After suffering a 20-16 home defeat against Cornwall in their opening fixture of the season in the Premier Division of the UKDA National League, Warwickshire then had the daunting task of playing away against reigning champions Lancashire.
Saturday’s ‘B’ game saw the ladies finish all square at 3-3 with Caroline Pike their top player with an 18.82 average in her 3-2 win over Gina Jones. Other winners were Nina Bolt and Donna Pinch. The men’s ‘B’ side, after going 4-2 down then took charge of the game and roared to a 7-5 victory with Wayne Mynard picking up the man of the match award for his straight 4-0 victory over Jason Longmate in which he averaged 29.91. Chalking up the other six wins were Jnr Joyce, Dave Hill, Mark Martin, William Naylor, Mark Strong and Karl Reynolds.
Like their ‘B’ team the ladies ‘A’ also finished all-square at three each after trailing 3-2. Top average for the ladies ‘A’ went to Natalie Gilbert whose very creditable 23.43 average and 3-2 win over Audrey Underwood actually clinched the draw in the final encounter. Wendy Adams was first on for the Bears and came from 2-0 down against Jenny Nuttall to win 3-2 before Hannah Meek won the fourth game against Eleanor Cairns 3-1 after losing the first leg. The men’s ‘A’ after going 1-0 down then opened up a 4-1 lead with wins from Steve Hine, Matty Washbrooke, Jamie Atkins and Danny Lauby. Then from 4-1 up Warwickshire trailed 5-4 and keeping them in the game was Jack Wareing with his 4-2 win over Sam Cromwell. Restoring Warwickshire’s lead was man of the match Jamie Hughes who accounted for Kev Garcia with a straight 4-0 win and a super 30.83 average to seal a share of the points. A share of the points is what the men’s ‘A’ got as the final score was 6-6 but the overall result for the weekend was a tremendous 19-17 victory for the Bears.
Despite the superb win Warwickshire actually dropped one place in the table to seventh but they are only three points behind their second placed opponents who are on forty-one points, six short of new leaders Cornwall after their 21-15 home win over Hampshire.
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With their opener to the new season in division one of the UKDA National League, a home tie against local rivals Black Country postponed West Midlands first fixture played was an away game against newly promoted from division two, Clwyd. It was not a good weekend for the ladies as the ‘B’ side lost 4-2 and the ‘A’ went down 5-1. Winners for the ‘B’ team were Shellbie Simmons who defeated Jayne Andrews 3-0 and collected the match award for her 15.34 average, and Gemma Barrett who won 3-2 against Abby Hamilton. Evonne Taylor was the sole winner for the ‘A’ side, beating Nia Price 3-2 and averaging 16.13.
The men’s ‘B’ earned a 6-6 draw after trailing at one stage 5-1 and then 6-3, man of the match Ash Khayat winning the very last game of the day to seal the draw. Khayat won 4-0 against Chris Dobbins with a 29.47 average with other wins coming from Will Beadon, Karl Hughes, Martin Price, Shane Price and Glen McGrandle. The men’s ‘A’ lost and after going down 4-1 did well to keep the final deficit down to 7-5. A 29.47 average and a 4-2 result over Rob Lawrence earned Shaun Carroll the man of the match award. The other winners were Rob Thompson, Kevin Bambrick, Richard Platt and Gavin Baker.
The overall result for the weekend was a 22-14 success for Clwyd who are third in the division with thirty-eight points, seven short of leaders Middlesex while West Midlands who have only played one fixture are lying next to bottom of the table with fourteen points, bottom placed Buckinghamshire are yet to play a game.
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Black Country had a home fixture with Cleveland, who together with West Midlands were relegated from the Championship Division last season. It was an excellent start for the Midlanders as they won all four games over the weekend. Saturday’s ’B’ matches saw the ladies win 5-1 thanks to wins from Grace Angell, Amy-Leigh Tolley, Doreen Hunt, Sarah-Jane Parker and Kirsty Shaughnessy with Doreen Hunt taking the lady of the match award for her 3-0 win over Debbie Liddell and 16.70 average. The ladies ‘A’ had opening wins from Abbey Hunt, Chez Allcock, Maxine Prosser and Tammy Chance to put them into a winning 4-0 lead. Top lady was Tammy Chance who won 3-0 against Sonia Mager with a 16.80 average.
