After their close 19-17 defeat away to London in their previous fixture in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division of the UKDA National League Warwickshire had a home tie with Glamorgan who prior to the encounter were next to bottom of the premier table some 23 points short of their hosts who were placed fifth with 100 points.
The ladies ‘B’ got the weekend off to a good start beating their counterparts 5-1. After going one down when Jen Taylor won 3-1 against Courtney Hine, lady of the match Hannah Meek began the run of five consecutive wins beating Joanne Pugh 3-0 and taking the match award for her fine 21.17 average. Following up on Hannah’s win were Melanie Jones, Nina Bolt, Chloe McKivett and Angela Jones. The men’s ‘B’ were held to a 6-6 draw and chalking up the six wins for Warwickshire were Jenson Walker, man of the match Mark Carter (28.66) Mark Strong, Mark Martin, Sam Price and Nigel Heydon. Mark Carter had a 4-1 win over Daniel Beynon.
Sunday saw the ladies ‘A’ trail 2-0 but they bounced back to earn a 4-2 victory the four in a row wins all started by award winner Natalie Gilbert who beat Michelle Jones 3-0 with a superb average of 24.64. Caroline Pike was another 3-0 winner defeating Sue Hall and with a 3-1 win for Tammy Montgomery over Claire Crocombe and a 3-2 success for Donna Pinch against Jen Taylor the 4-2 win was achieved, The men’s ‘A’ had a tremendous 9-3 win thanks to wins from Steve Hine, Gareth Braham, Jamie Hughes, Tom Martin, Jack Wareing, Kevin Dowling, Jamie Atkins, Matty Washbrooke and Noel Grant. The match award going to Jamie Hughes who was in top form beating Kierion Carter 4-0 in 12, 13,18 and 14 darts giving him a fantastic average of 35.16.
The overall result for the weekend was 24-12 to Warwickshire to keep them in fifth place in the table but trailing new leaders Yorkshire by 22 points.
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In the L-Style Division One of the UKDA National League West Midlands had a tough home tie with divisional leaders Derbyshire, the hosts desperately requiring a win to lift them away from their lowly next to bottom of the table position, but it was not to be.
Saturday saw the ladies ‘B’ lose 4-2 with their award winner Shellbie Simmons the first to win as she accounted for Jenny McCormick with a 3-2 result and 15.52 average, the only other winner being Tara Simmons-Fullwood who won 3-1 against Nic Fletcher. The men’s ‘B’ had a creditable 6-6 draw after losing the opening three games. Chalking up the wins for the home team were Glen McGrandle, Ian Stanton, John Morris, Rob Thompson, Paul Price and Mark Craddock, Craddock beating Jamie Waterfield 3-0 to earn the match award for his 25.05 average.
Last player on for the ladies ‘A’ was Kat McLean who turned out to be the sole winner in a 5-1 defeat, Kat won 3-0 against Rach Bird her 16.34 average and the fact that she was the only winner earning her the team’s award. The men’s ‘A’ lost 7-5 with their top player being Shaun Carroll, his straight 4-0 win over Ian Allcock giving him a great 32.32 average.
The result for the weekend was 20-16 to Derbyshire to keep them in pole position in the division with 147 points while West Midlands remain next to bottom of the table with 97 points, however they do have a game in hand on all the teams above them and they are only nine points short of fifth in the division Leicestershire.
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Following their promotion from division three of the UKDA National League last season Black Country are enjoying their successful start to life in division two adding a further 22-14 win away to Nottinghamshire to their account to keep them in pole position with a lead of eighteen points over second placed Tyne and Wear.
The ladies ‘B’ had a 3-3 draw with their top player being Grace Angell who won 3-1 against Julie Wilson with a 17.56 average. The ladies ‘A’ won their game 4-2 and taking the match award was Chez Allcock (19.71) who was taken the full five legs distance by Kaylea Riley before sealing her 3-2 win.
There were wins for both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ men’s teams, the ‘B’ side winning 7-5, a 3-1 result for Connor Whitehouse and a 26.61 average against James Hewitt confirming him as the man of the match while for the ‘A’ team it was Shane Price whose 29.58 average and 4-2 result over Mark Wilson that earned him the same accolade.
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There was just the one rearranged league fixture played in the Sheldon and District Winter League this week a division two game between The Trident Spears and Lyndon Old Boys with the former getting the 6-3 result. The win puts the Spears fourth in the division with twelve points, six short of leaders Brian’s Flights with a game in hand.
In addition to the league fixture there was also one rearranged Sheldon Shield preliminary round game between bottom of division two Castle Bromwich WMC and Maggies from division one which resulted in a 5-2 win for Maggies.
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There were wins for the top three teams in the Harborne and District League but Northfield Town, who were fourth lost 5-4 at home to Smethwick Cricket Club and drop to fifth while Smethwick hold on to their third place with thirty points. Leaders Bugle Horn had an impressive 9-0 win over next to bottom of the table The Mill, second in the league Northfield Conservative Club who won 8-1 at Bourneville, although four points behind Bugle Horn do have a game in hand. Copper Fox ‘R’ replace Northfield Town in fourth place after they won their home game with Weoley Castle WMC 6-3, with 28 points they are eight off the top.
