This coming weekend Warwickshire County Darts Organisation will be playing their final fixture of the season in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division of the UKDA National League, a home tie at the Hen Lane and District Social Club. 6 Beacon Road, Coventry, CV6 4DS with local neighbours Staffordshire.
With Warwickshire riding high in third place in the division and their opponents bottom of the table and already resigned to life in the Championship division next season, the home team will be looking for a big win to consolidate their third place as fourth in the division Lincolnshire are just two points behind them, however Lincolnshire do have a tough task in their final game as they play hosts to this season’s almost certain champions Lancashire who have a huge twenty-two points lead on second placed Yorkshire.
Selected to play for Warwickshire will be Men’s ‘A’:- Jamie Atkins, Gareth Braham, Kevin Dowling, Noel Grant, Nigel Heydon, Steve Hine, Jamie Hughes, Wayne Mynard, Jenson Walker, Jack Wareing, Matty Washbrooke, Sam Whittaker, Men’s ‘B’:- Mark Carter, Leigh Dells, Mark Faulkner, Adam Hancock, Dave Hill, Mark Martin, Lee Miller, Will Naylor, Sam Price, Karl Reynolds, Mark Strong, Martin Tonks, Reserves:- Carl Green, Scott Hope, Jnr Joyce, Noah Rose, Women’s ‘A’:- Wendy Adams, Marian Conway, Kirsty Hinchcliffe, Lucy Keyte, Kris Meek, Donna Pinch, Women’s ‘B’:- Nina Bolt, Angela Jones, Melanie Jones, Denise Keyte, Chloe McKivett-Saunders, Caroline Pike, Reserve:- Natalie Gilbert, Courtney Hine, Hannah Meek, Kat Spanswick.
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West Midlands brought the curtain down on their season in the Andy Wheeler Fisheries Championship Division of the UKDA National League with a home tie against Northamptonshire. Prior to the fixture West Midlands were next to bottom of the division and their opponent’s three places above them with thirteen more points.
Saturday’s ‘B’ games saw both the ladies and the men finish all-square. In the ladies 3-3 draw Shellbie Simmons was their top player with a 17.08 average while taking the men’s award in their 6-6 draw was Scott Baker who averaged 27.47.
The ladies ‘A’ suffered a 4-2 defeat with Jacqueline Maiden taking the lady of the match award for her 19.48 average but taking the overall score for the weekend to a 19-17 victory for West Midlands was the men’s ‘A’ who recorded what could be a vital 8-4 win. Winner of the men’s ‘A’ award was Dean Simmons-Fullwood who had a super 31.31 average.
With the West Midlands now having completed their fixtures the win has given them a lifeline to secure their Championship Division status as they have moved up four places in the table to sixth with 175 points, their destiny now rests in the hands of the teams below them as they all have one more game to play and those results will decide where West Midlands will be playing next season, in the championship or division one.
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It was cup week in the Kings Norton League with three results from the League Cup in which second in the league Northfield had a 5-2 win over Coppice who are in a mid-table position, fourth in the league Thurlestone had a somewhat close 4-3 win away against Kings Norton Flights who are just three places off the foot of the table and third placed Bournebrook ran out comfortable 7-0 winners over Dingle.
The two games in the Consolation Cup produced no surprises as they both finished with 5-2 results and wins for Bourneville and Stirchley who in turn accounted for Perfection and Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club.
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Northfield Conservative Club took their unbeaten run in the Harborne and District League to fourteen games when they added a convincing 8-1 win at The Mill to their account keeping them two points to the good on second in the league Copper Fox ‘R’ who were similar 8-1 winners away to Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club. Third placed Northfield Town are a further four points adrift after their 7-2 win at Cock Inn.
Three players found the three treble twenties this week and they were T.Hamilton (Copper Fox ‘R’), T.Shipley (Northfield Conservative Club) and M.Hopkins (Northfield Town).
