The Sutton and District League staged the Preliminary Round of their new Keaton Lacey Challenge Cup and the biggest winners of the round were Plough and Arrows who had an 8-1 win against Sutton Sports, close behind with 7-2 results were Sutton Sharks and Highcroft Hotdogs who in turn defeated Misfits @ Holly Lane Sports and Social Club and Erdington Arrows. There were 6-3 wins for Rise Club, Heartlands, New Oscott and Bishop Vesey who in turn accounted for Deer’s Leap, Old Horns Lions, Rosey Mac’s Bar and Rosey Mac’s. Nomads @ Hollyfields, Beggars Bush, Great Barr Social, Charley’s Flights, St Thomas Arrows and Drakes Drum all had narrow 5-4 wins against their respective oponents Old Oscott Arrows, Hollyfields, Pint Pot Flights, Walmley CSC Flights, Minworth Bulls and St Thomas Lions.
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The Kings Norton League are up to week three of their new season and still leading the way with a 4-3 win at Kings Norton Flights are Bourneville who with three straight wins have a slender one leg of average lead on second placed Northfield, who 6-1 at Greenlands. Although Perfection won their home tie with Cock Inn 4-3 they slipped from second to third place having one leg of average fewer than Northfield. Fourth in the league Longbridge won their home game with Dingle 5-2 and are one of the four undefeated teams in the league but they are placed fourth with four points, two legs less than the three teams above them but they have only played two games.
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The Harborne and District League have beeen engaged in cup finals, in the League Cup Copper Fox ‘R’ lifted the winners trophy with a convincing 6-1 win over Weoley Castle Pub, while the Consolation Cup title went to Copper Fox ‘M’ who defeated Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club by 5-2.
In the Section Cup finals, the Top Section title went to Northfield Conservative Club, who with maximums from A.Sutton and T.Garfield beat Copper Fox ‘M’ 14-7, J.Downer notching a maximum for Copper Fox ‘M’. A 12-9 scoreline saw Cock Inn win against Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club to lift the winner’s trophy for the Middle Section Cup while the Bottom Section Cup went to Lion Bar who had a similar 12-9 win over Weoley Castle Pub, whose J.Best hit a maximum.
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With 3-0 wins over Dylan Bloomer and Hayden Valovec, Matthew Cain holds on to pole position in the Heartlands Sugardarts M&E Co Double Top League with 106 points from his 42 games. Second placed Martin Cooper beat John Yates and Sue John 3-0 to keep within two points of Matthew Cain and have a lead of nine over third placed John Frost who has played two games more than the two players above hime after he won 2-1 against Charlie Rogers and 3-0 against John Yates. Fourth in the league Steve Cain has three games in hand on John Frost and one on both Matthew Cain and Martin Cooper, on the night he won 3-0 against Hayden Valovec and 2-1 against L.J.Austin.
There were two maximums in the league this week and they were supplied by John Burdett and Steve Cain.
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The Sheldon and District Winter League are up to week two of their new season and of the nine starters in the Premier League only three of them remain undefeated. An 8-1 home win over Mackadown Sports and Social Club sees Langley Arrows top of the division with a four legs of average lead on second placed Sheldon Marlborough Arrows who won 6-3 at Kingshurst Labour Club to leave them just one leg of average better off than third placed Highwood who also won 6-3 in their away fixture with Smithswood Social Club.
In division one there is a similar situation with the top three teams all unbeaten, RAFA Arrows and Trident Spears leading the way following RAFA’s 6-3 win at Yardley Ex Colts and Trident’s win at Station Inn which was also 6-3, both of the top two teams level on points and average. Third placed Raven are just two legs of average short of the top two after they won 5-4 at home against Lyndon Old Boys.
Yet again in division two there are three teams all undefeated at the top of the table, an 8-1 win at Trident Flights putting Maggies top of the division with a two legs of average lead on CBMC-A who were 6-3 home winners over Castle Bromwich Spitfires. Shirley Misfits won 7-2 at Hunters Mood to take their winning run to three games they are six legs short of Maggies.
