Warwickshire’s fourth fixture in the UKDA National League’s Cosmo Darts Premier Division was an away tie against Dorset and going into the game Warwickshire were sixth in the table with fifty-two points and their hosts next to bottom of the division with twenty-nine pints but having played just two fixtures.
Saturday saw the ladies ‘B’ finish all-square at three each after going 3-1 down, Jodie Rigg their only winner in the opening four games. Chloe McKivett-Saunders kept the visitors in the game when she won the penultimate game against Jamie-Louise Walker 3-0 and with a 3-1 win and 20.05 average from last on, and lady of the match Donna Pinch over Cathy Campbell the draw was salvaged. The men’s ‘B’ after leading 2-1 went down 7-5, Dave Hill, Adam Hancock, William Naylor, Mark Martin and Jnr Joyce their five winners with Dave Hill the man of the match with a 27.12 average and 4-1 win over Matt Read.
There was a better start to the Sunday games as Hannah Meek opened up with a lady of the match 3-0 win and 23.48 average over Wendy Lamb. Marian Conway made it 2-0 with her similar 3-0 win over Bevvy Hoey but the home side fought back to level terms before Natalie Gilbert gave Warwickshire a 3-2 lead with her 3-1 win over Trina Perry and taking the result to 4-2 was Kirsty Hinchliffe who beat Lorraine Woodrow 3-1. With the overall score at 12-12 the men’s ‘A’ required a win to secure an overall victory and a win is what they got thanks to Danny Lauby, Steve Hine and Jamie Atkins who put them 3-0 up and with further wins from Matty Washbrooke, Martin Tonks, Nigel Heydon and Jamie Hughes they secured a 7-5 victory. Man of the match was Steve Hine who had a 4-2 win over Steve Earley with a 30.00 average.
The overall 19-17 win for the weekend saw Warwickshire hold on to sixth place and reduce the arrears on now in second place Lancashire, to nine points.
———————————
In the L-Style Division One of the UKDA National League Black Country brought their fourth game a home tie against Merseyside, forward by one week in which the ladies ‘B’ finished all-square at 3-3. The three winners for the home team were Amy-Leigh Tolley, Kirsty Shaughnessy and Lacey Hughes with, Kirsty Shaughnessy’s 3-1 win over Karen O’Connor and 14.90 average earning her the match award. The men’s ‘B’ went down 7-5, their winners being Sam Bissell, Mark Jones, Kieron Bridgwater, Rob Smith and Wayne Hobday, Rob Smith their top player with a super 31.60 average in his 4-1 win against Aaron Jones.
Sunday could not have begun much better as the ladies ‘A’ romped to a 5-1 win with Maxine Prosser, Abbey Hunt and Chez Allcock giving them a 3-0 lead before wins in the last two games from lady of the match Tammy Chance and Doreen Hunt took the result to 5-1. The 3-2 win by Tammy Chance over Adele Mulligan seeing her average 22.49. With the running score now standing at 13-11 in Black Country’s favour, the men’s ‘A’ required no more than a draw to seal an overall win. Although George Willetts opened up with a 4-1 win over Mike Addison the lead was short lived as Black Country then found themselves trailing 3-1, but with a superb man of the match win from Steve Jones, who beat Anthony Brown 4-1 and chalked up a tremendous 32.37 average in the process and a similar 4-1 win for Michael Powell, the score at the halfway stage was level-pegging at 3-3. The second session began with wins for Trev Brennan and Dan Homer and with a further win for Paul Wells in the tenth the draw was secured as the home side had opened up a 6-4 lead. The final game of the weekend saw Tom Bissell win 4-0 against Bradley Williams to take the final score to 7-5 to the home team and give an overall 20-16 victory for the week which leaves Black Country fourth in the division with seventy-three points, twenty-seven short of leaders Middlesex but with a game in hand.
———————————
In the same L-Style Division One West Midlands travelled to take on Buckinghamshire who were bottom of the division with thirty-four points from their opening two games while West Midlands were just two places above them on thirty-eight points from a similar two games, both teams having everything to play for.
