This coming weekend the UKDA National League will get their fourth season underway and Warwickshire County Darts Organisation will kick-off their campaign in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division with a home tie against Cornwall, a fixture they lost 20-16 playing away in last season’s opener, however with home advantage at the Hen Lane and District Social Club, 6 Beacon Road, Coventry, CV6 4DS they will be hoping for a better result to start this capmaign.
Lining up for the Bears will be Men’s ‘A’:- Jamie Atkins, Gareth Braham, Kevin Dowling, Noel Grant, Nigel Heydon, Steve Hine, Jamie Hughes, Danny Lauby, Wayne Mynard, Jack Wareing, Matty Washbrooke, Sam Whittaker, Men’s ‘B’:- Leigh Dells, Mark Faulkner, Adam Hancock, Dave Hill, Scott Hope, Lee Miller, Will Naylor, Sam Price, Karl Reynolds, Noah Rose, Martin Tonks, Jenson Walker, Reserves:- Mark Carter, Jnr Joyce, Mark Martin, Mark Strong, Women’s ‘A’:- Wendy Adams, Marian Conway, Natalie Gilbert, Kirsty Hinchliffe, Courtney Hine, Hannah Meek, Women’s ‘B’:- Nina Bolt, Denise Keyte, Chloe McKivett-Saunders, Caroline Pike, Donna Pinch, Kat Spanswick, Reserves:- Kris Meek, Jodie Rigg.
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After suffering relegation from the Andy Wheeler Fisheries Championship Division last season West Midlands will be hoping for a quick return to the second tier but they will have a fight on their hands in their opening fixture as they will play hosts to their local rivals Black Country who narrowly missed out on promotion from the L-Style Division One last season as they finished third just three points short of the divisional runners-up Gwent. Who will get local bragging rights? It could be quite a close game.
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The Four Oaks and District League have got their new season underway and to get the proceedings going they have staged the preliminary round of their Coronation Shield. The biggest win of the round was supplied by Old Horns Lions who won 12-3 against St Thomas Arrows. Not far behind with 11-4 victories were Charley’s Flights, Highcroft Hotdogs and Bishop Vesey who in turn accounted for Nomads @ Hollyfields, The Rise Club and Rosey Mac’s Bar. Beggars Bush, Drakes Drum and Plough and Arrows beat respective opponents St Thomas Misfits, Sutton Sharks and Sutton Sports 10-5 while there were 9-6 wins for Erdington Arrows against Red Lion and Walmley CSC Flights against Heartlands. The games between Deer’s Leap versus Rosey Mac’s and Pint Pot Flights versus Old Oscott Arrows saw both away sides win with a close 8-7 result.
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Game number nine in the Sheldon and District Summer League brought about just one change in the whole of the four groups and that was in group one where the bottom two teams swapped places. Previously Mackadown Sports and Social Club were bottom of the group with RAFA just above them but in the latest round of fixtures the two teams squared up to each other on the Mackadown board and the home side won 6-2 to take their points tally to three, one more than their opponents who replace them at the foot of the table. At the top end of the group Langley Arrows secured the title beating their nearest rivals, second placed Raven Arrows 5-3 both sides having one maximum, Simon Power for Mackadown and Zac Prince for Raven. The win gives Langley a total of sixteen points, three more than second placed Raven who have just one more game to play and Langley have two. Third placed Highwood won 7-1 against Brian’s Flights to put them on the same thirteen points as Raven Arrows with two games still to play.
The group two title could go to one of two teams, Trident Spears are currently top with thirteen points after their latest 7-1 win at EBAHA while second placed Banbury Club were 6-2 winners at Yardley Ex Colts to put them on twelve points, both teams have two more fixtures remaining.
Smithswood Social Club won 6-2 against Shirley Misfits to keep them top of group three with thirteen points one more than second placed Old Salts Darts who won 5-3 against Langley Flights but Old Salts have played nine games compared to Smithswood’s eight.