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The Beehive completed their fixture card in division one of the Four Oaks and District League with a 6-3 win at Old Oscott Arrows and although second placed Bishop Vesey had a bye and have one more game to play, and they trail by just two points, the title goes to Beehive as they have a far superior average and cannot be caught, Bishop Vesey will finish as runners-up.
Division two leaders Walmley CSC Flights had an 8-1 win at nest to bottom of the table Erdington Arrows to put them on eighteen points while their nearest rivals Heartlands won their home tie with third placed Red Lion 5-4 to give them the same eighteen points. Both of the top two teams have one more game to play and with the difference between them being just three legs of average the title is still wide open and could go to either of them.
No such problem in division three as leaders Pint Pot Flights handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their visitors St Tom Cats to give them the title with twenty-four points, four more than second and third in the division Deer’s Leap and St Thomas Arrows.
Just the one maximum recorded this week which was supplied by Red Lion’s J.Collins, Rosey Mac’s Bar player Adrian Poole had a 160 break.
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The South West Birmingham Clubs League staged the final of their Percy Hinton Trophy and taking the title with a 7-2 result were current league leaders and champions Longbridge United who defeated Bournebrook.
In the semi-finals of the Consolation Cup there was something of a surprise with third placed Northfield Town winning 5-4 against West Heath CEM who are second in the league, have five points more than their victors and still have a game in hand on them. In the other last four game Stirchley United beat Bartley Green 5-4..
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As the Camp Hill League kick-off the second half of their season leaders Wakefield Warriors continue their unbeaten run adding a further 4-3 win plus a 153 game shot for their Jason Jennings at Clumsy Swan to their tally to give them a perfect sixteen points and a lead of two over second in the league Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club who had a 5-2 win at Moseley Arms.
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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night played their League Cup down to the last eight teams and making up the quarter-finals on finals night will be Gate Hangs Well ‘A’, Netherton Conservative Club ‘B’, Old Liberal Club, Netherton Conservative Club ‘A, Five Ways, Raven ‘A’, Raven ‘B’ and Princess.
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Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club consolidated their number one spot in the Silver End Sunday Morning League with a 6-2 home win over fifth in the league Church Tavern. With thirty-seven points the leaders have a lead of three over second placed Dudley Sports ‘A’ who won 5-3 at Brickmakers Arms and have a game in hand on the top team but trail behind on average.
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In the last games of the first half of the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League all of the top four teams recorded wins with leaders Vine ‘A winning 6-1 at home against King Arthur, second placed Tamebridge, who trail Vine ‘A’ by two points, won by the same 6-1 margin at home over Ivy Bush, third placed Allen’s Bar are a further two points adrift and won at Horse and Jockey again by 6-1 and making up the top four is Three Horseshoes who made it 6-1 wins for all four at the top when they won at Horseley Tavern ‘A.
Tamebridge man Craig Buttler went through the first half of the season undefeated, Mark Ashton (Vine ‘A’) close behind with twelve wins from his thirteen games.
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Week seventeen in the Rowley Monday Night League saw five of the top seven teams win 7-2 while there were defeats for the bottom five teams. Top of the table Bell with a 160 break for their B.Gillies won their home game with Tividale Sports 7-2 to keep them two points ahead of second place Plough and Harrow whose T.Barr also had a 160 break in his team’s 6-3 win at Whiteheath Tavern to keep intact their four points lead on third in the table Hawthorns who won 7-2 at Spring Meadow with the home side having a maximum from their S.Edmonds.
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As a result of their fixture with Plough and Harrow being postponed in the Netherton Thursday Night League Bulls Head have dropped one place in the table to third behind Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ whose 8-1 home win over Spring Meadow Social keeps them within three points (one win) of leaders Old Liberal Club who have played one game fewer than their nearest rivals even after adding their latest 8-1 home win against Spring Meadow Pub. Bulls Head would require a 7-2 win in their outstanding fixture to draw level with Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’.
