West Midlands County Darts Organisation have played their fourth fixture in the Andy Wheeler Fisheries Championship Division of the UKDA National League, a home tie with Hertfordshire. Prior to the fixture West Midlands were placed fifth in the division with fifty-seven points and their visitors fourth on sixty-three points both having played three games. So with home advantage West Midlands were hoping for a win which would see them overtake their opponents and move up the table. Unfortunately that was not how it turned out as the ladies had a somewhat disastrous weekend with both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ sides suffering 6-0 whitewashes. Neither was it a good weekend for the men as the ‘B’ team lost their Saturday game 7-5 and the best the ‘A’ could get on Sunday was a 6-6 draw. Match awards went to Ash Khayat who won 4-1 against Shane Smith with a 27.35 average to take the ‘B’ award and man of the match for the ‘A’ side was Shaun Carroll who won 4-1 against Jack Pledger with a 29.11 average.
The overall result for the weekend was a 25-11 win for Hertfordshire which saw West Midlands drop four places in the table to ninth just two above bottom placed Oxfordshire who have two games in hand on West Midlands and next to bottom Cambridgeshire also have one game in hand.
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After three wins and a draw in their opening four games in the UKDA National League’s L-Style Division One Black Country had a home tie with Leicestershire. Before the fixture got underway Black Country were leading the division with ninety-three points and their opponents were ninth just two places off the foot of the table with fifty-eight points but with a game in hand. However despite the game in hand a win for the home side looked to be well and truly on the cards if current form was the deciding factor but the weekend didn’t have the best of starts for the divisional leaders as the ladies ‘B’ slumped to a 5-1 defeat with Doreen Hunt their sole winner, Doreen’s straight 3-0 win over Sam Harris and 17.08 average earning her the team’s match award. As Saturday drew to a close Black Country found themselves trailing 13-5 as the men’s ‘B’ lost 8-4 with their top player being Mark Jones who had a 3-2 win against Adam Marziano and averaged 26.07.
After going 2-1 down the ladies ‘A’ finished all-square at 3-3 with Tammy Chance their top player, Tammy wining 3-2 against Shannon Reeve with a fine 21.71 average. The men’s ‘A’, like their ‘B’ team finished on the wrong side of an 8-4 result with man of the match Rich Bowen taking the award for his 4-3 win over Ben Quenby and 27.09 average.
The defeat has seen Black Country drop to third in the table on 105 points, five short of new leaders Gwent and six behind second placed Suffolk.
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The Sutton and District Summer League played off their singles knockout with only twenty-seven of the original entry of sixty-three turning up for the event. In the quarter-finals there were straight 2-0 wins for N.Robbins and S.Abbott who in turn took out A.Gough and J.Alexander. J.Meredith and B.Hughes both progressed to the last four with 2-1 wins over their respective opponents S.Alexander and B.Cadby. Both semi-finals went to a decider with J.Meredith beating B.Hughes and S.Abbott winning against N.Robbins. The title eventually went to J.Meredith who won the final against S.Abbott 3-1.
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It’s been a busy time for the Camp Hill League with league fixtures, rearranged cup fixtures and their singles knockouts, first in the league fixtures the top of the table clash between leaders Wakefield Warriors and second placed Erdington Nomads was postponed while third placed Tyseley Bears reduced the gap to just two points on Erdington Nomads with a 5-2 home win over Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club. At the other end of the table bottom placed Sedgemere Devils lost their home game with next to bottom Peaky Blinder 5-2 to open up an eight points gap between the two teams, the Devils still seeking their first points of the season after completing thirteen games.
There was just one rearranged League Cup semi-final game in which Wakefield Warriors won 6-1 against Peaky Blinder.
In the men’s singles knockout Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club player Neil Parsonage added to his never-ending list of titles when he beat Leigh Dells from Erdington Nomads in the final. In the last four games Parsonage won against Dave Heighway (Tyseley Bears) and Dells took out Shay Darby (Clumsy Swan).
The semi-finals of the ladies knockout saw Liz Henderson beat Gloria Lightwood and Julie McGuigan beat Sheila Carter, Julie McGuigan continuing her good form in the final where she won against Liz Henderson.
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It’s good to see the Kings Norton League getting their new season underway with an additional two teams taking their numbers to fourteen. Continuing where they left off last season at the top of the table is reigning champions Northfield who opened up their account with a 6-1 home win over league newcomers Dingle. Matching Northfield’s win was Thurlestone who also played at home and again won 6-1 in their fixture with Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club. Other newcomers to the league Perfection also began their campaign with a defeat as they went down 5-2 at Cock Inn who are joint third in the league with Copper Fox, Rubery Social Club and Coppice who in turn all won 5-2 against Kings Norton Flights, Bourneville and Longbridge.
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The Sheldon and District Winter League are at the midway point of their season and leading the way in the premier league are Langley Arrows who had a bye in week nine. Second placed Sheldon Marlborough Arrows moved to within two points of the leaders taking their points tally to fourteen with an 8-1 win at Yardley Ex Colts. Third and fourth placed Highwood and Sheldon Dukes are both on ten points, six short of Langley Arrows after Highwood had a narrows 5-4 win at The Banbury Club and Sheldon Dukes suffered a 9-0 whitewash at the hands of the Raven Arrows team whose Dean Grainger hit a maximum and his team mate Dave Howlett checked out on 123.