Just one point is the difference between the top two teams in group four, a 5-3 home win over Lyndon Old Boys keeping Raven top of the group with thirteen points and second placed Moseley Rugby Club on twelve after they won their home tie with Langley Stems 6-2, both teams have two more games to play.
Thomas Perks (Sheldon Marlborough Ridge) and A.Sharpe (Maggies) both found the three treble twenties this week.
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Stirchley United made it six consecutive wins in division one of the South West Birmingham Clubs League this week when they won 4-3 at home against Perfection. The win keeps Stirchley four points to the good on second and third placed Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’ and Quarry Club, Quarry Club dropping to third place after losing 4-3 at Northfield Darts Club but on the same eight points as Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’ who have replaced them in the number two spot after they won 4-3 at Bournbrook.
Northfield Conservative Club ‘A’ top division two, their 5-2 home win over E57 making it five games without defeat and gives them a lead of four points over their nearest rivals Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club who went one better with a 6-1 home win over Moseley All Services Club.
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On the agenda for the Netherton Thursday Night League was their Captains Cup in which both semi-finals finished with straight 2-0 results as Paul Hadley won against Paul Skeldon and Phil O’Brien accounted for Chris Hart. The pattern continued in the final as Phil O’Brien went on to collect the top prize, for a second successive season with a 3-0 success over Pau Hadley.
The one outstanding league fixture was played in which Bulls Head won 5-4 against Plough and Harrow the result had no bearing on the final league positions whatsoever.
The league will be staging their presentation at the Bulls Head, Netherton tomorrow evening (Thursday 12th September) beginning a 8.00pm
Now with everything all done and dusted the league are on the lookout for more teams to join them for the forthcoming season, anyone interested or requiring any further information should contact Carl Hadlington on 07898-299992.
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The majority of teams in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League have now got just six more games to go to the end of the season and leaders Old Liberal Club are eight points ahead of their nearest challengers Princess after adding their latest 7-0 home win over Rose and Crown ‘A’ . Second in the league Princess kept to within four wins of the leaders with a 5-2 success at Raven ‘A’ while third in the league Gate Hangs Well ‘B’ were 6-1 winners at Queens Head to leave them just two points behind Princess with a game in hand plus a far better average. At the other end of the table Rose and Crown ‘B’ with a 6-1 win over Raven ‘B’ moved off the foot of the table with Glasscutters ‘B’ replacing them after they lost 6-1 at home to Crestwood.
Individual feats this week came from S.Tipper 180 and K.Bambrick 148finish (Old Liberal Club) and T.Cunningham (Netherton Conservative Club ‘B’) who hit a maximum.
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The Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League played the first round of their Singles Knockout this week and making the last sixteen from an entry of eighty players were Ant Whitehouse, P.Edwards, J.Riley, J.P.Baker, M.Tedstone, A.Garrett, P.Sayce, S.Norman, L.Jordan, M.Wall, G.Fox, D.Quinn, S.Shemar, C.Buttler, L.Gelder and Conor.Dabbs.
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In game twenty-two in the Silver End Sunday Morning League Old Liberal Club were the only team to lose in the top seven teams as they went down 5-3 at home to Church Tavern who are fourth in the table with forty-five points thirteen fewer than leaders Dudley Sports ‘A’ who handed their hosts Old Cat Inn an 8-0 whitewash to keep them four points clear at the top of the table. Second in the league Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club had a 6-2 win at Dudley Sports ‘B’ to stay two points ahead of third placed Old Star after they won 6-2 at Brier Rose.
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A 7-2 win at Pensnett Liberal Club ‘B’ takes leaders of the Brierley Hill Monday Night League Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ points to twenty-eight from fifteen games and gives them a four points advantage over Roebuck ‘A’, Maverick, Roebuck ‘B’ and Mount Pleasant with Roebuck ‘B’ having played one game fewer than the three teams above them. Roebuck ‘A’ won 7-2 at Brickmakers Arms, Maverick won by the same margin at Tommy Turners ‘A’, Roebuck ‘B’ had a close 5-4 home win over High Acres ‘A’ and Mount Pleasant were another team to win 7-2 in their game at Dudley Sports ‘B’, quite a fight going on for second place at the moment.
