After kicking-off the new season in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division of the UKDA National League with three consecutive defeats Warwickshire have now made it two back-to-back wins which has seen them move up two places in the table to seventh with ninety-four points from five games to leave them with a game in hand on four of the six teams above them and only seventeen points short of third placed Cornwall.
The weekend didn’t get off to the best of starts as the ladies ‘B’ went down 5-1 with Marian Conway their solitary winner beating Dawn Simmonds 3-1 with a 17.10 average to claim the match award. After losing the opening game when Sam Dyke beat Lee Miller 4-1 the men’s ‘B’ then went on to lead 4-2 by the midway points and with five out six wins in the second half romped to a cracking 9-3 victory, Man of the match for the ‘B’ side was Noah Rose who beat Andy Mitchell 4-1 with a 28.10 average, other winners were Mark Carter, Mark Martin, Scott Hope, William Naylor, Adam Hancock, Samuel Whittaker, Martin Tonks and Dave Hill.
Whereas the ladies ‘B’ lost 5-1 the ladies ‘A’ won 5-1 thanks to wins from opener and lady of the match Donna Pinch who won 3-1 against Abi Jurd with a 20.88 average, Kirsty Hinchliffe, Courtney Hine, Caroline Pike and Hannah Meek. As in the ladies ‘A’ game the man’s ‘A’ also found their award winner in the first encounter as Kevin Dowling had a straight 4-0 win over Richard North and averaged 29.91. Further wins from Jamie Hughes, Gareth Braham, Matty Washbrooke, Jamie Atkins, Steve Hine and Jenson Walker saw the ‘A’ side win 7-5 to take the overall result for the weekend to a 22-14 win for Warwickshire.
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West Midlands visit to Cambridgeshire in what was their fifth fixture of the season in the Andy Wheeler Fisheries Championship Division of the UKDA National League turned out to be a weekend to forget as all four of their teams lost. Saturday saw the ladies ‘B’ go down 5-1 with Crysta Wilcox their only winner with an 11.17 average. The men’s ‘B’ had a narrow 7-5 defeat with Kevin Bambrick their top player beating Martin Pettit 4-0 with a 27.45 average. Other winners were Mark Craddock, Paul Price, Ryan Locker and Ash Khayat,
Sunday if anything was worse as the ladies ‘A’, like their ‘B’ side finished on the wrong side of the 5-1 result with Jacqueline Maiden the only player to win as she accounted for Juliet Findley with a straight 3-0 scoreline and a 19.52 average. The men’s ‘A’ slumped to a 10-2 defeat, their two winners being Shaun Carroll and Rob Thompson with Shaun Carroll picking up the match award for his opening 4-2 win over David Mayle with a 27.73 average.
The defeat has seen West Midlands remain one place off the foot of the table and although they have a game in hand on two of the teams above them they are now some eleven points short of safety and really need to get a couple of wins under their belts.
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On the league front in the Sheldon and District Winter League week number ten results saw no change in the top three places in the premier league with leaders Langley Arrows handing out a 9-0 whitewash to their hosts Sheldon Dukes to keep them two points ahead of second placed Sheldon Marlborough Arrows who had a 7-2 home win over The Banbury Club. Highwood are third in the division, they had a bye this week and now trail the leaders by some ten points.
Mikey Harris (Langley Flights) hit a maximum and Sam Hicks (The Dingle) recorded a nine darts game)
Its close at the top of division one with just one leg of average separating the top two teams. Brian’s Flights top the table, their 6-3 home win over Smithswood Social Club, maximum score from Anthony Hoey and 112 finish and nine darts game from Jamie Masefield putting them on the same eighteen points as their nearest rivals second placed Trident Spears who had a 6-3 win at Kingshurst Labour Club plus a 180 from their Simon Winters. Trident’s win keeps them two points to the good on third placed Willclare Sports and Social who won 7-2 at home against Iron Horse Rebels whose Robbie Earl scored a maximum.
Pole position in division two goes to Sheldon Marlborough Ridge who surprisingly lost 5-4 away to Sheldon Marlborough Flights who are just two places off the foot of the division. Despite the defeat Ridge remain top of the table but have had their lead reduced to just two points now over second placed Hornet who won 7-2 at The Raven.
The league have played off the preliminary round of their Sheldon Shield in which Highwood won 6-1 at Castle Bromwich WMC and Moseley Rugby Club had a narrow 4-3 win at Trident Spears.
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A 5-2 win at The Dingle was not enough for Copper Fox to hold on to their shared position at the top of the Kings Norton League as Northfield handed out a 7-0 whitewash to their visitors Longbridge to stay level on a perfect eight points with Copper Fox but become outright leaders with a two legs of average advantage.
Rubery Social Club, Thurlestone and Cock Inn are all just two points behind the top two teams, Rubery winning 6-1 at Stirchley, Thurlestone had a close 4-3 home win over bottom of the league Kings Norton Flights and Cock Inn also had a 4-3 win 4-3 at Coppice.
Worthy of a note this week was the maximum scored by Bournebrook’s K.Mason as his team won 6-1 at home against Perfection and also the two 153 breaks by Thurlestone’s T.Garfield.
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Longbridge United have stretched their unbeaten run to ten games in the South West Birmingham Clubs League and strengthened their lead at the top of the table after winning 8-0 at home against Moseley All Services who were only able to field six players. Northfield Town won 5-3 at home against E57 but drop one place in the table to third after West Heath CEM added a 7-1 win away to bottom placed Bartley Green to put them level on fourteen points with Northfield Town but with a slender one leg of average superiority.