Six maximums this week and they came from Tom Garfield, Bobby Nixon (Langley Arrows), Neil Parsonage (Sheldon Marlborough Arrows), Paul Willcock (RAFA Arrows), Julian Harris (Langley Flights) and Brian Hughes (Hollywood Social Club).
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Results from week thirteen had no bearing on the division one status whatsoever in the South West Birmingham Clubs League with champions Northfield Darts Club taking their points tally to eighteen from eleven games with a 5-2 win at third placed Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’ who are on twelve points for twelve games. Second placed Stirchley United had a bye they are on sixteen points from eleven games.
Longbridge United have already won the division two title their latest fixture seeing them win 5-2 at home over Moseley Rugby Club to put them on twenty points from twelve games. Second placed Bournbrook beat E57 5-2 and although they have a game in hand on Longbridge United they are six points behind them.
Longbridge United’s R.Brown was not satisfied with hitting a maximum this week, he hit two.
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We are able to add a new league to our reports this week, the John Edwards Thursday Night League which has kicked off its inaugural campaign with an encouraging eighteen teams and topping the table after the first week’s results are Smethwick Cricket Club and Double Top Micro Bar who in turn had 8-1 wins over Navigation and Brandhall Labour Club. Hot on the heels of the leading duo are Bostin Darts ‘B’ and Whiteheath Tavern who had respective 7-2 wins over Ivy Bush and Bostin Darts ‘A’, Trev Brennan notching a maximum for Bostin Darts ‘B’. Other winners from week one were Wonder, Tividale Sports, Island Inn, Club 99 and Mill who in turn won against Blackheath Liberal Club (6-3), George, Warley (6-3), Oldbury Royal British Legion (6-3), Artisian Micro Bar (5-4) and Red Cow (5-4).
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Dudley Sports ‘A’ lost ground in the title race in the Silver End Sunday Morning League when they lost 5-3 playing away against fifth in the league Old Liberal Club whose forty points is some eleven short of their second placed opponents. Old Star continue to lead the field, their latest 6-2 win at Spring Meadow taking their points tally to fifty-seven and giving them a six points lead on Dudley Sports ‘A’. Third placed Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club handed out an 8-0 whitewash to their hosts Dudley Sports ‘B’ to leave them twelve points off the top of the table.
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Only two of the starting twenty-two teams in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League still have a 100% win record, leaders High Acres have played seven and won seven, their latest fixture seeing them win 6-3 at home over Rose and Crown (Wordsley) to keep them two points ahead of second placed Bridge who have replaced Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ in the number two spot after beating them 5-4 to go two points ahead of them with a game in hand as they have only played six games. Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’, Rose and Crown ‘A’, Raven and Dudley Sports ‘B’ are all on ten points, four off the top, Rose and Crown ‘A’ with a game in hand.
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Unbeaten after fourteen games but it was game fifteen that saw Chop House, leaders of the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League, lose their first game as they went down 4-3 at home to New Inns who are fifth in the league and six points adrift of their opponents. Second placed Stourbridge FC ‘A’ managed to resuce the arrears to just twopoinyts on the leaders after they won 4-3 at Wheatsheaf. A further two points behind in third place is Old Liberal Club ‘A, they won 5-2 at Fox Inn (Lye).
Lye) 2 Old Liberal Club ‘A’ 5, Old Liberal Club ‘B’ 3 Swan 4, Stourbridge FC ‘B’ 3 Hollybush 4,
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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night League had their doubles knockout finals on their fixture card and in the semi-finals A.Nicholls and R.Riaz (Glasscutters) won 2-0 over L.Beatrupp and S.Page (Ashwood) while K.Safe and L.Marson (Gornal British Legion) lost by the same 2-0 margin to S.Tipper and J.Batham (Old Liberal Club). The final produced a straight 3-0 win for A.Nicholls and R.Riaz with S.Tipper and J.Batham runners-up.
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With all the domestic issues all sorted, the Netherton Thursday Night 501 League played off their Captains Cup and in the last four games Bobby Carr (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’) beat Paul Nicholls (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘B’) 3-0, Phil O’Brien (Bulls Head) beating John Green (Hill and Cakemore Ex Serviceman’s Club) by the same 3-0 margin.