After going 1-0 down wins from Hannah Davies, Kelly Doleman and lady of the match Tara Simmons-Fullwood, who won 3-1 against Lesley Gibbs with a 16.85 average, saw West Midlands take an unassailable 3-1 lead which at the end of the match saw them share the 3-3 result. At the midway point of the men’s ‘B’ match the away side were trailing 4-2 with Anthony Whitehouse and Callum Parkes their only winners. However, it was a much better second half as West Midlands, through Kieran O’Mahoney, Will Beaden, Dean Simmons-Fullwood and Darren Williams won the first four games to put them into an unbeatable 6-4 lead, Darren Williams their top player beating Emlyn Jones 4-3 with a 28.91 average. A win for Ash Khayat in the final game took the result to 7-5 to West Midlands giving them a 10-8 lead to take into Sunday’s games.
Despite losing the opening two games, West Midlands ladies ‘A’, then won the remaining four to win 4-1 thanks to wins from Gemma Barrett, Evonne Taylor, Jacqueline Maiden and Jacqueline Trott, Evonne Taylor their award winner as she beat Ann Wakefield 3-2 with a 19.06 average. With an overall 14-10 lead the men’s ‘A’ could lose 7-5 and still have an overall 19-17 success for the weekend, four of those wins coming in the first half as Gavin Baker, Scott Baker, Shaun Carroll and Shane Price all won. Wins in the first and last games of the second half from Richard Platt and Martin Price saw the result end at 6-6. The match award went to Gavin Baker who beat Liam Maughan 4-2 and averaged 30.49.
The score for the weekend was a 20-16 win for West Midlands which saw them move up two places in the table to seventh with fifty-nine points and although they are forty-one points behind leaders Middlesex they do have a game in hand
———————————
Despite having a bye this week in the Sheldon and District Winter League, Sheldon Marlborough Arrows held on to pole position in the Premier League with a perfect score of ten points from their opening five games. An 8-1 home win over Brian’s Flights sees Langley Arrows remain in second place, their four wins from six games seeing them trail the leaders by two points. Third placed RAFA are on the same eight points as Langley after they won 5-4 at Mackadown Sports and Social Club.
A similar situation in division one with the top two teams holding on to their places as the undefeated leaders Smithswood Social Club, with a maximum from Kian Poyner, won 7-2 at Hunters Moon and second placed Yardley Ex Colts won 5-4 at home against Langley Flights to put them on the same ten points as Smithswood but having played one game more.
A 5-4 home defeat to Digby has seen Maggies lose top spot in division two and drop to second place behind new leaders Sheldon Marlborough Flights who won 5-4 at third in the division, Moseley Rugby Club whose John Rafter hit a maximum. Digby are fourth, two points off the top with a game in hand.
———————————
The Camp Hill League played their singles knockout at Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club, the forty players that turned out on the night playing down to the last eight. Winning their way through to the quarter-finals were Lee Lattimer, Chris Stokes, James Hinckley, Craig Taylor, Paul Webster, Adam McSwiggan, Neil Parsonage, Arthur Forde.
———————————
Week four in the Kings Norton League and of the fourteen starrtes to the new season only two teams, Copper Fox and Northfield are able to boast a 100% win record. A 6-1 win at E57 sees Copper Fox top the table but only by one single leg of average as Northfield matched their 6-1 result winiing at home against Longbridge. After the top two there are three teams all on six points, two fewer than the top two and they are Bournebrook, Stirchley and Bourneville. Sixth in the leasgue Greenlands are on four points but they have only played three fixtures.
Three players found the three treble twenties this week, T.Atkins (Stirchley), A.Fenton (Kings Norton Flights) and J.Garghan (Toby Jug).
———————————
Stirchley suffered a huge 7-1 defeat away to Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’ on division one of the South West Birmingham Clubs League and as a result drop from pole position to fourth with their victors taking over at the top of the table. A 5-3 home win over West heath CEM sees Longbridge hold on to second place, level on four points with the leaders but with a slightly inferior average.
A 6-2 defeat at Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club has seen Northfield Conservative Club ‘A’ be ousted from their number one spot in division two and drop to second with two points fewer than new leaders Quarry Club who made it two wins in a row when they won 7-1 at Moseley All Serices Club. The only other team not to have lost in the division is Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club who have only played the one game so far.
