The preliminary round of the Punchbowl was on the fixture card for the Sheldon and District Winter League in which only four of the premier league’s nine teams were drawn out to play. Langley Arrows had a convincing 7-0 win over their division two opponents Lyndon Old Boys while Brian’s Flights and EBAHA had respective 5-2 win over their division one opponents Hunters Moon and Sheldon Marlborough Ridge. Banbury Club had a close 4-3 win against Langley Flights, also from division one. Division one leaders Yardley Ex Colts won 4-3 at division two side Raven whose Alan Mayell scored a maximum. Division two leaders Moseley Rugby Club lost out 5-2 to division one team Old Salts Darts. The all division one game between Kingshurst Labour Club and Iron Horse Rebels saw the former win 5-2 while in the two all division two encounters Castle Bromwich WMC had a 7-0 success over Shirley Misfits and Maggies won 4-3 at Sheldon Marlborough Flights. Division two team Langley Pints won 7-0 against division one’s Smithswood Social Club and there were mixed fortunes for the remaining two division one teams as Hollywood Social Club won 4-3 at Raven Arrows (division two) and Trident Spears lost their home tie with Digby 4-3 who hail from division two.
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It’s week three in the Harborne and District League and six of the starting line-up of fourteen teams still have a 100% win record. Topping the table on average following their latest 9-0 success at home against Castle is Northfield Conservative Club and close on their heels trailing by just two legs of average is Copper Fox ‘R’ who also had a 9-0 win in their home tie with Cock Inn, the leading duo the two teams that finished as champions and runners-up last season. Third placed Smethwick Cricket Club, after beating their hosts Windsor 9-0 are a further two legs of average behind, they are only one leg to the good on fourth placed Copper Fox ‘M’ who were 8-1 winners at Weoley Castle WMC. Northfield Darts Club are fifth, a 6-3 home win over Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club keeping them within five legs of the leaders and five to the good on fifth placed The Mill who won 5-4 at Lion Bar.
Lots going on individual scene this week with no fewer than ten maximums scored, Copper Fox ‘R’ player E.Simpson hitting two and there was one each for A.Beagrie (Mill), J.Hykin (Copper Fox ‘R’), L.Allen (Northfield Darts Club), M.Lloyd, A.Sutton, S.Cartwright, T.Garfield (Northfield Conservative Club) and K.Jukes (Copper Fox ‘M’).
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The Kings Norton League’s new season is up to week two and leading the field is Copper Fox, their latest 7-0 home win over Perfection giving them a slender one leg of average lead over Northfield who had a closer 5-2 success in their game at fifth placed Bournebrook. Making up the top three is Longbridge who had a similar 5-2 win at Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club leaving them three legs behind Copper Fox and on the same four points. Newcomers to the league and placed fourth but having played and won just the one fixture is Greenlands.
There were three maximums scored this week and they came from L.Hickey (Kings Norton Flights), M.James (Bourneville) and M.Welsh (Stirchley).
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As a result of having a bye this week Highcroft Hotdogs have lost pole position in division one of the Four Oaks and District League and dropped to second place behind Nomads @ Hollyfields. Nomads who won their fixture at Old Oscott Arrows 6-3 with a 160 break for Kevin Smith to give them a better average than Highcroft Hotdogs who are on the same ten points as the new leaders but with a game in hand. After the top two teams come five teams all on eight points, two short of the teams above them, and they are Bishop Vesey who lost 6-3 at Walmley CSC Flights, Old Horns Lions who had a 6-3 home win over Rise Club, Old Oscott Arrows, Walmley CSC Flights and Red Lion who won 5-4 at Charley’s Flights.
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The Camp Hill League held their presentation Night for last season and picking up the league’s silverware was Wakefield Warriors who were both league and cup winners.
League and Cup Winners Wakefield Warriors.
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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night League staged the final of their League Cup and although Princess trailed 1-0 when Swan’s K.Hipkiss beat C.Clewes 2-0, the score was leveled in the second game when M.Foxall won for Princess beating A.Dimmock 2-1. Princess went ahead for the first time in the third when D.Edwards beat C.Plant 2-0, followed by a further 2-0 win for S.Blewitt (Princess) over A.Nicholls and with a 2-1 win for S.Aitkens over R.Jones in the fifth Princess were champions with an unassailable 4-1 lead so the doubles games did not have to be played.
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A 7-2 win away to sixth in the league Church Tavern sees Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club hold on to the number one spot in the Silver End Sunday Morning League with seventy-nine points from thirty-two games. Second in the table is a former league leader Dudley Sports ‘A’ whose 5-3 home win over Brickmakers Arms leaves them two points short of the leaders with a game in hand. Third in the league Old Star had a bye this week and although they are eight points off the top they now have a game hand on the leaders. At the other end of the table bottom placed Raven, despite having won only two of their thirty-one fixtures are fast becoming the draw specialists, their latest 4-4 draw at Rose and Crown making it eleven draws so far, their hosts together with High Acres ‘C’ have chalked up ten draws.
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Week twenty-three in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League produced a top of the table clash between leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ and second placed Maverick. Home advantage turned out to be of no use at all to Maverick as they went down 7-2 to see their opponents open up an eight points lead at the top of the table. Despite being the only losers in the top nine places Maverick hold on to the number two spot and stay two points to the good on three teams below them, Bridge, Mount Pleasant and Roebuck ‘B’. Bridge had a close 5-4 win away to High Acres ‘B’ while Mount Pleasant had a similar 5-4 home win over Rose and Crown ‘A’. Roebuck ‘B’ also had a close 5-4 win as they accounted for their hosts Dudley Sports ‘B’. Biggest win of the week went to Glasshouse ‘B’ who handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their visiting team, bottom of the table Tommy Turners ‘A’. Close behind Glasshouse ‘B’ wee Roebuck ‘A’ who won their home fixture with Dudley Sports ‘A’ 8-1.
