Langley Hall Social Club, Langley Hall Road, Olton, Solihull, B32 7HE was the setting once again for the very popular annual Langley Hall Open which attracted a phenomenal field of players including Tour Card Holders and former Tour Card Holders together with the very best from around the Midlands.
Top players Jamie Hughes, Nick Fullwell, Ian Jones and Matt Gallett all make their exits in the last sixteen to respective opponents Mark Craddock, Graham Hall, Reece Colley and Dan Nicholls. All of the quarter-final games finished with a 4-2 scoreline with victors Graham Hall, Tom Garfield, Samuel Price and Pete Hughes in turn taking out Mark Craddock, Reece Colley, Adam Smith-Neale and Dan Nicholls. The semi-finals were extended to the best of nine legs with Graham Hall beating Tom Garfield 5-1 and Pete Hughes winning 5-2 against Samuel Price. The final was the best of eleven legs and with a 6-1 result Pete Hughes defeated Graham Hall to collect the winners top prize of £850 with runner-up Garfield receiving £450.
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A 5-3 home win over Trident Spears sees Langley Arrows take their unbeaten run in group one of the Sheldon and District Summer League to three games and keeps them top of the division with a one points lead over second placed Raven Arrows who take over the number two spot following Trident Spears defeat, Spears dropping to fourth place with three points, three short of their victors. Raven Arrows handed out an 8-0 whitewash to their visitors Brian’s Flights who are currently bottom of the division without a point so far.
There were four maximums in the top group this week and they came from Carl Winters (Trident Spears), Jake Savage (Mackadown Sports and Social Club), Jake Liggins and Bobby Nixon (Raven Arrows).
There was just the one change in the group two table and it came at the bottom of the table as EBAHA, despite losing 5-3 at home to second placed RAFA, moved off the foot of the table and were replaced by Hunters Moon, who after their 7-1 defeat away to group leaders Banbury Club, are one leg of average behind EBAHA, both teams with just one point.
No change in the top two places in group three, a 5-3 home win over Raven keeping Old Salts Darts in pole position with a perfect six points from their opening three games. Second placed Langley Flights are two points short of the leaders but with a game in hand they two wins in two games with a 5-3 win at Moseley Rugby Club who drop one place to fourth with Sheldon Marlborough Ridge replacing them in third place after their 5-3 win over Shirley Misfits.
In group four Sheldon Marlborough Flights suffered a 5-3 defeat at Iron Horse Rebels to see them lose top spot, drop to joint, second and be replaced at the top of the table by their opponents. Lyndon Old Boys are second, their 6-2 win at Maggies taking their points tally to four, one short of Iron Horse Rebels as are Langley Pints and Sheldon Marlborough Flights, all three teams on four points and level on average. Jay Currier (Trident Flights) hit the only maximum in group four.
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The Shirley and District Monday Night League are up to week four and leading the way in division one are the Bears whose latest fixture saw them win 6-3 at home against Tippetts Bar to keep them two points ahead of second placed Royals who had a 5-4 win at HSCC. Third placed Langley ‘A’ lost for the first time in their three games going down 5-4 to local rivals Langley ‘B’, both teams now on four points with the ‘A’ side having a game in hand.
Division two leaders Banbury kept their undefeated run in order with a resounding 9-0 win at Saracens ’A’ but they only hold the number one spot on average as although second placed Saracens Misfits lost for the first time in four games when they went down 6-3 at home to Nomads they have the same six points as Banbury as do third placed Sharmans after their 6-3 win over Saracens ‘B’.
No fewer than seven players found the three treble twenties this week and they were Jason Jennings (Bears), Liam Rooney, Tom Allcott (Stirchley), Lewis Round (HSCC), Daniel White (Langley ‘A’), Jamie Meredith (Banbury) and Paul Carroll (Saracens ‘B’).
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Walmley Sports and Cricket Club was the setting for the finals of the Four Oaks and District League’s Doubles Knockout. Both of the semi-finals finished with a 2-0 result with Nick Sammons and Lee Arnold beating Phil Locke and Dereck Parsons while from the other side of the draw Karl Neale and Dave Jarvis accounted for Barrie Linnecor and Andy Kimberley. The final was extended to the best of five legs and taking the title and winners silverware with a 3-1 result were Nick Sammons and Lee Arnold with Karl Neale and Dave Jarvis having to settle for the runners-up spot.
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Martin Cooper kept his challenge for the Heartlands Sugardarts M&E Co Double Top League title on course with a 2-1 win over fourth in the league Ryan Cain plus a 3-0 success against Clive Austin to give him a total of fifty-one points from his twenty games and a lead of three, plus a game in hand over second placed Steve Cain who won 2-1 against John Yates before going down by the same margin to Alex Downes, There is a five points gap to third place where Dylan Bloomer took his points tally to forty-three with a 2-1 win over Hayden Valovec and a 3-0 win against Gemma Whatley.
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It was Divisional Cup Semi-Finals week in the South West Birmingham Clubs League and in the division one games second placed Stirchley United, with a maximum and 160 break from K.White beat bottom of the division Northfield Conservative Club ‘A’ 15-6. The second semi saw the divisional leaders Northfield Darts Club win 12-9 against Quarry Lane Club.
In the division two games the middle of the table clash between E57 and Bournbrook saw the latter win 12-9 while the divisional leaders Longbridge United with a 160 break from A.Sutton beat Perfection 16-5.
