This coming weekend Warwickshire County Darts Organisation will be hoping to kick-start their season in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division of the UKDA National League following their opening 20-16 defeat away to Cornwall and despite home advantage playing at the Hen Lane Club, Beacon Lane, Coventry, CV6 4DS they will have no easy task as they take on reigning champions and current divisional leaders Lancashire. Warwickshire will be hoping to better last season’s result when they also played at home against Lancashire and lost 22-14.
Lining up for the home teams will be Men’s ‘A’:- Jamie Atkins, Gareth Braham, Kevin Dowling, Noel Grant, Carl Green, Nigel Heydon, Dave Hill, Steve Hine, Jamie Hughes, Mark McGeeney, Wayne Mynard, Matty Washbrooke, Men’s ‘B’:- Mark Carter, Adam Hancock, Scott Hope, Pete Hughes, Mark Martin, Lee Miller, Will Naylor, Sam Price, Dave Redding, Karl Reynolds, Martin Tonks, Sam Whittaker, Reserves:- Prakash Jiwa, Kishan Jiwa, Noah Rose, Ian Shaw, Mark Strong, Jenson Walker, Jack Wareing, Women’s ‘A’:- Wendy Adams, Marian Conway, Natalie Gilbert, Courtney Hine, Hannah Meek, Donna Pinch, Women’s ‘B’:- Nina Bolt, Kirsty Hinchcliffe, Denise Keyte, Chloe McKivett-Saunders, Kris Meek, Caroline Pike, Reserve:- Lucy Keyte.
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After winning promotion back to the Andy Wheeler Fisheries Championship Division last season West Midlands start to the new campaign was delayed as they had a bye in the opening round of fixtures and will play their first fixture this coming weekend when they travel north to take on Cheshire. Cheshire’s opening fixture saw them go down 21-15 away to Northamptonshire and West Midlands will be doing their utmost to make it a second consecutive defeat for their hosts and a winning start to their own campaign.
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In the L-Style Division One of the UKDA National League Black Country will be hoping to follow up their curtain raising 20-16 home win over Gwent with a similar performance when they travel south to take on Suffolk who were held to an 18-18 draw at Leicestershire in the first game of the season. Black Country go into their second fixture second in the divisional table with the same twenty-three points as leaders Gwynedd while Suffolk are on nineteen points and placed fifth.
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The Sheldon and District Summer League is fast drawing to an end with only two group one rearranged fixtures left to play. On the agenda has been the final of their League Cup in which group one’s currently second placed Langley Arrows took on Raven Arrows who are fourth. The result was a convincing 6-1 win for Langley Arrows whose Bobby Nixon registered a fourteen darts game.
There were three rearranged fixtures played in which Brian’s Flights consolidated their runners-up spot in group two with a 6-2 home win over Maggies, Brian’s Flights finishing just one point short of champions Sheldon Dukes.
In group three Trident Spears won their home tie with bottom of the group Lyndon Old Boys 5-3 to leapfrog Kingshurst Labour Club and win the group with sixteen points, one more than previous leaders Kingshurst who ended their campaign as runners-up.
The one outstanding group four game brought together the top two teams in the group with second placed Smithswood Social hosting leaders Banbury Club. The result was a stalemate, a 4-4 draw which saw Banbury win the title with thirteen points and Smithswood finish as runners-up on twelve points.
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The Camp Hill League played off the first round of their League Cup which saw Peaky Blinder, who are without a win so far in their five league fixtures, beat the team two places and four points ahead of them Moseley Arms 5-2. Current league leaders Tyseley WMC had a rather close 4-3 win playing away against Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club who are five places below them in the table and have only half the number of their points, just four from as many games. Second in the league Erdington Nomads had a home tie with bottom of the table Sedgemere Devils which they won convincingly 7-0 while third in the league Tyseley Bears somewhat surprisingly lost 6-1 away to fourth in the table Clumsy Swan.
The four winners go into the League Cup semi-finals while the losing teams will play in the last four of the Consolation Cup.
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A 7-0 win by Northfield at Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club plus maximums from A.Busby, M.Lloyd and L.Allen has seen the victors replace Copper Fox at the top of the table in the Kings Norton League, Northfield having a superior average, however Copper Fox won their home game against Grant Arms 6-1 to put them level on the same thirty-four points as Northfield but with a game in hand. Bourneville are third in the table four points short of the top two after they won their home tie with Coppice 6-1.
Other players finding the three treble twenties this week were J.O’Neill (Rubery Social Club), P.Lilley (Kings Norton Flights), K.Mason (Bournebrook) and R.Waldron (Thurlestone).
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Results from game eleven in the Harborne and District League brought about no changes whatsoever in the league table placing’s as Northfield Conservative Club held on to their two points lead at the top of the table with a 7-2 home win over Cock Inn. Second in the league Copper Fox ‘R’ handed their visitors The Mill a 9-0 whitewash while third placed Smethwick Cricket Club were not far behind with their 8-1 win at Castle Bromwich WMC, Copper Fox ‘R’ and Smethwick Cricket Club both have eighteen points. A further two points adrift in fourth place is Northfield Town who were another team to hand their opponents a 9-0 defeat, Northfield’s hosts, Avenue Social.
There were no fewer than five top scores this week with D.McConomy (Quinton RBL), R.Hosey (Northfield Conservative Club), M.Smith, S.Sheridan (Smethwick Cricket Club) and A.Busby (Northfield Town) all hitting a 180, A.Busby also chalking up a score of 171.