Division one leaders Brian’s Flights suffered their first defeat of the season’s eight games as they lost 5-4 away to Willclare Sports and Social Club who are fourth in the table with twelve points from nine games whereas Brian’s Flights have played eight and have fourteen points. Second in the division Trident Spears had their fixture with Maggies postponed, they remain two points behind Langley Arrows with a game in hand. The game between Bell Inn and Shirley Misfits finished with a 6-3 win for the home team Bell Inn with both teams chalking up a maximum score, Louise Brown for the hosts and Tony Dixon for the visitors.
In division two Sheldon Marlborough Ridge continue to lead the way after adding a 6-3 home win over Moseley Rugby Club to their account. The win puts Ridge on twelve points from seven games and gives them a two point’s advantage over second and third placed Lyndon Old Boys and Castle Bromwich WMC. Lyndon lost ground as they lost their home game with Hornet 6-3 while the WMC had a bye this week and now have two games in hand on the leaders with Lyndon having one game in hand.
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Week seven’s games had no effect whatsoever on either the singles or pre-match doubles divisions of the South West Birmingham Clubs League. Singles league leaders Longbridge United holding on to their five points lead at the top of the table after winning 5-3 away against second in the table Bournbrook who are on nine points as are Northfield Town, West Heath CEM and Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’. It was lucky seven for E57 as in their seventh fixture of the season an away game against Bartley Green, they chalked up their first win of the campaign as they accounted for their hosts with a 6-2 result to lift them off the foot of the table and be replaced by their opponents.
In the pre-match doubles division West Heath top the table with seventy-nine points with second placed Longbridge United on the same seventy-nine points. Third placed Northfield town are a further five points adrift with seventy-four points and then comes a gap of nineteen points to fourth placed Stirchley United
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Although already acclaimed champions of the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night league Old Liberal Club ‘A’ kept up the momentum with a 6-2 home win over fifth in the league Stourbridge FC to put them on a perfect fifty-six points from twenty-eight games. Second placed Hollybush remain six points behind the champions with a close 4-3 win over third placed Bird in Hand ‘E’ who are now four points short of their hosts with just the one game in hand. Despite the defeat Bird in Hand ‘E’ are still two points to the good on fourth placed Cottage as they lost 5-2 at home against Shovel who are three places and twelve points behind them.
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No change in the top five places in the Netherton Thursday Night League although leaders Bulls Head, with a maximum from P.O’Brien, lost their home tie with second in the league Townsend Social Club 5-4 whose J.Ward and A.Galeb both hit a maximum, however Townsend’s win puts them on the same sixteen points as their hosts and have the further advantage of a game in hand. Third in the league and reigning champion Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ won their home tie with bottom of the table Olde Queens Head 9-0 with W.Peters hitting a 180 for the winners. The Ex Serviceman’s ‘A’ are now just two points off the top with three games in hand.
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Game number six in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League and only two of the starting line-up of twenty teams are able to boast a 100% win record and they are current leaders Old Liberal Club and second placed Bird in Hand. Old Liberal Club added a 7-0 win at Raven ‘B’ to their tally to keep them top of the table with a five points of average lead over Bird in Hand who also won 7-0 in a home game against Fox Inn (Lye). After the leading duo come a trio of teams Netherton Conservative Club ‘B’, Five Ways and Gate Hangs Well ‘B’ all on ten points, two fewer than the top two teams.
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Week four of the John Walters Cup and Trophy in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League and topping the cup table are Netherton Sports and Social Club and White Horse who have the same four points and are level on average, third placed Gornal Labour Club are also on four points and trail the top two by just one leg of average.
In the John Walters Trophy Britannia lead the way with a perfect eight points from their four games, however Red Cow are hot on their heels as they too have won all of their games but have only played three so far.
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A 5-2 win over Shane Passey followed up with a 7-0 success against Carl Hipkiss has taken Nick Fullwell top of the Amblecote RBL Premier League with a total of seventy-one points from fourteen games. Fullwell has a lead of six over second placed Andy Vellender who after winning 6-1 against both Josh Wheeler and Howard Pritchard still has a game in hand on Fullwell and is two points to the good on third placed John Green.
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After the top three teams in the Black Country Men’s Super League have completed twenty-seven fixtures four points is the only difference between them. Pensnett Liberal Club top the table with ninety-five points after a close 3-2 win over Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’, while second place Allen’s Bar ‘C’ won 4-1 against third placed Whiteheath Tavern to leave them just one points short of the leaders and three ahead of their opponents. Fourth in the league Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’; are on the same 91 points as Whiteheath with a game in hand.
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Week four in the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League and top of division one with 31 points from 4 games is Darren Williams with his nearest rivals Dean Simmons-Fullwood, Wayne Jones and Ian Stanton all on 28 points, Simmons-Fullwood and Jones having played only three games.
Alan Melling tops division two, he has 30 points from four games with second and third placed Keith Hollowood and Artur Lubkowski both on 26 points from the same four games. Fourth in the division Kurt Wright has played and won all three of his games and has a total of 25 points.
It’s tight at the top of division two with just one point separating the top three players. Dave Thackeray and Michele Pritchard are level on the same 34 points and average to top the table with third placed Gareth Walsh having just one point fewer than the top two.
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