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Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club lost not only their home fixture with league leaders Erdington Nomads 6-1 but also their third place in the Camp Hill League and drop one place to fourth on ten points from eight games, four points short of the leaders and from one game more. Clumsy Swan kept within two points of the Nomads beating Tyseley Bears 5-2 and taking over in third place is Tyseley WMC who were the week’s biggest winners handing out a 7-0 whitewash to their visitors Moseley Arms.
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With seventh in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League Bird in Hand having a bye in game seventeen the six teams above them all won. Cross (Oldswinford) hold on to their two points lead at the top of the table winning 5-2 at Rose and Crown ‘A’ while second and third placed Old Liberal Club and Netherton Conservative Club in turn handed out 7-0 defeats to Britannia and Glasscutters. With 26 points the Conservative Club are above The Princess on average only after they won 4-3 at Mount Pleasant, the win keeping them two ahead of fifth placed Ten Arches who were 6-1 winners at Gate Hangs Well. Making up the top six is Bell who had a 5-2 home win over Church Tavern.
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Two local derbies in the Netherton Thursday Night League which saw both ‘A’ teams win. League leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ beat their ‘B’ side 6-3 to stay four points ahead of second in the table Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘A’ who won 9-0 against their ‘B’ side. Third and fourth in the league Townsend Social Club and Bulls Head are both six points off the top on eighteen points, Townsend lost ground going down 6-3 at The Clock while Bulls Head won 5-4 at home against Spring Meadow.
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Newcomers to the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League Allens ‘A’ are certainly making their mark in the league following up their opening 5-2 win over their ‘B’ team with a 7-0 success at Sow and Pigs to keep them top of the table. After only two fixtures just three other teams from the starting line-up of eleven are able to boast a 100% win record and fourth placed Cottage Spring who had a bye this week have only played one fixture. Second in the table Horseley Tavern were 5-2 winners at Tamebridge while third in the league Ivy Bush won 4-3 Vine ‘B’.
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Week five of the John Walters Cup and Trophy in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League and Gornal Labour Club continue to lead the Cup division with a 7-2 win at Jolly Crispin. Five Ways kept within two points of the Labour Club winning 5-4 at White Horse.
In the Trophy Red Cow stay top of the table with a 6-3 home win over second placed Pensnett Liberal Club and open up a two points lead over their opponents.
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Sixteen teams kicked off the new season in the Rowley Monday Night League and after completing just the first three fixtures only two teams remain unbeaten. Bell are in pole position extending their average lead over second in the table White Swan with an 8-1 win at Wonder while White Swan had a closer 5-4 result at home against Rowley Labour Club. After the leading pair there are eight teams all on four points, two short of the leading duo.
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Week two of the West Midlands Men’s Super League and Dog and Partridge with a 5-0 win at Kings Head ‘B’ top the table with fourteen points, two more than second and third in the table Kings Head ‘A’ and Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’, the top three teams the only ones to remain undefeated. Kings Head ‘A’ had a close 3-2 win at Bridgtown Social while Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ beat their ‘A’ side 4-1.
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The Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League played off the semi-finals of their League Cup in which sixth in the league Stourbridge FC beat second placed Bird in Hand ‘E’ 4-3, in the other last four game there was a similar 4-3 win for Bell against Ashwood.
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Allens ‘A’ have taken their unbeaten run in the Black Country Men’s Super League to twenty-eight games with a 4-1 home win over Gilbert’s Bar who slip down one place in the table to seventh. With no result for second placed Railway Tavern they remain in the number two spot but are now a huge twenty-seven points behind the leaders. Yeltz Bar ‘A’ also drop one place in the league to fourth after they lost 3-2 at Allens Bar ‘C’ with local rivals Yeltz Bar replacing them in the number three spot, they have two more points than their ‘A’ side after their 3-2 win at Bell, Kingswinford ‘B’.
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The Black Country Thursday Night Singles League have started their new campaign and the early pacesetter is Gareth Johnston who on the opening night won his first game against Danny Knight 8-0 and then added a 6-2 success over Grace Angell to put him on eighteen points one more than second placed Rich Bowen who had a 7-1 win over Dennis Bull and followed up with a 6-2 win against Danny Knight.
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Nick Fullwell, leader of the Ashwood Premier League played no fewer than four games in week nine beginning with a 5-2 win over Cayden Smith then winning 7-0 against Jon Underhill. He then won 6-1 against Ben Watts and rounded off his evening with a second 7-0 win, this time against Chris Fox. The four wins have taken Fullwell’s points tally to 134 from 21 games giving him a lead of thirty over second placed John Green who has only played eighteen games the latest of which saw him win 5-2 against Jack Pritchard but then lose 4-3 to Andy Vellender.
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Simon Pritchard has lost his number one spot in division one of the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League after he went down 5-3 to Steve Lynch. Pritchard drops to third place three points behind new leader Ben Johnson and one short of second placed Scott Baker. Johnson on the night had 6-2 wins over Reece Cook Lucas and Ben Hollowood while Baker beat Paul Price 7-1.
In division two Tony Singh didn’t play and as a result drops from the top spot to second behind Clark Cook who beat Nathan Jones 6-2 to take him up to 35 points from five games with Singh now having a game in hand and just two points behind Cook.
Despite suffering a 6-2 defeat to Gemma Barrett Jenkins Michele Pritchard continues to lead division three with 43 points from six games, Alan Melling is only six points behind Michele with two games in hand after he made it four straight wins when he won 7-1 against Sara Emma Jones.
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