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Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ consolidated their pole position in the Netherton Thursday Night 501 League by handing their visiting team Hare and Hounds a 9-0 thrashing to keep them top of the table by a single leg of average over second placed Old liberal Club who with maximum scores from their N.Fullwell and C.Hart won their away game against Spring Meadow Social 6-3. Third in the league table Bulls Head won 8-1 at home against Mount Pleasant putting them on the same eighteen points as the two teams above them but having three legs of average fewer than the leaders. There were 9-0 defeats for both of the bottom two teams Hare and Hounds and Cottage Spring, Cottage Spring losing at home to Townsend Social Club.
Other players to find the three treble twenties this week were G.Portman (Old Glasshouse), M.Rollinson, H.Williams (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’), D.Edwards, D.Hand (British Oak) plus C.Hadlington (Spring Meadow Social ).
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There were 5-2 wins for the top two teams in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League with leaders Old Liberal Club ‘A’ winning away against fourth in the league Hollybush and second placed Bird in Hand ‘E’ winning at home against Ashwood. The win for the leaders keeps them two points to the good on their nearest rivals plus they have played one game fewer than second placed Bird in Hand ‘E’. Third in the league Swan lost ground in the title race as they suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat at the Plough.
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There were 8-1 wins for three of the top four teams in the Rowley Monday Night League as leaaders and champions Bell won at home against Snooks, third placed Hawthorns won against Hawthorns ‘B’ and fourth placed Whiteheath Tavern won at Tividale Sports. Second in the league Plough and Harrow won their home game with bottom of the table Huntingtree 7-2.
The results this week had no effect on the Shadow League with the top two teams Rowley Labour Club and White Swan both winning 6-3 in turn against Rowley Bar and Grill and Romsley Cricket Club, Rowley Labour winning the Shadow League as they have 84 points with one remaining fixture and White Swan on 79 points will finish as runners-up.
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There were wins for the top three teams in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League with leader’s New Inn 2 winning 6-3 playing away against fifth in the league Red Cow while second placed Mount Pleasant won 8-1 at New Inn to keep within two points of the top side with a game in hand. A further two points behind in third and fourth place are Gornal British Legion and Netherton Sports and Social Club, the British Legion winning 7-2 at home over Britannia while Netherton Sports and Social Club had a bye this week.
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There were quite a few catch-up games played in the West Midlands Ladies Super League this week and although the top two ladies Jacqueline Maiden and Gemma Barrett have completed their programme they held on to their top two places, Maiden top with seventy-eight points and Barrett second on seventy-six points. Third placed Jackie Trott didn’t play she is on seventy-two points with two games to play. Two straight 3-0 wins in those games would see Trott go top of the table with eighty points.
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A 4-1 home win over Three Crowns took champions of the West Midlands Men’s Super League Dog and Partridge points tally to 121 with a lead of thirteen points over second placed Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ who lost 3-2 playing away against third placed Kings Head ‘A’ who are now within three points of their opponents. Fourth in the league Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club won their home game with Shepwell Green 3-2 to put them on 101 points from 28 games, they have a game in hand on all three teams above them.
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The annual Brandon Open was staged at the Brandon Club, High Street, Coventry, CV8 3HW on Saturday 16th November which attracted forty-five top class players and as ever the standard of darts was exceptional. There was also the encouraging fact that there was the largest prize fund payout for the event in many years.
In the last eight making their exits and receiving £30 were Graham Hall (Worcestershire), Matty Washbrooke (Warwickshire), Taylor McGuckian (Warwickshire Youth) and Matt Gallett.(Warwickshire). The semi-finals saw Danny Lauby beat fellow Warwickshire player Noel Grant 6-5 while Dave Pallet had a 6-4 win over Lincolnshire’s Jenson Walker (a former Warwickshire player) with Grant and Walker picking up £100 each.
The final produced a 7-2 win for Danny Lauby over Graham Hall earning Lauby the top prize of £400 with Hall collecting £200.
Winner Danny Lauby with Neil Pritchard
Results:Quarter-Finals:- Danny Lauby 7 Graham Hall 2, Noel Grant 6 Matty Washbrooke 4, Jenson Walker 6 Taylor McGuckian 1, Dave Pallet 6 Matt Gallett 5, Semi-Finals:- Danny Lauby 6 Noel Grant 5, Dave Pallett 6 Jenson Walker 4, Final:- Danny Lauby 7 Dave Pallet 2.
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The biggest individual league in the Midlands, the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League are looking for players to join them in their forthcoming fifth season which will get underway on Monday 16th December. The format of the league is the best of eight legs of 501 with all legs to be played. Prize money will be paid out throughout the league and after an initial £60 guarantee payment there will be a match fee of £3. There will be a reform meeting on Monday 9th December and anyone requiring any further information should contact “Wookie Mon” on Facebook.
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It’s as you were at the top of the singles and doubles leagues in the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League with Junction ‘B’ topping both tables with forty-four points in the singles and forty-two in the doubles. Second placed Hotshots are on forty-two points in both league but in the doubles trail Junction ‘B’ by eight legs of average.
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