In the men’s games the ‘B’ won 8-4 James Hykin their man of the match as he accounted for Chris Sheraton with a 4-1 result and 28.46 average. Making up the eight winners were Rich Bowen, Wayne Hobday, Al Smith, Sam Bissell, Rob Smith, Kieron Bridgwater and Dave Edwards. To end the weekend the men’s ‘A’ added their 7-5 win thanks to Alex Howells, Paul Wells, Tom Bissell,Trev Brennan, Dan Homer, Jamie Rollinson and match award winner Liam Kelly who beat Chris Sheraton 4-0 with a 30.83 average, not a good weekend for Sheraton losing in both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ games to the man of the match.
The overall 24-12 win for Black Country takes them into seventh place in the division with twenty-seven points, eighteen short of divisional leaders Middlesex but Black Country have a game in hand on all six teams above them.
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The Camp Hill League have got their new season underway with a starting line-up of nine teams and sharing the top spot after the first round of fixtures are Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club and Wakefield Warriors who in turn won 7-0 against Moseley Arms and Roost Rebels. Third in the table is Erdington nomads who have started their campaign with a 5-2 win against Clumsy Swan and rounding off the opening day winners was new team Roost Posh who had a 4-3 win against the Wakefield Terriers.
Top score of the week was 177 scored by Dean Harrison (Wakefield Warriors).
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There are eleven teams in both division one and two of the Four Oaks League and as early as only the fourth fixtures have been played there is just one team in both divisions that have a 100% win record. In division one Highcroft Hotdogs are the team with the perfect win record, their latest fixture seeing them win 7-2 at home against Walmley CSC Flights to put them third in the table with six points from their six games played, level on points with the two teams above them with a game in hand. Old Horns Lions top the division despite losing their most recent game at home to Heartlands 5-4 they have one single leg of average more than second placed Nomads @ Hollyfields who won 5-4 at home against Charley’s Flights.
In division two a 6-4 home win over Sutton Sharks puts Beggars Bush top of the table, they have a three legs average lead on second placed St Thomas Arrows after they won 5-4 at Pint Pot Flights. Once again it’s the third in the table team Drakes Drum who have the unbeaten record, their latest game seeing them win 6-3 at home against Rosey Mac’s to make it three straight wins.
There were 180‘s this week from Kevin Smith (Nomads @ Hollyfields), Lee Vickers (Red Lion) and Chris Gardener (Sutton Sharks).
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The South West Birmingham Clubs League have been involved in the semi-finals of their Divisional Cups. In the division one games Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’ beat Perfection 12-9 with the result not decided until the penultimate game. Joining Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’ in the final will be Bourbrook who took out Stirchley United with a 13-8 result.
It was a double win for Northfield Conservative Club as their ‘A’ side won 13-8 against Bartley Green FC in the division two semi-finals, they will line up against Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club in the final after they won 15-6 against Moseley All Services Club.
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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night League played off the finals of their singles knockout and in the quarter-finals there were 2-0 wins for I.Kelly (Bird in Hand) and S.Blewitt (Princess) against respective opponents L.Marson (Netherton Conservative Club ‘B’) and B.Stevens (Seven Stars), both S.Johnson and K.Safe of Netherton Conservative Club ‘B’ in turn won 2-1 against C.R.Simpson (Raven ‘A’) and L.Beatrup (Rose and Crown).
In the first of the last four games S.Johnson won 2-0 against I.Kelly and in the second semi S.Blewitt won 2-1 against K.Safe.
The final went the full five legs distance with S.Blewitt getting the close 3-2 verdict over S.Johnson to lift the winners silverware.
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It was cup week in the Silver End Sunday Morning League, the first round of their doubles knockout and winning their way into round two were S.Gough & C.Hadlington, C.Massey & J.Harrison, A.Tonks & G.Davies, L.Beasley & A.Mears, D.Appleby & A.Whyte, S.Blewitt & G.Jackson, H.Williams & M.Rogers, I.Hartland & D.Cooper.
