Warwickshire County Darts Organisation didn’t have the wining start to the new season in the UKDA National League’s Cosmo Darts Premier Division that they would have hoped for as they finished on the wrong side of a 20-16 scoreline playing away against Cornwall at the Indian Queens WMC, St Columb Major, St Austell, TR9 6QN. The weekend didn’t get off to the best of starts with the ladies ‘B’ losing 4-2 after opener Kirsty Hinchcliffe gave them a 1-0 lead when she beat Laura Shepherd 3-1 and in the process won the lady of the match award for her 17.94 average, and although Caroline Pike made it 2-0 with her 3-0 win over Debbie Crocker it was the home side that won the following four games.
The men’s ‘B’ also went 1-0 up when their Sam Whittaker beat Aaron Rowe 4-1 but had to wait until the sixth game before they got their second winner in the form of Will Naylor who also won 4-1 against Tex Thomas. Samuel Price beat Jamie Kay 4-0 to reduce the arrears to 4-3 and with a similar 4-3 win over Fred Goldsmith Scott Hope made it 5-4. The final score was 7-5 to the hosts with Warwickshire’s man of the match Karl Reynolds adding his 4-2 win over Lee Hellings in the final game, Reynolds clinching the match award for his 26.20 average.
The ladies ‘A’, like their ‘B’ side also lost 4-2, and again like the ‘B’ team won the opener as Donna Pinch beat Tyrian Jesse 3-1. The only other winner was Wendy Adams who was on at number three and had a straight 3-0 win over Sarah Brown, Wendy taking the team’s match award for her 17.28 average.
The men’s ‘A’ went one down but recovered well to take the following six games with wins from Steve Hine, Jamie Atkins, Matty Washbrooke, Wayne Mynard, Gareth Braham and Nigel Heydon. With a 6-2 lead the all-important seventh win was added in the ninth by Mark McGeeney who was making a welcome return to Warwickshire after an eleven year absence, his 4-1 win over Jez Campe and his 29.18 average making him the man of the match. The final score was 7-5 to Warwickshire but the overall result of 20-16 for the weekend went to Cornwall.
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After winning promotion last season The Black Country were making their debut in the UKDA National League’s L-Style Division One and must have wondered how they would cope in the higher division after playing Saturday’s ‘B’ games as the ladies lost 5-1 and the men went down 7-5 in their home tie with Gwent..
The solitary winner for the ladies ‘B’ was Doreen Hunt who won 3-2 against Jess Bonner with an award winning average of 15.12. The winners for the men’s ‘B’ were Dan Nicholls, Jamie Barrowman, Gavin Smith, Ben Hollowood and John Green with Dan Nicholls taking the match award for his 3-0 win over Marcus Jones and his 28.90 average.
Sunday was a completely different story as the ladies ‘A’ kicked the day off with a 4-2 win thanks to wins from Amy-Leigh Tolley, Heather Wright, Chez Allcock and Tammy Chance, Tammy’s 3-0 win over Ceri Stephens plus her 22.77 average earning the team’s match award.
The men’s ‘A’ were in superb form beating their counterparts 10-2 with wins supplied by Tom Bissell, Paul Wells, Martin Price, Reece Colley, Dan Homer, Shane Price, George Willetts, Jamie Rollinson, Rob Smith and Rich Bowen, Martin Price their top player with a 30.19 average and 4-2 win over Sam Cankett.
The overall result for the weekend was a 20-16 win for the Black Country, not a bad start to the new season especially after Saturday’s results when Gwent opened up a 12-6 lead.
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The Sheldon and District Summer League have officially played their final week of fixtures but with quite a number of games still to be played only one of the four group titles has been decided and that is group two where leaders Sheldon Dukes took on second placed Brian’s Flights, the 4-4 draw enough to give the Dukes the title as with thirteen points they have completed their programme and although Brian’s Flights still have a game to play they are three short of the champions and will finish as runners-up.
In group one leaders Highwood had a convincing 6-2 win at Yardley Ex Colts, they now have thirteen points and still have two games to play. Second placed Langley Arrows are on the same thirteen points but with one to play after they also won 6-2 in their latest fixture at Willclare Sports and Social.
Kingshurst Labour Club completed their fixtures in group three with a 5-2 home win over Sheldon Marlborough Ridge to keep them in pole position with fifteen points one more than their nearest rivals Trident Spears whose 5-3 win at Langley Flights leaves them one point short of Kingshurst but with one more game to play.
Just one point separates the top two teams in group four Banbury Club are top of the table with twelve points and Smithswood Social Club second with eleven points, both teams have one more game to play and that game is against each other which will decide who will become champions and who will finish as runners-up.
There will be some very tense and exciting games to be rearranged and played in the league.
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It was League Cup week in the Harborne and District League and what a high scoring week it was with no fewer than nine maximums scored in the round with Copper Fox ‘M’ player G.Dews hitting two and his team mate D.Kent getting one. There was also a top score for M.Simmonds (Weoley Castle WMC), F.Johnson (Smethwick Cricket Club), M.Hamilton (Copper Fox ‘R’), R.Hosey, S.Jones and C.Airey (Northfield Conservative Club), plus there was a 160 game shot from Smethwick Cricket Club’s M.Collins and E.Simpson (Copper Fox) had top scores of 7×100,114.
Teams winning through to the next round were Avenue Social, Smethwick Cricket Club, Copper Fox ‘R’, Copper Fox ‘M’ and Northfield Conservative Club.
