Langley Hall Social Club, Langley Hall Road, Olton, Solihull, B92 7HE was the setting for the Langley Hall Darts Open 2023 which as ever was well supported and attracted internationals, county, super league and many other players from around the country. In the last eight games Luke Woodhouse had a close 4-3 win over Richard Hosey as did Sam Bissell in his game against West Midlands man Ian Jones. Kieron Bridgewater had a slightly easier win in his 4-2 success over Andy Hyland while Ian McKenzie had the biggest win beating Wayne Hobday 4-0. The semi-finals were extended from the best of five to the best of seven legs with Bridgewater this time taken to a decider by McKenzie and having a narrow 5-4 victory while Woodhouse had the more comfortable 5-3 win over Bissell.
Once again the format was extended in the final with the two players battling it out over the best of eleven legs. All eleven legs were played before Luke Woodhouse got the all-important sixth stripe on the board to beat Kieron Bridgewater 6-5 and collect the winners £800 with runner-up Bridgewater receiving £400. Losing semi-finalists Sam Bissell and Ian McKenzie each collected £200 and there was £50 for the losing quarter-finalists Richard Hosey, Ian Jones, Wayne Hobday and Andy Hyland.
Jamie Carter with Winner Luke Woodhouse (Right)
Jamie Carter with Runner-up Kieron Bridgewater (Right)
Jamie Carter with Losing Semi-Finalist Sam Bissell (Right)
Jamie Carter with Losing Semi-Finalist Ian McKenzie (Right)
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A 5-2 home win over Cock Inn takes Copper Fox to ten consecutive wins in the Kings Norton League and maintains their position at the top of the table. Second placed Northfield had a narrow 4-3 win at Bourneville and remain four points adrift of the leaders, Bourneville holding on to sixth place with twelve points. Bournebrook, despite winning 5-2 against Kings Norton Flights lose their joint third place and drop to fourth behind Rubery Social Club whose 6-1 win over Grant Arms gives them a slender one leg of average lead over Bourneville with both teams on fourteen points. Thurlestone had a very surprising 4-3 defeat playing away against bottom of the table Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club, this being the Ex Serviceman’s first win in ten while their opponents remain fifth in the table on the same twelve points as Bourneville.
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It was cup week in the Four Oaks and District League, the semi-finals of the Ken Rust Cup in which division two runners-up Oscott Social Club took on first division opponents Heartlands and won 6-3. St Thomas Arrows, also from division two, once again squared up to division one opponents in the shape of Charley’s Flights and on this occasion it was the division one side who came out on top with a 5-3 result.
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A maximum score from Robbie Earl helped his team Raven Arrows to a 5-3 win over Yardley Ex Colts in group one of the Sheldon and District Summer League and keep them top of the group with a perfect four points from their opening two games. The Dingle’s Richard Palmer also found the three treble twenties but his team were held to a 4-4 draw at home by Langley Arrows and drop one place in the table to third with Highwood replacing them in second place after winning their first game of the season against Willclare Sports and Social 5-3. Shirley Misfits also had a 5-3 win at Hornet to replace their hosts at the top of group two with three points, Sheldon Dukes with a 180 from Anthony Dews are second after they handed out an 8-0 whitewash to their visitors Maggies.
Langley Flights players were in top form as Julian Harris hit two maximums and Darren Tudor one in their 6-2 home win over Bell Inn to put them top of group three with four points after their two opening wins of the season. Close behind Langley is Trident Spears their 4-4 home draw with Sheldon Marlborough Ridge leaving them just one point short of the leaders.
A convincing 7-1 win at Sheldon Marlborough Flights has seen Banbury Club take over in pole position in group four from Raven who were held to a 4-4 draw at Moseley Rugby Club leaving them two legs of average short of the leaders, both teams are on three points.
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After the opening seven games of the season, Longbridge United continue to top the singles and pre-match doubles tables in the South West Birmingham Clubs League. After adding their latest 5-2 win at Quarry Club to their account they have a total of fourteen points in the singles division and a two points advantage over their nearest rivals West Heath CEM who won by the same 5-2 scoreline in their home tie with Bournbrook. After the top two there are a quartet of teams Avenue Social, Bournbrook, Stirchley United and Perfection all on eight points, six off the top. In the fixture between Stirchley United and Avenue Social, which the former won 4-3, Stirchley’s A.Cullen with scores of 125,2×100,140 beat his counterpart A.Harvey 2-1 with Harvey recording a 140 break, scores of 125 and 100 plus a seven darts game, while in the tie between West Heath CEM and Bournbrook T.Taylor (West Heath CEM) had breaks of 101 and 160 and his team mate K.Webb breaks of 120 and 100 and for Bournbrook J.Warman hit a 180 plus 100.
Longbridge have amassed a total of 100 points at the top of the pre-match doubles division, a lead of seventeen over second placed West Heath CEM.