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For a second successive season the Netherton Thursday Night 501 League have increased their numbers as they began their new season with fifteen teams. The early pacesetters are Bulls Head who handed their visitors Mount Pleasant a 9-0 whitewash. Second placed Old Liberal Club not far behind with their 8-1 home win over Spring Meadow Social.
The opening nights fixtures saw no fewer than six maximums supplied by T.Johnson (Hill and Cakemore Ex Servicceman’s Club), K.Wright (Bulls Head), J.Rollinson (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’) and C.Moreton, R.Lowe, D.Hand (British Oak).
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Week five in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League and holding on to pole position was New Inn 2 who had a 7-2 win at Gornal British Legion to keep not only their 100% win record intact but also their two points lead on second placed Netherton Sports and Social Club who won 6-3 at Triangle. With eight points Netherton Sports and Social Club have an average lead over four teams Stump, Britannia, Red Cow and New Inn who are all on similar eight points.
On the individual scene there was just the one maximum which was scored by A.Durall (Red Cow) but there were three 160 breaks coming from L.Marson and A.Edgar (New Inn 2) and K.McLaughlin (New Inn). A.Edgar and S.Tipper (Netherton Sports and Social Club) both recorded eight darts games.
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Bell made it twenty-five wins in twenty-six games in the Rowley Monday Night League when they won 6-3 at Rowley Bar and Grill and now barring a major upset they will make it a third consecutive title winning season in the league as they have, with just four more games to play, a six points lead over second and third placed Hawthorns and Plough and Harrow. Hawthorns, with a 180 from their C.Jones won 7-2 at home against Tividale FC while Plough and Harrow went one better with an 8-1 success at White Swan. Although Hawthorns and Plough and Harrow are on the same forty-four points, Hawthorns have a huge average lead on their rivals but a single defeat for one of those two teams could be decisive in who finishes as runners-up.
There was a rare win for Loyal Lodge as they won 7-2 at home against Hawthorns ‘B’ aided by a maximum from their S.Hadley.
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Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ consolidated their top position in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League with a 9-0 success at home over Tommy Turners ‘B’. Roebuck ‘A’ and ‘B’ lost ground in the title race as they both ended up on the wrong side of a 5-4 result, the ‘A’ team losing at Mount Pleasant and the ‘B’ at home to Old Bush leaving the ‘B’ team fourth on 30 points and the ‘A’ fifth with 28 points. Second in the league Maverick had a bye and with a game in hand are six points behind the leaders while third placed Mount Pleasant, who also have a game in hand are eight points adrift.
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With Five Ways ‘A’ having a bye this week in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League, Old Liberal Club ‘A’ took full advantage to replace them at the top of the table with a 6-1 win at Beech Tree Miners. Five Ways ‘A’ are on the same 36 Points as the leaders and now with a game in hand.
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A 3-0 win over Debbie Davies saw Jacqueline Maiden take her points to 74 from 26 games in the West Midlands Ladies Super League. Second placed Gemma Barrett didn’t play and is now six points short of Maiden with just the one game in hand. Third placed Jackie Trott had a 3-0 win against Julie Emery and after 24 games is seven points off the top.
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With games now fast running out in the Amblecote RBL Premier League Reece Colley is leading the pack with 374 points from 70 games and from the same 70 games second placed Dan Nicholls has just one point fewer than Colley. Tom Bissell has move up into third place with 352 points but has only played 64 games and fourth in the league Nick Fullwell is on 345 points from 69 games.
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Biggest news from the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles league this week is from division three where leader Dave Thackeray for the first time this season in his 32 games actually lost. A 5-3 defeat by Thomas Hollowood leaves Thackeray on 291 points from 32 games with a lead of 41 points over second placed Joe Bartolo and 57 over third placed Thomas Hollowood who has a game in hand.
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Not only did Junction ‘B’ consolidate their pole position in the singles league of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night league with a 7-0 win over their local rivals Junction ‘C’ but they had their lead increased to four points as their nearest rivals Hotshots lost 4-3 at Milestone.
The same two teams Junction ‘B’ and Hotshots are in the top two places in the doubles league, Junction ‘B’ winning 3-0 against Junction ‘C’ and Hotshots winning by the same margin at Milestone to keep Junction ‘B’ two points ahead in the table.
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