Black Country brought forward their latest fixture in the L-Style Division One of the UKDA National League, a home game against second placed Clwyd by one week. Going into the fixture Clwyd were on 122 points and Black Country on 111, some three places below them in the table.
The weekend didn’t have the best of starts as the ladies ‘B’ slumped to a 5-1 defeat with Amy-Leigh Tolley their sole winner as she won 3-1 against Rachael Simpson, her 14.94 average earning her the match award. With an 8-4 win for the men’s ‘B’ the hosts were able to go forward into Sunday’s games level with the running score at 9-9. Man of the match for the men’s ‘B’ was Tom Bissell who handed out a 4-1 defeat to Nick Hailes and averaged 28.66.
The ladies ‘A’ fell 2-0 behind before Doreen Hunt got their first stripe on the board when she won 3-2 against Nia Price, but with Clwyd winning the fourth encounter when Leanne Topper beat Maxine Prosser 3-0, the hosts were within an ace of defeat. Lady of the match Chez Allcock kept the home side in the chase for a draw when she won 3-0 against Judith Williams and with a final 3-2 win for Heather Wright over Bethan Jones the result was all-square at 3-3. A win was now required from the men’s ‘A’ to secure an overall victory for the weekend, but it was not to be as Clwyd went on to win the game 8-4 to give them a 20-16 overall win. Man of the match for the men’s ‘A’ was Steve Jones who had a 4-2 win against Rob Lawrence with a 27.07 average.
Despite the defeat sees Black Country moved up from fifth to second with 127 points from six games, Clwyd replacing West Midlands at the top of the table with 145 from seven games, West Midlands dropping to third place with 122 points. However Black Country’s second placing will only last until the scheduled fixtures are all played off.
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The top five teams in the Harborne and District League hold on to their places this week, leaders Northfield Conservative Club making it thirteen straight wins with a 6-3 home success over their nearest rivals Copper Fox ‘R’ to open up a four points advantage at the top of the table, Copper Fox ‘R’ having a game in hand on the leaders. Third and fourth placed Copper Fox ‘M’ and Northfield Darts Club are both on the same twenty-two points as Copper Fox ‘R’ after in turn both won 8-1 at home against Cock Inn and Avenue Social. Northfield Darts Club have a game in hand on Northfield Conservative Club and Copper Fox ‘M’.
C.Fowler was in superb form for Copper Fox ‘M’ hitting an amazing three maximums, while D.Latham (Harborne Social), R.Hosey (Northfield Conservative Club), J.Hykin and T.Hamilton (Copper Fox ‘R’) all chalked up a 180.
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The South West Birmingham Clubs League staged their Individual Knockout this week which attracted no fewer than seventy-three entries. Making their exit in the semi-finals were Charlie Ryan and Adam Deeley while Tom Moore finsished as runner-up after losing in the final to Adrian Harvey.
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The top four places in the Kings Norton League remain the same after completing game thirteen, leaders Northfield taking their unbeaten run to twelve games with a 4-3 home win over third in the table Copper Fox who are now six points short of their hosts. Bournebrook are second on twenty-two points just two off the top after they won their home tie with Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club 5-2. Making up the top four is Bourneville who are on the same eighteen points as Copper Fox but trail on average after they won 5-2 at Longbridge.
There was just the on maximum scored this week and that came from Copper Fox man J.Hykin.
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Third placed Walmley CSC Flights fell further behind in the division one title race in the Four Oaks and District League when they lost their home game 6-3 against top of the division Highcroft Hotdogs and now trail their opponents by five points but do have a game in hand. Second in the division Nomads @ Hollyfields won 7-2 at Charley’s Flights to keep within three points of the Hotdogs and again with a game in hand. In Bishop Vesey’s 8-1 home win over the division’s bottom team Rise Club, Lee Arnold recorded a 160 break plus an eight darts game. Dean Bond (Charley’s Flights) was another player to have a 160 break.