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Tyseley Bears had their fixture with Moseley Arms cancelled in the Camp Hill League and as a result lose the number one spot to Tyseley WMC who won 5-2 at Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club to put them top by one leg of average over the Bears. Third placed Erdington Nomads are two points behind the leading duo after they handed out a 7-0 whitewash to their hosts Sedgemere Devils.
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For the South West Birmingham Clubs League it was cup week, first the semi-finals of the Bob Price Trophy in which Longbridge United won 13-8 against Stirchley United and West Heath CEM set up a final between the league’s top two sides in the singles league when they won 16-5 against Quarry Club.
It was quarter-finals for the Consolation Cup, the only surprise possibly the 12-9 success by Northfield Conservative over Avenue Social. The other results saw Perfection win 15-6 against Kings Norton Ex Service, Bournbrook gain a close 11-10 win over Northfield Town and Stichley Flights beat Moseley All Services 14-7.
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Highcroft Hotdogs kept their title aspirations on track for the division one title in the Sutton and District Summer League with a 7-2 win at The Nomads, the win keeps the Hotdogs top of the table with a slender two legs of average lead on second placed Bishop Vesey who went one better with an 8-1 home win over Old Horns Arrows. Old Horns Lions are third and just two points behind the leading duo after their close 5-4 home win over Old Oscott Arrows.
In division two leaders Scott Armers suffered their first defeat of the campaign’s seven games so far and it was somewhat of a shock defeat as they lost 5-4 at home to Sutton Sharks who with six points are six short of their opponents, they are only three places off the foot of the table. The defeat reduces Armers lead to just two points over second placed Charley’s Flights who after their 6-3 win at St Tom Cats still have a game in hand on the leaders.
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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night League staged the quarter-finals of their League Cup which produced possibly just the one surprising result and that was the 5-2 win by The Princess over Cross (Oldswinford) as The Princess are fifth in the league having lost nine games and Cross are second having lost just one of their thirty-four games. League leaders Old Liberal Club beat third in the league Ten Arches 6-1 while there was a 4-3 win for Cottage over Gate Hangs Well and a 4-2 result for Netherton Conservative Club against Seven Stars.
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Leaders of the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League Allen’s ‘A’ had a bye this week, nevertheless they held on to pole position with 38 points from 21 games. Second in the league Vine ‘A’ were involved in a local derby with their ‘B’ team and beat them 7-0 to keep within six points of Allen’s A’. A further two points adrift with 30 points is third placed Cottage Spring who beat their hosts Albion 6-1.
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The results for game eighteen on the Kings Norton League had no effect on the league table whatsoever with leaders Northfield holding on to the number one spot with a 5-2 win at Rubery Social Club, however they have had their average lead reduced as second placed Copper Fox won 6-1 at home against Thurlestone and being on the same 30 pointswith a game in hand they could overtake Northfield. There is a four point’s gap to third placed Bourneville who kept the deficit at four points with a 6-1 home win over Coppice.
There were 180 scores this week for both J.Ford (Rubery Social Club) and P.Nevin (Bournebrook).
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A 6-3 win at Plough and Harrow has seen Bell increase their lead to four points in the Rowley Monday Night League as second placed White Swan lost their home tie with fifth in the league Windmills End 5-4. An 8-1 home win over Waterfall has seen third placed Gate Hangs Well reduce the arrears on White Swan to just two points.
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The only change in the top eight places in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League was Cottage Spring dropping one place to fourth after they lost 6-1 at home against leaders Old Liberal Club ‘A’ and Bird in Hand ‘E’ moving up one place to third after their 6-1 win at home against Fox Inn (Lye). Cottage and Bird in hand ‘E’ are on 24 points, eight points off the top of the table with second placed Hollybush two points short of the leaders after they won 6-1 at Stourbridge FC.
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Only two players in the to six of the Ashwood Premier League played in week 30, John Green beat Jake Robinson and Chris Fox 4-3 to return to the top of the table with 295 points and the only other player to play was Josh Pickett who moves up two places to third after he beat Tony Bennett 6-1and Sam Aitkens 4-3 to give him 280 points.
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Just the one result for the Black Country Men’s Super League this week which saw Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ win 4-1 against Allen’s Bar ‘A’ to top the table with 52 points.
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Dan Nichills holds on to pole position in the Black Country Thursday Night League his respective 7-1 and 8-0 wins over Mark Jones and Alex mason taking his points to 104. Second placed Mark Jones had an 8-0 win against Danny Bridgwood to put him on the same 104 points but from one more game than Nicholls.
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A 4-1 home win for Dog and Partridge over Gilbert’s Bar ‘D’ keeps them top of the West Midlands Men’s Super League with 130 points from 23 games, second placed Kings Head ‘A’ lost 3-2 at Corpus Christi and go seven points short of the leaders.
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7-1 wins over Jon Blakemore and Steve Lynch keep Scott Baker top of division one in the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League while Jason Hough added and 8-0 win over Max Law to keep him top of division two. Division three leader Alan Melling had a somewhat modest 5-3 win against Thomas Hollowood but has a more than comfortable 31 points lead over his nearest rival Robert Harris.
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A 4-3 home defeat at the hands of the Dog and Partridge team has seen ECC ‘A’ lose the top spot and drop to third in the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League, Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ who won their game at Ring of Bells 4-3 replace them in pole position. Second placed Woodfield had a convincing 7-0 win at Corpus Christi, all of the top three teams are on 32 points.
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I received some sad news this week when hearing of the passing of Jack Pearson. Jack for many years provided me with regular weekly results for both the Brierley Hill Monday and Friday Night Leagues. He will be sadly missed by players and officials of the two league plus all who knew him.
Condolences and deepest sympathies go to Jack’s family.
Rest in Peace Jack.
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