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With Cross (Oldswinford) having a bye in week twenty-nine of the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League it gave the chasing teams the opportunity to reduce the arrears on the leaders and the nearest chasing five did exactly that. Second placed Old Liberal Club won 5-2 at Fox Inn (Lye) to put them within two points of Cross while third placed Ten Arches 6-1 home win over Seven Stars still leaves them eight points short of the top team. Cottage, Netherton Conservative Club and Princess are all on forty points and in turn won 7-0 against Old Cat Inn, 5-2 at Crestwood and 5-2 at Gate Hangs Well, leaving them all fourteen points off the top of the table.
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The Rowley Monday Night League had cup quarter-finals on their fixture card, first the Bill Bishop Cup in which league leaders Bell won 5-1 at Windmills End, second in the league Gate Hangs Well had a 6-3 win at Romsley Cricket Club and third placed White Swan, with a 180 from Mathew Tedstone won 5-2 at home against Hill and Cakemore Ex Serviceman’s Club. Making up the last four are Plough and Harrow who won 6-3 at Whiteheath Tavern.
In the last four games of the Challenge Cup Rowley Labour Club handed their hosts Spring Meadow a 9-0 whitewash, while Tividale FC won 7-2 at home against Huntingtree, there was a 5-2 success for Wonder over Waterall but despite a maximum from Loyal Lodge man S.Hadley his team lost 6-3 at Rowley Bar and Grill.
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Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ move ever closer to retaining their Netherton Thursday Night League title, their latest 6-3 home win over Hill and Cakemore Ex Serviceman’s Club taking their points to forty-two from twenty-five games while second placed Bulls Head, despite winning 8-1 at Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘B’ and being only two points behind the leaders have played twenty-seven games and have only one remaining fixture. Third placed Netherton Sports and Social ‘A’ have played the same amount of fixtures as the leaders, their latest 6-3 win at Townsend Social Club leaving them four points off the top of the table.
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Previously undefeated in their opening six games in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League Shovel have lost their last two fixtures, 4-3 to Stourbridge FC and 6-1 to league leaders Old Liberal Club ‘A’ and as a result have dropped from second to fifth in the league, now four points short of Old Liberal Club ‘A’ who are the only unbeaten team in the league and have a two points lead over second placed Bird in Hand ‘E’ who won 7-0 at home against Netherton Conservative Club. Third and fourth placed Hollybush and Stourbridge FC are on the same fourteen points as Bird in Hand ‘E’ their latest fixtures seeing them in turn win 5-2 at home against Dudley Sports and 4-3 at home against Old Liberal Club ‘B’. It was a good week for Fox Inn (Lye), their 6-1 home win over Garibaldi being their first win of their seven games season so far.
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A 5-2 win over Chris Williams followed by a 4-3 success against Dave Simpson has kept John Green in pole position in the Ashwood Premier League. Green has 212 points from 38 games and a lead of nine over second placed Nick Fullwell who has only played 34 games the latest of which saw him beat Martyn Harper 4-3 and Paul Pollard 6-1. Josh Pickett began the night well with a 7-0 win over Paul Pollard but he then lost 4-3 to Chris Williams to lose his second place and drop to third with 202 points from 37 games.
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No Change in the top five places in the Black Country Men’s Super League after teams have completed game number five. Allen’s Bar ‘C’ actually lost for the first time in five games going down 3-2 at Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ who move up one place to sixth with 14 points, seven fewer than their high riding opponents at the top of the table. Whiteheath Tavern won 3-2 at home against Soccer Zone to leave them just one point short of the leaders but one to the good on third placed Railway Tavern who beat Townsend Social Club 3-2.
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A 4-1 home win over Bridgtown Social has given Dog and Partridge a nine points lead at the top of the West Midlands Men’s Super League. With 87 points Kings Head ‘A’ are second in the league after they won by the same 4-1 margin at home against Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’.
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No change in the top four placing’s in division one of the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League, Scott Baker continuing to lead the field with 132 points from 17 games and having a lead of 15 over second placed Ben Johnson who has a game in hand on Baker.
In division two Tony Singh moved up from fourth to top the table, his 5-3 win over Jason Lloyd and 7-1 success against Malcolm Pugh taking his points to 115, two more than second and third placed Clark Cook and Jason Hough who have both played the same 16 games as Singh.
In division three Alan Melling suffered his first defeat in 16 games when he lost 5-3 to Artur Lubkowski. Nevertheless Melling remains in pole position with 134 point’s, second placed Michele Pritchard is on the same number of points but has played four games more than Melling.
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A 5-2 home defeat by ECC ‘A’ has knocked Woodfield off the top of the singles league in the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League, to be replaced by Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ who had a similar 5-2 win at Dog and Partridge. ECC ‘A’ are third on the same 16 points as Woodfield.
ECC ‘A’ continue to lead the doubles league, their 3-0 win over Woodfield keeping intact their two points lead over second placed Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ who had the same 3-0 result over Dog and Partridge.
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