Division two leaders Drakes Drum suffered a narrow 5-4 defeat in their away game against Rosey Mac’s who are second in the division and have now reduced the arrears to just two points, however Drakes Drum have played one game fewer than them. Third placed Erdington Arrows had a bye and although four points behind Drakes Drum and two short of Rosey Mac’s they have a game in hand on Drakes Drum and two in hand on Rosey Mac’s.
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In the Camp Hill League leaders Wakefield Warriors recorded a 5-2 home win over third in the league Roost Bosh and although they are two points to the good on second placed Erdington Nomads, who beat Moseley Arms 6-1, they have played one fixture more than the Nomads. Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club move up one place in the table to third following their 6-1 home win over bottom of the table Sedgemere Devils to leave them six points off the top as are fourth in the league Roost Bosh.
The league have played of their cup semi-finals and in the main League Cup Wakefield Warriors booked their place in the final with a 6-1 win over Clumsy Swan, joining them in the final will be Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club who had a 4-3 win over Moseley Arms.
In the last four games of the Consolation Cup, bottom of the league Sedgemere Devils moved into the final with a somewhat surprising 4-3 win over Erdington Nomads whose Freddie Naylor notched a maximum. Wakefield Terriers will be the Devil’s opponents in the final after they booked their final spot with a 5-2 win over Roost Rebels.
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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night League had the preliminary round of their League Cup on the fixture card in which Glasscutters ‘A’ and Gornal British Legion in turn won 5-2 against Gate Hangs Well and Ten Arches ‘A’. Netherton Conservative Club moved into the next round with a narrow 4-3 win over Bird in Hand. All the remaining teams had a bye.
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Once again in the Netherton Thursday Night 501 League it was maximums galore with no fewer than twelve players finding the three treble twenties and they were S.Whatmore, N.Fullwell, S.Passey and J.Batham (Old Liberal Club), C.Moreton (British Oak), G.Jackson (Bulls Head), J.Brookes (Spring Meadow Social), M.Frost (Rose and Crown), G.Male (Plough and Harrow) plus P.Hadley, K.Harrison and T.Johnson (Townsend Social Club).
On the league front top team Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ won the local derby with their ‘B’ side 8-1 to make it thirteen undefeated games giving them a lead of three points over second placed Old Liberal Club who had a similar 8-1 win in their home fixture with Netherton Sports and Social Club. After the top two there are three teams all on thirty points, nine behind the leaders, British Oak, Plough and Harrow and Bulls Head who won against respective opponents Spring Meadow Pub (7-2), Mount Pleasant (9-0) and Spring Meadow Social (6-3).
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It was League Cup final week in the Silver End Sunday Morning League, with the title going to Old Liberal Club who finished the season placed third, they won 7-1 against Tenth Lock who ended their campaign sixth in the league.
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The Brierley Hill Monday Night League staged the quarter-finals of their League Cup which produced a couple of surprising results as Glasshouse ‘A’, who are currently eleventh in the league, beat eighth in the table Raven 5-4 and High Acres ‘A’ (placed tenth) won 8-1 against Mount Pleasant (placed fifth). No surprises for league leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ who won 7-2 against Brickmakers Arms who are eighteenth in the league table and there was a 6-3 win for seventh placed Roebuck ‘A’ who beat Glasshouse ‘B’ (sixteenth) 6-3.
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Round two of the Black Country Windscreens Shield was on the agenda for the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League in which Sow and Pigs, Allen’s Bar, Vine ‘A’ and Three Horseshoes all made their way into the next round at the expense of Vine ‘B’ (4-3), King Arthur (7-0), Cottage Spring (4-3) and Waggon and Horses (5-2).
In the first round of the Memorial Cup there were wins for Coach and Horses who handed out a 7-0 whitewash to their opponents Wonder, Tamebridge, who beat Horseley Tavern ‘B’ 6-1, and joining them in round two will be Horseley Tavern ‘A’ and Ivy Bush who in turn won 4-3 against Tiptonn Sports and Royal Yeomanry.