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Longbridge United with a 160 break and an eight darts game for their C.Steadman made it sixteen wins in eighteen games when they won 6-1 at home against Quarry Club in the singles division of the South West Birmingham Clubs League but it was not such good news for second placed West Heath CEM who went down 4-3 at third placed Bournbrook who now join them on the same twenty-eight points, both teams four short of the leaders.
It’s Longbridge United who also top the pre-match doubles division, their 230 points a huge 31 more than their nearest rivals West Heath CEM in second place.
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The Sutton and District Summer League have reached the midway point of their season and leading the field in division one is Highcroft Hotdogs who in their latest fixture played away against second in the division Bishop Vesey. Hotdogs returned on the right side of the 6-3 result to open up a two points lead on their hosts. After the top two there is a trio of teams Red Lion, Old Horns Lions and Old Oscott Arrows all on ten points six off the top.
In division two leaders Scott Armers had a bye which gave second placed Charley’s Flights the opportunity to reduce the arrears which they took full advantage of beating their hosts Rosey Mac’s Bar 6-3 to draw with two points of the Armers.
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Congratulations to Old Liberal Club who ended their season in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League with a 6-1 home win over Raven to confirm them as champions but it was so close as second in the league Cross (Oldswinford) won 5-2 at home against Cottage to see them finish the campaign on the same 70 points as Old Liberal Club but losing out on average. Third placed Ten Arches also finished on a high beating their visitors Crestwood 5-2 to leave them a huge twelve points short of the top two teams. It was a happy ending for Britannia, their 5-2 win at Fox Inn (Lye) lifting them off the foot of the table to be replaced by Old Cat Inn who went down 4-3 at Seven Stars.
The Shadow League title was also a close run affair with Mount Pleasant finishing top with eighteen points and second placed Church Tavern also ending the season with eighteen points but once again short on average.
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The Rowley Monday Night League had cup semi-finals on their fixture card, first the Bill Bishop Cup in which Plough and Harrow provided the biggest shock of the round as the seventh placed team in the league won 5-4 against league leaders Bell whose T.Brennan and S.Price both scored a maximum. Meeting Plough and Harrow in the final will be second in the league White Swan who won 5-1 against third placed Gate Hangs Well, M.Wakefield hitting a maximum for White Swan.
In the Challenge Cup semi-finals a 180 from R.Lenton helped his team Rowley Labour Club to a 6-3 win over Tividale FC, Rowley Bar and Grill booked their place in the final with a 5-4 success over Wonder.
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Allen’s ‘A’ have opened up a ten points lead at the top of the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League after winning their home game against Tamebridge 6-1 and second in the league Vine ‘A’ lost 4-3 at home to fifth in the table Waggon and Horses. As a result of their defeat Vine ‘A’ have now been joined on the same thirty-six points by third in the league Horseley Tavern following their 5-2 home win over Sow and Pigs. Fourth in the league Cottage Spring had a 4-3 win at Ivy Bush to leave them two points behind Vine ‘A’ and Horseley Tavern, however they have a game in hand on both teams.
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Week two in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League and it’s all change as White Horse lost 5-4 at Netherton Sports and Social seeing them also lose their number one spot in the league and be replaced by reigning champions Gornal Labour Club who made it two straight wins when they won 7-2 at home against Gornal British Legion. Gornal Labour have a slender one leg of average lead over another former league champion team Old Bulls Head who kept their 100% record going with a 7-2 home win over The Cabin. Third placed Baggeridge WM are the only other team in the league to have played and won two games their latest being a 6-3 home success over Meadow Lark.
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Old Liberal Club ‘A’ made it eighteen straight wins in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League when they won 5-2 at home against Fox Inn (Lye) extending their lead to six points as second placed Hollybush lost by the same scoreline at Cottage. Despite their reversal Hollybush still have a two points lead over third and fourth placed Bird in Hand ‘E’ and Cottage, Bird in Hand ‘E’ winning 7-0 at home against Wheatsheaf.
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The Ashwood Premier League is now reaching the business end of its season, current leader John Green has completed his sixty fixtures and amassed a total of 318 points, second placed Gavin Smith is sixteen points behind Green but still had three games to play with third placed Cayden Smith a further two points adrift on 300 points with two more games remaining. Reigning champion Nick Fullwell is fourth, he is on 296 points and although some twenty-two short of Green he still has five more games to play.
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Leaders of the Black Country Men’s Super League Gilbert Bar ‘B’ suffered a 3-2 defeat away to fifth in the league Townsend ‘A’ but hold on to pole position with 59 points four more than second placed Allen’s Bar ‘C’ who had a bye this week. Railway Tavern are third, their 52 points seven off the top after winning 3-2 at home against Quarry Bank Liberal Club.
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Dog and Partridge made it 21 wins in 23 games in the West Midlands Men;s Super League when they won 4-1 at home against ECC. Second in the league Kings Head ‘A’ also had a 4-1 home win in their fixture with bottom of the table Three Crowns.
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Mark Bates is looking for 2-3 more players to join his Seven Stars, Gospel End Road, Sedgley team in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League, anyone interested in joining Mark’s team should contact him either on 07882-110625 or at Mark@ballstocancer.com
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Scott Baker, leader of division one in the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League got off to a good start in game 27 when he won 8-0 against Jamie Webb but then suffered only his second defeat in 26 games when he lost 5-3 to second in the division Ben Johnson who is still 32 points short of Baker with a game in hand.
Division two leader Jason Hough won his first game against third in the division Tony Singh 5-3 to keep him nine points ahead of second placed Clark Cook who won 5-3 against Malcolm Pugh.
Alan Melling has a massive 31 points lead at the top of division three after adding his latest 8-0 win over Eddie Gripton.
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