Hot-shots in the league this week were A.Chidley (Northfield Town) who had a 160 break, 100 finish and eight darts game while Northfield Conservative Club’s M.Cormell chalked up two scores of 180.
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As early as week two in the Four Oaks and District League and only two of the starting line-up of seven teams in division one are able to boast a 100% win record and they are leaders Highcroft Hotdogs who won 8-1 in their home fixture with Old Horns Lions and second in the table Bishop Vesey who after their 6-3 home win over The Beehive are three legs of average short of the Hotdogs.
Red Lion lead the way in division two they are the only team of eight who have not lost so far, their latest win being a 5-4 success at Charley’s Flights giving them a two point’s advantage over Heartlands, Drakes Drum, Plough and Arrows, Erdington Arrows, Rise Club and Walmley CSC Flights.
Sutton Sharks top division three their 7-2 home win over Rosey Mac’s keeping them three legs of average to the good over their nearest rivals Pint Pot Flights who went one better with their 8-1 win over St Thomas Arrows.
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Week four in the Harborne and District League brought together the league’s top two teams both of them undefeated before the encounter and what an encounter it turned out to be which included no fewer than four maximums and fifty scores of 100 or more with both teams getting two 180’s, Northfield having 23 tons or more and Copper Fox ‘R’ 27. Maximums for the Conservative Club came from T.Garfield and S.Jones and for Copper Fox ‘R’ J.Hykin and T.Hamilton. The all-important 5-4 result went to the home side Northfield Conservative Club to open up a two points lead at the top of the table.
The game between Copper Fox ‘M’ and Northfield Town also produced a maximum for both sides, G.Dews for the former and L.Allen for the latter with the 5-4 win going to Copper Fox ‘M’.
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The Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League staged round one of their League Cup with Netherton Conservative Club ‘B’ the top scorers beating their hosts Rose and Crown ‘B’ 7-0. Crestwood had a 5-2 win over Fox Inn (Lye) and joining them in the hat for round two will be The Princess who had a 4-3 win at Bird in Hand.
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The Netherton Thursday Night League played their doubles knockout down to the last eight and making the quarter-finals on the 18th July were Tommy Johnson and Mark Jones (Hill and Cakemore Ex Serviceman’s Club), Abdul Galeb and Vance Handley (Townsend Social Club), Kevin Barnfield and Simon Purcell (Spring Meadow Pub), Stuart Gough and Jess Archer (Old Liberal Club), Paul Hadley and Jordan Ward (Townsend Social Club), Jeff Batham and Nick Fullwell (Old Liberal Club), Chris Moreton and Dave Edwards (Old Liberal Club), George Peters and Will Peters (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’).
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After beating Albion 7-0 in the opening week’s fixtures of the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League Cottage Spring made it two-in-a-row when they won 7-0 against Horseley Tavern ‘B’ to keep them in pole position with a five legs of average lead after only the first two games. Vine ‘A’ and Tamebridge are the only other two teams not to have lost, the former winning 4-3 at Horse and Jockey while the latter won by the same margin at home against Allen’s Bar. Horseley Tavern ‘A’ recorded their first-ever 7-0 win in the league beating newcomers King Arthur.
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An 8-1 win at Rowley Bar and Grill keeps Romsley Cricket Club top of the Rowley Monday Night League but they only lead on average as second placed Gate Hangs Well also made it three straight wins when they won 6-3 playing away against reigning champions Bell. A 180 from M.Tibbetts helped his team Whiteheath Tavern to a 7-2 home win over Tividale FC.
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The Silver End Sunday Morning League have got their new season underway and the early pacesetters are Dudley Sports ‘A’ and Old Star who in turn had 7-1 wins over Brier Rose and Raven. Hot on the heels of the leading duo are Church Tavern and Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club who both won 6-2, Church Tavern at home against Dudley Sports ‘B’ and the Ex Serviceman’s at home against Mount Pleasant.
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The Cradley Tuesday Night League have completed round one of their League Cup and going through to round two will be Quarry Bank Liberal Club ‘B’, Quarry Bank Social Club ‘A’, Plough Quarry Bank Liberal Club ‘A’.
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In the latest round of fixtures in the Amblecote RBL Premier League current leader Nick Fullwell began with a close 4-3 win over Gavin Smith and then went on to beat Matt Halliday 5-2 to put him on 110 points. Second in the league Dan Nicholls had a bit of a setback in his opening game losing 4-3 to Jamie Barrowman but he was quick to recover and followed up with a 5-2 win over Craig Lowin and ended the night with a 7-0 success against John Underhill to put him on the same 110 points as Fullwell but with two games in hand.
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Leaders of the Black Country Men’s Super League Pensnett Liberal Club suffered a little setback to their title hopes in the latest round of fixtures as they lost 3-2 playing away against sixth in the league Quarry Bank Liberal Club, nevertheless Pensnett still have a two points lead over second placed Whiteheath Tavern plus a game in hand after Whiteheath won 4-1 against Allen’s Bar ‘B’. Allen’s Bar ‘C’ are third on the same 103 points as Whiteheath and have a game in hand on them after having a bye this week.
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A 7-1 win over Stewart Pryce keeps Wayne Jones top of the division one table in the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League with a total of 72 points, he has a lead of four plus a game in hand on second placed Ian Stanton who beat Clayton Edge 8-0.
Allan Melling tops division two, he has a small one point lead over Allan Davies who played a couple of catch-up games this week in which he won 6-2 against Bradley Martin but was then held to a 4-4 draw by Gemma Barrett Jenkins.
With the top two players not playing this week in division three, Dave Thackeray remains in pole position with 61 points and Michele Pritchard second with just one point fewer but from one game more.
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