———————————
In division one of the Four Oaks and Ditrict League, Highcroft Hotdogs won 7-2 at Old Oscott Arrows to keep them top of the division with fourteen points from their nine games. Second placed Nomads @ Hollyfields went one better with an 8-1 success playing away against Rise Club but they have two points fewer than the Hotdogs. Third and fourth in the division Walmley CSC Flighst and Red Lion are both on twleve points, they both have a game in hand on the two teams at the top of the table.
Erdington Arrows won 6-3 at Pint Pot Flights to hold on to the top spot in division two, however second placed Drakes Drum won 8-1 at Rosey Mac’s Bar to put them on the same fourteen points as the leaders and with a game in hand. Rosey Mac’s, formerly second, lost 5-4 at St Thomas Arrows to see them drop one place to third with twelve points from ten games while fourth in the division Pint Pot Flights have the same twlve points but from nine games.
———————————
The Rowley Monday Night League played their Masters competition down to the last sixteen players and making finals night were G.Edwards, T.Pike (Romsley Cricket Club), S.Slim, S.Attwood, B.Young, S.Siviter (Plough and Harrow), S.Betts (Rowley Bar and Grill), A.Lynch, T.Brennan (Bell), R.Lenton, W.Cairnes (Rowley Labour Club), J.Tart (Tividale FC), M.Meacham, G.Jackson (Hawthorns), A.Wallace, M.Hill (Gate Hangs Well).
———————————
On the fixture card for the Silver End Sunday Morning League was their Singles Knockout, which they played down to the last sixteen players. Winning through to finals night were D.Hadlington (Raven), I.Hartland, D.Cooper, K.Hipkiss, C.Hadlington (Old Liberal Club), R.Rubery, B.Lewis, D.Wise (Dudley Sports ‘A’), A.Mears, S.Russell (Brickmakers Arms), G.Jackson (Tenth Lock), C.J.Smith (Rose and Crown), M.Powell (Pensnett Liberal Club), P.Homer (Old Star), H.Williams, C.Davies (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’).
———————————
Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club’A’ held on to their eight points lead at the top of the Brierley Hill Monday Night League with a convincing 8-1 home win over Pensnett Liberal Club ‘A’. Second in the league Maverick had a closer 5-4 home win over Rose and Crown ‘A’ who are twelfth in the league. Roebuck ‘B’ dropped one place to sixth after they, somewhat surprisingly lost 5-4 at Brickmakers Arms who are seventeenth in the league table.
———————————
With only eight fixtures remaining for the majority of teams in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League, only two points is the difference between the top two teams. Leaders Old Liberal Club ‘A’ had an important 6-1 home win over third in the league Bird in Hand ‘E’ who are now four points behind their victors and have played one game more than them. Second in the league Swan won their home game with Fox Inn (Lye) 5-2 to keep within two points of the leaders but they trail massively on average.
———————————
Just two of the sixteen teams in the Netherton Thursday Night 501 League have an unbeaten record, top of the table Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ making six wins in a row when they won 6-3 away to fourh placed Old Liberal Club while second placed Bulls Head won 7-2 at Hare and Hounds. Third and fourth placed British Oak and Old Liberal Club are both three points short of the top two with fifteen points.
On the individual scene this week there were maximums for D.Richards (Townsend Social), G.Edwards (Hill and Cakemore Ex Serviceman’s Club), A.Ghaley (Spring Meadow Pub), R.Denton (Hare and Hounds), S.Whatmore, S.Hall (Old Liberal Club) and M.Rollinson and J.Rollinson (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’).G.Male (Plough and harrow) had a 160 break.
———————————
Game nineteen in the Black Country Men’s Super League and leaders Allen’s Bar’s 5-0 home win over Northfield Darts Club has taken their points tally to seventy-four and gives them a lead of ten over their nearest rivals Townsend ‘A’ who lost 3-2 at Quarry Bank Liberal Club ‘B’ who are fourth in the league with sixty points.
———————————
Junction ‘B’ have taken their number of points in the singles league of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League to forty-eight after adding a 4-3 win away to Dog and Partridge to their account. Second placed Hotshots went down 4-3 at home to New Gate Inn ‘A’ and now trail the leaders by four points.
In the doubles league the same two teams hold the top two places Junction ‘B’ adding a 2-1 win at Dog and Partridge, Hotshots winning by the same margin against New Gate Inn ‘A’ to remain level on forty-six points with Junction ‘B’ but trailing by seven legs of average.
———————————