Bobby Carr, who had been dominant throughout the night, after beating his ‘B’ team’s captain Paul Nicholls, then went on to win the title with a 3-1 win over Phil O’Brien 1.
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With the majority of teams in the Rowley Monday Night League having seven more fixtures to play the title is still far from being sorted as the top two teams Wonder and Bell are locked together on fifty-two points with the former having the superior average. In the latest round of fixtures Wonder won 9-0 at home against Vine while Bell were 6-3 winners at Rowley Labour Club. After the top two there comes Gate Hangs Well and Tividale FC who are both on thirty-eight points, fourteen short of the two teams at the top.
Rowley Labour Club’s R.Lenton chalked up two maximums while Bell’s Trev Brennan got one, Wonder’s A.Spittle recorded a 160 break.
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Just the one rearranged fixture played in the Black Country Men’s Super League, which saw Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club win 3-2 against Townsend ‘A’ to keep placed thid in the league with sixty-one points, nine short of leaders Allen’s Bar ‘A’ but with a game in hand
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Allen’s Bar ‘A’ consolidated their number one spot in the Black Country Ladies Team Super League when they won 4-1 against bottom of the table Allen’s Bar ‘D’. Allen’s Bar ‘B’ lost their second place e after they lost 4-1 to Allen’s Bar ‘C’. The ‘A’ side now have 29 points, the ‘C’ 24, ‘B’ 23 and ‘D’ 16.
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Jacqueline Maiden remains top of the West Midlands Ladies Super League after gaining a very impressive and vital 3-2 win over Evonne Taylor, this being the first defeat for Taylor in forty-three games, thirty-four unbeaten games last season and eight in the opening fixtures of the this, latest campaign. After the superb win Maiden then beat Claire Hobbs 3-1 to put her on forty points at the top of the table, six more than second placed Evonne Taylor who has a game in hand. After the top two, third and fourth placed Gemma Barrett and Kath Jenkins are both on twenty-eight points, Jenkins having a game in hand on Barrett.
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The Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League played off the finals of their 5 A-Side Knockout which was won by Wonder ‘B’ with Three Horseshoes runners-up.
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After week twenty-six the top eight placing’s remain the same in the Amblecote RBL Premier League, Jason Lowe adding 7-0 wins over Matt Halliday and Mark Hopkins to give him 418 points from 62 games. Second placed Nick Fullwell has 381 points from the same 62 games but didn’t play this week. Third in the league Ian Townsend is on 377 points from 63 games, his latest fixtures seeing him win 5-2 over Mark Hopkins and Lee Craig.
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Only third placed Chris Manoila played in the top three players of division one in the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night League this week and he beat Shane Passey 8-0 to go within one point of second placed Simon Mountford who is on 177 points, Mountford, 32 shy of leader Scott Baker.
In division two, leader Michael Smith won 6-2 over Malcolm Pugh to take his tally up to 249 from 31 games. Second placed Andy Mullinder had mixed fortunes as he beat Kevin Bate 8-0 and then lost 6-2 to Ben Wright to leave him 75 points short of Smith with six games in hand.
No games for the top three players in division three, leader Olly Garratt holding on to the top spot with 209 points from 25 games second placed Troy Simmonds dropped to third place with 154 points from 23 games. Taking over in second place is John Bate after adding on his 7-1 win over Tanya Dolman to take his points to 155 from 25 games.
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A 6-1 home win over Golden Lion ‘B’ keeps Junction ‘B’ top of the singles league in the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League, their 26 points two more than their nearest rivals Dog and Partridge ‘B’ who won 5-2 at Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’. After the top two come four teams all on 20 points, Ashmore, New Gate Inn, Golden Lion ‘A’ and Golden Lion ‘B’.
In the doubles league Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ and New Gate Inn lead the way, level on points and average after the former lost 2-1 at home to third in the league Dog and Partridge ‘B’ and the latter won 2-1 at Red Lion.
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