The Sheldon and District Summer League have got their new season underway and the encouraging news is that the league has swelled its numbers from eighteen, last season to twenty-three for this season the number of groups being extended from three to four. The early group one leaders are Raven Arrows, their 5-3 win at Willclare Sports and Social giving them a one point lead over Dingle and Yardley Ex Colts who played each other in what was a 4-4 draw, Colin Mace recording a maximum for Dingle.
In group two Hornet had a similar 5-3 win at Maggies to put them top of the group, again by just one point over Brian’s Flights and Shirley Misfits who in their game they also finished all-square at 4-4, the group three leadership is shared by three teams Trident Spears, Lyndon Old Boys and Langley Flights who all had 5-3 wins in turn against Bell Inn, Sheldon Marlborough Ridge and Kingshurst Labour Club. Stephen Shepherd (Kingshurst Labour Club) and Tom Cupkovic (Trident Spears) both found the three treble twenties while Richard O’Brian, also from Trident Spears had a 146 finish.
Raven top group four, their 5-3 home win over Hampton and Solihull Cricket Club giving them a one point lead over the rest of the field,
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It’s week two in the Harborne and District League and a 6-3 home defeat by Northfield Conservative Club has cost Cock Inn the early leadership and sees them drop to fourth in the table, two points short of the three undefeated teams above them. Copper Fox ‘R’ have taken over in pole position, their 9-0 win at The Mill giving them a two legs of average lead over local rivals Copper Fox ‘M who were not far behind with an 8-1 home win over Quinton RBL. The only other unbeaten team in the league Northfield Conservative Club are third and a further three legs of average behind Copper Fox ‘M’.
On the individual scene D.Kent (Copper Fox ‘M’) scored a 180 as did A.Sutton and D.Hill (Northfield Conservative Club), other top scorer were E.Simpson and M.Hamilton (Copper Fox ‘R’), Simpson also recording wining legs of 14 and 17 darts.
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Copper Fox took their undefeated run to nine games in the Kings Norton League when they won 5-2 playing away against Grant Arms. The win keeps intact the four points lead Copper Fox have over second placed Northfield who handed their visiting team, bottom of the table Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club a 7-0 whitewash. After the top two come four teams, Bournebrook, Rubery Social, Thurlestone and Bourneville, all on twelve points six off the top. Bournebrook played away against Thurlestone and lost 4-3 while Rubery Social Club had a convincing 7-0 win at Kings Norton Flights, Bourneville lost 4-3 away to Coppice.
Just the one maximum score this week supplied by Rubery Social Club’s R.Higgins but also worthy of note is the efforts of Thurlestone’s R.Waldron who had top scores of 2×100,125 and 137 plus a 117 checkout and a fifteen darts leg.
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It was cup semi-finals week in the Four Oaks and District League, first the Coronation Cup which in the semi-finals Bishop Vesey, who finished fourth in division one were held to a close 8-7 win by second division runners-up Oscott Social Club and in the all division one clash between Walmley CSC Flights and Old Horns Lion, Walmley who finished seventh in the division beat Old Horns Lions who were runners-up in the division 9-6.
In the last four games of the Norman Day Cup division two champions Minworth Flights won 8-1 against sixth in division one Highcroft Social and meeting them in the final will be Plough and Arrows. Plough and Arrows ended their campaign in division two seventh in the table, they won 8-7 against Scott Armers who finished third in the second division.
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Cross (Oldswinford) stretched their unbeaten run in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League to twenty-seven games when they had an emphatic 7-0 win at Seven Stars, but keeping the pressure on the league leaders is second placed Old Liberal Club who also had a convincing 7-0 win at home over Church Tavern to keep within four points of Cross with a game in hand. Old Liberal Club continue to lead third placed Ten Arches by six points after they won 5-2 playing away against The Princess who as a result of their defeat drop from fourth in the league to sixth on the same thirty-eight points as fourth and fifth placed The Cottage and Netherton Conservative Club, Cottage winning 4-3 at Mount Pleasant and the Conservative Club winning 5-2 at home against Rose and Crown ‘A’.
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The top two teams in the Netherton Thursday Night League, Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ and Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘A’ were due to play each other in game twenty-six but the fixture was postponed and although Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ hold on to their number one spot with forty points from twenty-four games Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘A’ lose their second place dropping to third behind Bulls Head whose 8-1 win at Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘B’ has taken their points tally to thirty-eight, two more than Netherton Sports and Social ‘A’ but they have played twenty-six games which is two more than both the Ex Serviceman’s ‘A’ and Netherton ‘A’.