Three players chalked up maximum scores this week M.Rollason (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club A’), J.Jones (Hill and Cakemore Ex Serviceman’s Club) and D.Ferney (Spring Meadow Pub).
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Six was the popular number of the week in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League as in week six, six teams are all on ten points at the top of the table with just one of them having won all of their games and that is sixth placed Five Ways ‘A’ who have only played five games. Old Liberal Club ‘A’ top the table on average their latest 6-1 win at Rose and Crown giving them a slender one leg of average lead on second placed Bird in Hand ‘E’ who lost their first game of the campaign this week going down 4-3 at Stourbridge FC who are just two places off the foot of the table and this was their first win in six games. Third placed Fox Inn (Lye) also lost for the first time, a 4-3 defeat at White Horse while fourth in the league Plough finished on the right side of a 4-3 result at Beech Tree Miners. There was a first defeat for fifth in the table Hollybush as they succumbed to a 5-2 loss away to Five Ways ‘A who are sixth and remain undefeated.
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The only change in the top five places in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League is that Baggeridge and Old Bulls Head swap places, Baggeridge dropping one place to fifth after suffering an 8-1 defeat away to league leaders Netherton Sports and Social Club and Old Bulls Head moving up one place to fourth following their 5-4 win at Jolly Crispin. Netherton hold on to the top spot with 39 points with Gornal British Legion second on 34, third placed Gornal Labour Club have 32 as do Old Bulls Head.
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Quarry Bank Liberal Club ‘A’ made it twelve wins in as many games in the Cradley Heath Tuesday Night League when they won 7-0 away to Blackheath Liberal Club. Local rivals Quarry Bank Liberal Club ‘B’ had a 5-2 home win over Quarry Bank Social Club ‘A’ to put them on the same 36 points as their ‘A’ side but they have played one game more than them. The leaders have a huge nine point’s advantage over third in the league Plough after they won 4-3 at Bulls Head to replace them in third place.
Top individual performances this week from Mark Archer (Bulls Head) who scored 180 and Nath Prentice (Quarry Bank Social Club ‘A’) who had a maximum 170 break.
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With all of the teams having played fourteen games in the West Midlands Men’s Super League Kings Head ‘A top the table with 54 points, they have a lead of two over second placed Dog and Partridge. A 3-2 home win over Shepwell Green has seen Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club move up one place to third with 50 points, fourth placed Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ are a further two points adrift.
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Dan Nicholls tops the Amblecote RBL Premier League with 228 points from 41 games and has a game in hand plus an eleven points lead on second placed Jamie Barrowman who in turn is two points ahead of third placed Nick Fullwell. Fullwell like Nicholls has a game in hand on Barrowman. Late entrant Tom Bissell is slowly playing catch-up and is steadily climbing the table, his current position is fifteenth with 157 points but from only twenty-nine games.
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Scott Baker, with 140 points has a 22 points lead on second and third placed Ian Stanton and Dean Simmons-Fullwood in division one of the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League, however Stanton and Simmons-Fullwood both have two games in hand on the leader.
Kurt Wright has amassed a total of 127 points from 15 games in division two which has given him a lead of 13 over his nearest rival Alan Melling.
Topping division three is Dave Thackeray, Dave is the only player in all three divisions to have won all of the games he has played. He has to date played 18 games and with wins in all of them clocked up a total of 165 points which gives him an 18 points advantage over Thomas Hollowood in second place who has played 19 games.
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No change at the top of the singles division of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League as the top three teams Junction ‘B’, Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ and Hotshots all took their unbeaten run to six games. Junction ‘B’ won 6-1 at home against Woodfield, Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ won the local derby with their ‘B’ side 4-3 and Hotshots had a 6-1 win at Three Crowns.
In the doubles division it’s Junction ‘B’ again who top the table, they and second placed Hotshots have once again won all six games they have played.
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