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Northfield Conservative Club consolidated their number one position in the Harborne and District League with a 7-2 home win over Bourneville while Copper Fox ‘R’ lost their second place after losing the local derby with Copper Fox ‘M’ 5-4. Although Copper Fox ‘M’ remain in fourth place with thirty-eight points, Copper Fox ‘R’ drop one place to third, now on the same thirty-eight points as their opponents. Taking over at number two is Northfield Darts Club, their 6-3 win at Weoley Castle WMC taking them to forty points but still four behind the leaders.
Five maximums this week and in a top scoring mood were K.Jukes (Copper Fox ‘M’), E.Simpson, J.Hykin, R.Mann (Copper Fox ‘R’) and L.Tranter (Lion Bar).
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As the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League move into the second half of its season Gornal British Legion continue to lead the field, their latest 7-0 home win over Seven Stars keeping them top on average from Old Liberal Club who are on the same thirty-six points after adding on their 5-2 win at Five Ways. Third placed Ten Arches ‘A’ also had a 5-2 home win over their visitors Gate Hangs Well to leave them four points off the top and two to the good on both Glasscutters ‘A’ and Bird in Hand who in turn won 6-1 against Glasscutters ‘B’ and 4-3 against Netherton Conservative Club.
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With only two more fixtures to play in the Netherton Thursday Night 501 League, leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’s latest 7-2 win at Netherton Sports and Social Club has confirmed them as champions as they now have a six points lead on second placed Old Liberal Club who after their 8-1 win at Riddins Tavern are six points behind the top team but with only one more game to play.
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Game sixteen, the first game of the second half of the season in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League and only one leg of average separates the top two teams. Allen’s Bar’s 6-1 win at Tipton Sports keeps them in pole position with Vine ‘A’ close behind in second place, their similar 6-1 win in the local derby with their ‘B’ side keeping the pressure on the leaders. There was another 6-1 win for third placed Cottage Spring in their game at Sow and Pigs leaving them two points behind the leading duo.
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Both of the top two teams in the Silver End Sunday Morning League have played ten games, Old Star top the table with twenty-seven points after their most recent 5-3 home win over Portway, with just one point fewer than Old Star Dudley Sports ‘A’ are second, their 6-2 win at Old Cat keeping them one point ahead of third placed Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club who have played eleven games after their 5-3 home win against Pensnett Liberal Club ‘A’. Fourth and fifth in the league Riddins Tavern and Tenth Lock are both on twenty-three points, four off the top, Tenth Lock having played ten games whereas Riddins have played eleven.
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Week four in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League and four of the eighteen starters to the season are still able to boast a 100% win record. Bird in Hand ‘E’ lead the field with a slender one leg of average lead over Stourbridge FC ‘A’ after they won 6-1 at Wheatsheaf and Stourbridge FC ‘A’ won their home tie with Five Ways 7-0. A further one leg of average behind are third and fourth placed Chop House and Raven, the former winning 4-3 at home against Hollybush and the latter having a 5-2 win at Fox Inn (Lye), however despite the defeat Fox Inn (Lye) moved off the foot of the table to be replaced by Five Ways, neither team has a point so far but Fox Inn have a two legs of average advantage. Beech Tree Miners and Hollybush both suffered their first loss of the campaign, Beech Tree losing 4-3 at Plough.
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Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ’A’ made it 40 wins in 43 games in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League when they won 5-4 at home against Mount Pleasant. Second place Bridge had a 6-3 home win over Brickmakers Arms leaving them six points behind the leaders and four to the good on third placed Maverick who also had a 6-3 home win over Old Bush.
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Allen’s Bar ‘A’ moved further ahead of second placed Quarry Bank Liberal Club in the Black Country Men’s Super League when they won 5-0 at home against Soccer Zone ‘B’ and the liberal Club had a closer 3-2 home success over Allen’s Bar ‘B’, the gap between the two top teams no five points. Third placed Duley Ex Serviceman’s Club reamin the only team in the league to have won all of their games, their latest 4-2 home win over Northfield Darts Club leaving them seven points off the top with a game in hand.
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Yvonne Taylor made it 32 wins in 32 games in the West Midlands Ladies Super League when she added two 3-0 wins over both Tara Simmons-Fullwood and Jodie Rowlands to her account, she has a thirteen points lead, plus two games in hand over second placed Jacqueline Maiden who beat Kelly Doleman 3-1.
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No change in the top three places in the Amblecote RBL Premier League, Jason Lowe continuing to top the table despite not playing this week, his 268 points giving him a lead of 18 over his nearest rival Nick Fullwell who beat Craig Lowin and Mark Hopkins 5-2, while third placed Ian Townsend lost ground when he went down 4-3 to Gavin Smith but quickly recovered to win 6-1 against Jake Robinson to leave him on 241 points, nine fewer than Fullwell
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In division one of the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League the top two players Scott Baker and Simon Mountford didn’t play this week but with 131 points Baker holds on to pole position and has a lead plus four games in hand on second placed Simon Mountford.
In division two, leader Michael Smith was held to a 4-4 draw by Neville Quinton but his 137 points is 24 more than his nearest rival Richard Brown who beat Kobi Holyhead 5-3. Fourth and fifth players Andy Mullinder and Alex Owen could well move up the table as in turn they have only played 15 and 14 games and have games in hand on all the players above them.
Olly Garratt top the division three table his 129 points from 16 games is 21 points more than second placed Keogh Bate plus Garratt also has three games in hand.
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Week three in the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League and in the Singles League five teams, Junction ‘B’, Dog and Partridge ‘B’, Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’, New Gate Inn and Wednesfield Legion are all able to boast a 100% win record while in the Doubles League there are only three teams that remain unbeaten and they are Junction ‘D’, Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ and New Gate Inn.
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