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Although Kirk Harrison hit a maximum and had a 152 break it was not enough to stop his team Whiteheath Tavern losing 7-2 at home against leaders of the Rowley Monday Night League Bell. Bell’s win keeps them top of the table but they still only lead on average as after the league have completed seventeen fixtures there are three teams all on the same thirty points. Gate Hangs Well are second in the table, twelve legs of average short of Bell after they won their home game against Rowley Labour Club 5-4. A 6-3 home win over Plough and Harrow including a 160 break from their Matt Wakefield as seen White Swan draw level on both points and average with Gate Hangs Well to share the number two spot. Fourth in the league Hill and Cakemore Ex Serviceman’s Club won 5-4 at Tividale FC to leave them two points behind the three teams above them.
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John Green managed to hold on to his number one spot in the Ashwood Premier League despite starting the latest round of fixtures on a low when he lost 5-2 to sixth in the league Cayden Smith. Green was quick to recover as he then accounted for Matt Davies, handing him a 7-0 whitewash. Second in the league Josh Pickett had a good night kicking-off with a 5-2 win over Ben Watts and then going one better with a 6-1 success against Matt Davies. Both of the top two players have played thirty-nine games, Green amassing a total of 214 points with Pickett having 210. Third placed Nick Fullwell started the night with a close 4-3 win over Chris Williams and then won 5-2 against Ben Watts to take his tally to 204 and although some ten points behind John Green Fullwell does have four games in hand which could quite easily see him take over the top spot in the league and put him well in line to retaining the title for a second successive season.
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The top four places in the Black Country Thursday Night Singles League have been established as Nick Fullwell rounded off his thirty-two games with a 6-2 win over Danny Knight to give him a final total of 263 points, five more than runner-up Rich Bowen whose valiant effort of two 7-1 season ending wins over both Danny Bridgwood and Cheryl Allcock was not quite enough to catch Fullwell leaving him with a total of 258 points. Shane Price had a 7-1 win against Danny Bridgwood an 8-0 win over Alex Mason and a 7-1 win against Sarah Jane Parker to see him finish in third place with 244 points eighteen to the good on fourth in the league Gareth Johnston who rounded off his campaign with an 8-0 win over Ashley Ralph to take his number of points to 226.
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The Black Country Men’s Super League is up to game number four and of the starting line-up of eighteen teams only three are able to boast a 100% win record. Allen’s Bar ‘C’ top the table with nineteen points after their most recent 5-0 win at home against Soccer Zone. Allen’s ‘C’ are two points ahead of their nearest rivals Whiteheath Tavern who added a similar 5-0 win over White Swan to their account to put them a slender one point to the good on third in the league Railway Tavern who had a much closer 3-2 home win over Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ who are seventh in the table with eleven points, five fewer than their opponents and eight off the top of the table.
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Dog and Partridge continue to impress in the West Midlands Men’s Super League making it fifteen straight wins when they won their home tie with Corpus Christi 5-0. The win gives Dog and Partridge a nine point’s buffer over second in the league Kings Head ‘A’ who also played at home and also won 5-0 against Chase Social. Third in the table Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ are just one point behind Kings Head ‘A’ but have played one game more than them, the latest of which saw them also win 5-0 in a home tie with Three Crowns who are bottom of the table and the only team in the league without a win so far.
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The Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League has reached week sixteen and leader of division one Scott Baker made it thirteen wins, two draws and just the one defeat when in his latest fixture he won 5-3 against Rushpal Bhogal to take his points total to 123. Second in the division Ben Johnson didn’t play this week but his ninety-five points was enough for him to hold on to second place and keep him seven to the good on third in the division Jon Blakemore who was held to a 4-4 draw by John Simms. Although twenty-eight points short of Baker, Ben Johnson has three games in hand on him.
It’s close in division two with only three points separating the top three players. Clark Cook tops the division with 105 points with Jason Hough second on 104 points after adding his latest 7-1 win over Keith Hollowood to his account. Third in the division Baljinder Gill suffered a 6-2 defeat at the hands of Malcolm Pugh and missed the opportunity to takeover at the top of the table leaving him on 102 points.
Although he didn’t play this week Alan Melling is sitting comfortably at the top of division three with 131 points from fifteen games and has a lead of seven over second placed Michele Pritchard, plus he has four games in hand on Michele.
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Week eight results brought about no changes in the top five places in the singles division of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League with Woodfield continuing to lead the field with sixteen points after beating their hosts Railway 5-2, however they only top the division with a two legs of average lead on Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ whose 6-1 home win over Three Crowns gives them the same sixteen points as the leaders. Third placed ECC ‘A’ won the local derby with their ‘B’ side 6-1 to give them fourteen points, just two short of the two teams above them.
In the doubles division ECC ‘A’ top the table with sixteen points, they handed their ‘B’ side a 3-0 defeat to keep them two points ahead of second in the division Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ who had a similar 3-0 win over Three Crowns.
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