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The Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League have completed the fixtures for their John Walters Trophy leagues ‘A’ and ‘B’ and have now staged the play-off for the top two teams in each league. In league ‘A’ winner’s New Inn 2 had a final 5-3 win over runners-up Mount Pleasant and in the league ‘B’ once again it was the winners Jolly Crispin who won 8-1 against their opponents and league runners-up New Inn.
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The Rowley Monday Night League have played the first six fixtures of their new season and just two of the starting line-up of eighteen teams remain undefeated. League leaders Wonder made it six consecutive wins with a 7-2 home success against Whiteheath Tavern while second placed Bell had a similar 7-2 win at home against Spring Meadow with B.Gillies recording a superb seven darts leg for the winners. The top two teams with twelve points have a two point’s advantage over third and fourth placed Tividale FC and Snooks. Tividale FC, like the two teams above them won 7-2, playing at home against Rowley Labour Club while Snooks had a 6-3 win at Romsley Cricket Club whose D.Stanton hit a maximum and J.Harris had a 160 break.
There were also 180 scores for M.Archer (Plough and Harrow) and D.Homer (Gate Hangs Well).
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Evonne Taylor took her unbeaten run in the West Midlands Ladies Super League to thirteen games when she won 3-0 against Chloe Woodman and Claire Hobbs to give her a total of fifty-two points from her thirteen games and a lead of six over her nearest rival Gemma Barrett who also had 3-0 wins over Sarah Barrett and Kath Jenkins. Third placed Kat McLean is sixteen points behind Taylor but didn’t play this week and now has four games in hand on the two players above her.
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Jason Lowe began week seven in the Amblecote RBL Premier League with a 7-0 win over Mark Nassralla and followed that with a 4-3 success against Trevor Cunningham to keep him top of the table with ninety-one points from fourteen games, he has a narrow lead of two over Cayden Smith who played just the one game in which he beat Rhys Cox 6-1 to leave him with a game in hand on Lowe. Ian Townsend moves up one place to third, ten points behind Lowe after he won 4-3 against Jake Robinson and 5-2 against Rhys Cox. Biggest move of the week saw Nick Fullwell go from fourteenth to sixth after he won 7-0 against Joe Poole, 6-1 against Mark Hopkins and 7-0 against Matt Halliday to put him on seventy points from eleven games.
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Scott Baker, reigning champion of division one in the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League has returned to the spot where he left off at the end of the last campaign, top of the table. An 8-0 win over Carl Zambra gives Baker a total of fifty-five points from seven games, a lead of four over second placed Justin Evans plus a game in hand. Evans had a 6-2 win against Josh Pickett to give him a slender one point lead on third in the division Mark Zambra who began his night with a 4-4 draw with Kurt Wright before beating Brian Dolman 5-3.
Michael Smith leads division two, his latest fixtures saw him beat Ben Wright 5-3 and Neville Quinton 7-1 to give him a total of seventy-one points from nine games, he has played two games more than his nearest rivals Reece Cook Lucas and Richard Brown. Cook Lucas, who has sixty-one points and had a 7-1 win against Martin Smith while Brown also played just the one game in which he won 8-0 against Andrew Kavanagh to take his points tally to fifty-eight.
Olly Garratt has a huge twelve points lead at the top of division three, his latest success being a 6-2 win over Keogh Bate. Second in the division Dave Akers beat Jade Wellings 5-3 and Becky Lopez 8-0 to give him a total of fifty-eight points.
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The top two teams in the singles league of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League squared up to each other in game 33, leaders Junction ‘B’ travelling to take on second placed Hotshots. The result was an emphatic 7-0 win for Junction ‘B’ to see them open up a six points lead over their hosts, who drop to third place and second placed Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ who also won 7-0 at Junction ‘C’ to give them a two legs of average lead on Hotshots.
No change at the top of the doubles league, Hotshots beating Junction ‘B’ 2-1 to go level on 58 points with their opponents.
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