once again won’t be an easy task. Norfolk’s opener saw them win 21-15 at home against the other promoted team from the third division Gloucestershire to give them a total of 24 points whereas Black Country are placed sixth with 16 points.
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In game seventeen in division one of the Sutton and District Summer league leaders Bishop Vesey had a bye however they increased their chances of winning the divisional title as the three nearest chasing teams all lost. Vesey have 26 points from fifteen games and second placed The Nomads lost ground as they went down 5-4 at home to fifth in the division Old Oscott Arrows leaving them two points behind Vesey from the same number of games and just one more fixture to play. Third in the division Highcroft Social also lost at home in their tie with bottom of the table Plough and Arrows, the 6-3 win being Plough’s first win in fifteen games. Walmley CSC Flights make up the top four and they went down 6-3 at The Old Horns Lions who are only two places off the foot of the table.
In division two there were wins for the top three sides, leaders Golden Hind Lions beat fourth placed Rosey Mac’s 6-3 to clinch the divisional title with one more game to play as they are on 34 points, four more than second placed Heartlands whose convincing 8-1 win at St Thomas Arrows gives them the runners-up spot as they lead third placed Oscott Social Club by six points after they won 6-3 at Sutton Sharks.
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Just the one rearranged fixture played in the Camp Hill League which saw league leaders Aston Inn Nomads win 6-1 against fourth in the league Clumsy Swan to see them open up a four points lead over both second and third placed Tyseley Bears and Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club with respective one and two games in hand on the two teams.
A message this week from league secretary Mark Standley saying “On a sadder note one of the league stalwarts Matt Cooper has sadly passed away.
He played in a lot of the local leagues as well as being a member of the Gulp Tribe. Charity Team, condolences to the family, he will be sadly missed.
Matt Cooper
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The Netherton Thursday Night League played off the first leg of the first round of their Andy Bastable Trophy with 7-2 the biggest win to carry into the next round by both Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ and The Clock, Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ beating their local rivals and ‘B’ team while Clock won against Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘B’. The other two games played produced closer 5-4 results with wins for Spring Meadow and Townsend Social Club over respective opponents Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘A’ and Bulls Head.
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Waggon and Horses took their total points to 44 from a possible 46 in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League when they won 6-1 at Miners Arms ‘B’ who are third in the table but have twelve points less from one game more than Waggon. Dewdrop ‘A’ are placed second, they somewhat surprisingly lost 4-3 at Horseley Tavern who are three places below them and have ten fewer points. S.Earp notched a maximum for Horseley.
All of the bottom three teams, Albion, Sow and Pigs and Tamebridge lost 5-2 in turn to Miners Arms ‘A’, Vine ‘B’ and Dewdrop ‘B’.
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As the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League reached the halfway stage of the season Labour Club kept their 100% win record intact but only just as they chalked up a close 4-3 win in their home fixture with Stourbridge FC who are five places below them in the table and have ten fewer points. Second placed Bird in Hand ‘E’ also won by the same margin in their home tie with third in the league Ten Arches to put them two points ahead of their opponents and keep them four behind Labour Club. Fourth in the league Hollybush beat Dudley Sports 5-2 to give them the same 20 points as Ten Arches and trail them by just two legs of average. Fox Inn (Lye) are fifth, they won 4-3 at home against bottom of the table Raven to give them the same 20 points as Ten Arches and Hollybush.
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The Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League are up to week three and only three of the starting line-up of twelve teams remain undefeated. Reigning champions Old Bulls Head are in the same position they ended their last campaign top of the table after adding their latest 5-4 win at Gornal Labour Club to their account, they have a slender one leg of average lead over Five Ways who won 7-2 against The Cabin. Third in the table Seven Stars are a further one leg of average adrift, their third fixture seeing them win 6-3 at Chainyard.
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A bye has cost Old Star the leadership in the Silver End Sunday Morning League and sees them drop to third place on 48 points the same number as second in the table Dudley Sports who have a superior average after their 7-1 home win over Brickmaker’s Arms. Dudley Sports and Old Star both trail new leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club by two points they won 6-2 at New Talbot to give them a total of 50 points.
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With only five more games remaining in the Rowley Monday Night League just two points separate the top three teams. Long term leaders Bell hold on to pole position with a 5-4 home win over third in the table Plough and Harrow while second placed Clock (Whiteheath) lost ground in the title race losing 5-4 at home to sixth in the league Gate Hangs Well. Bell now have 44 points while Clock (Whiteheath) and Plough and Harrow are both on 42 points. After the top three teams comes a gap of eight points to White Swan, Cradley Sports and Social and Gate Hangs Well with White Swan having played one game less than the three teams above them after beating Cradley Sports and Social Club 7-2.
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Graham Hall and Rich Bowen were the only two players to actually play in the top six of week 27 in the Black Country Thursday Night Singles League. Graham Hall had a tremendous night as he rattled off three straight 8-0 wins over Steven Gillam, James Davies and Lewis Handley before rounding off a super evening with a 5-3 win over Shane Passey to see him replace Nick Fullwell at the top of the table with 385 points from 44 games. Fullwell drops to second place with 355 from 46 games. Rich Bowen’s opener saw him held to a 4-4 draw by Shane Passey before he beat Steven Gillam 6-2 to keep him in fifth in the table with 314 points from 46 games. Jamie Hughes is third in the league with 345 points from 40 games and Jason Lowe fourth with 321 also from 40 games.
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No change at the top of the Black Country Men’s Super League as the top four teams all won. Leaders Allens Bar ‘A’ handed their visitors Gilbert’s Bar a 5-0 whitewash to take their points to 99 from fifteen games and give them a huge fourteen points lead over second placed Railway Tavern who were also 5-0 winners in their home tie with Allens Bar ‘B’. Third and fourth placed Yeltz Bar and Yeltz Bar ‘A’ in turn won 3-2 against fifth in the league The Maverick and Allens Bar ‘C’ who are eighth, both of the Yeltz teams are on 77 points.
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With the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League up to week nineteen, Railway continue to lead the singles division adding a 5-2 home win over Stile to give them 30 points from sixteen games. Being as Gilbert’s Bar had a bye they drop into third place with ECC replacing them in the number two spot after they also 5-2 at home against Red Lion to leave them six points behind Railway after they have played one game more than them, they have also played two games more than Gilbert’s Bar who are on the same 24 points.
ECC remain top of the doubles division, their 3-0 win over Red Lion putting them on 28 points, Hurst Hill, who had a bye this week are on the same 28 points as ECC but from one game fewer.
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