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It was cup week in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night league first the main League Cup in which
Stourbridge FC, Old Liberal Club ‘A’, White Horse and Hollybush made their way into the next round with respective wins over Wheatsheaf, Beech Tree Miners, Garibaldi and Ashwood. The Shadow League Cup produced a local derby between Five Ways ‘A’ and Five Ways ‘B’ with the ‘A’ team progessing into the next round. Joining Five Ways ‘A’ in the next round will be Plough who defeated Old Liberal Club ‘B’.
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The bottom three teams in the Rowley Monday Night League all lost 8-1 in game twenty-three, bottom placed Huntingtree losing at Snooks, next to bottom Loyal Lodge going down at home against Hawthorns and just above Loyal Lodge Tividale Sports who also lost at home against White Swan. No such problem for leaders Bell who made it 22 wins in 23 games when they won 7-2 at home against fifth placed Romsley Cricket Club to keep intact their four points lead on second in the table Plough and Harrow who had a closer 5-4 win at Rowley Labour Club.
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The Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League have got their new season underway with a starting line-up of thirteen teams. Leading the way after the first week’s results is Britannia who had an 8-1 win at Cabin, they are closely followed by Gornal British Legion who won 7-2 at home against New Inn.
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Can any team defeat Allen’s Bar in the Black Country Men’s Super League, they have played and won twelve games the latest victory being a 3-2 home win over third in the table Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club who with 37 points are 14 short of their victors. Second in the league Townsend ‘A’ have a game in hand on the leaders but are 13 points behind them.
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With Gemma Barrett not playing in the latest of the West Midlands Ladies Super League games her nearest rival Jacqueline Maiden took full advantage of the opportunity to reduce the arrears by winning 3-1 against Claire Hobbs to put her on 61 points, three fewer than Barrett but with two games in hand.
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Dog and Partridge took another step nearer to winning the West Midlands Men’s Super League by beating Junction ‘B’ 5-0 to give them 81 points, however they only have a two points lead on second placed Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ who also had a 5-0 win in their home tie with Kings Head ‘B’.
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After 6-1 wins over Aaron Colley and Martyn Harper, Dan Nicholls then went one better in the Amblecote RBL Premier League by winning 7-0 against Howard Pritchard before ending the night with a close 4-3 win over Jake Robinson to keep him top of the table with 329 points from 61 games. Reece Colley with a 5-2 win over Martyn Harper and Steve Gillam plus a 6-1 victory over Matt Halliday has moved up into second place with 297 points from 56 games. Tom Bissell continues to climb moving up from fifth place to third after he beat Dave Simpson 6-1, Ryan Green 5-2 and Shane Passey 6-1 to give him 292 points from just 53 games.
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Scott Baker looks all set to clinch the division one title in the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League and make it a hat-trick of wins as he is on 196 points from 26 games and has a lead of 22 points over second and third placed Dean Simmons-Fullwood and Darren Williams, Simmons-Fullwood has one game in hand on Baker but Baker has 3 games in hand on Williams.
In division two Kurt Wright leads the way with 188 points from 24 games with second placed Alan Melling on 173 points from 25 games. Third in the division Richard Brown has played 27 games and has 163 points.
Dave Thackeray is out on his own in the league as he is the only player to have won all of his games played and that so far in division three is 26 giving him a total of 240 points and a lead of 15 plus 3 games in hand on second placed Joe Bartolo.
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It’s the same two teams in the top two places of both the singles and doubles divisions of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League. In the singles Hotshots are top with 30 points with Junction ‘B’ second on 28 while in the doubles league the roles are reversed as Junction ‘B’ top the table with 30 points and Hotshots are second on 28.
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