Warwickshire County Darts Organisation went into their recent home fixture in the premier division of the UKDA National League seventh in the table with forty-five points and their opponents Dorset, bottom of the table with twenty-five points. However, Warwickshire and Dorset both had a game in hand. The weekend kicked off with a 3-3 draw for the ladies ‘B with Macy Gibbons their top player beating Trina Perry 3-0 with a 19.27 average. The men’s ‘B’ also had to be satisfied with a draw as they finished all-square at 6-6 with William Naylor winning the match award for his 28.63 average in his straight 4-0 win over Sean Penney.
Sunday had a brighter start with the ladies ‘A’ winning 4-2, Wendy Adams their top player with a 21.23 average in her 3-2 win over Donna Mabbatt-Smith. With the score at 13-11 in favour of Warwickshire the men’s ‘A’ required a draw to seal an overall victory for the weekend but it was not to be as they finished on the wrong side of the 7-5 result to give an overall result for the weekend of 18-18. Taking the match award for the men’s ‘A’ was Nigel Heydon who won 4-1 against Kevin Mabbatt Smith and averaged 28.24.
The result left both teams in the same positions as they began the fixture.
This coming weekend Warwickshire will be playing their outstanding game away to Lincolnshire, a fixture that in the past four seasons Lincolnshire have won. Unfortunately there are a number of regular men’s ‘A’ team players unavailable for the fixture but hoping to out a stop to Lincolnshire’s run of wins will be, Men’s ‘A’:- Keith Deeley, Ryan Jackson, Gareth Braham, Jack Wareing, Jamie Hughes, Martin Tonks, Matty Washbrooke, Noel Grant, Nigel Heydon, Dave Atkins, Steve Hine, Jason Meek, Men’s ‘B’:- Adam Hancock, Jnr Joyce, Dave Hill, Karl Reynolds, Lee Miller, Paul Harbourne, Mark Carter, Mark Strong, Lloyd Jackson, Taylor, McGuckian, Jason Prince, Zac Prince, Women’s ‘A’:- Marian Conway, Wendy Adams, Caroline Pike, Courtney Hine, Hannah Meek, Natalie Gilbert, Women’s ‘B’:- Nina Bolt, Kirsty Hinchliffe, Donna Pinch, Kacie O’Connor, Jodie Rigg, Macy Gibbons, Reserves:- Clare Greenwood, Denise Keyte, Lucy Shepherd.
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Black Country went into their fourth fixture away to Merseyside in the L-Style Division One of the UKDA National League having won two games and lost one, lying fourth in the table with sixty-five points and their hosts ninth with forty-one points but having played only two games. The ladies ‘B’ ended all-square at 3-3 with Scarlett Sullivan taking the lady of the match award for her 14.05 average in her 3-0 win over Debbie Robinson. The men’s B’ lost 7-5 with their match award going to Matt Coleman who beat Phil Lloyd 4-1.
Things got worse on Sunday as the ladies ‘A’ lost 5-1 with Sarah-Jane Parker their sole winner beating Molly Brash 3-0 with an 18.56 average. Like the men’s ‘B’, the men’s ‘A’ also lost 7-5, their top player being Paul Wells whose 4-3 win over Ben Jones and 29.36 average earning him the match award.
The overall 22-14 defeat for Black Country has seen them actually move up one place in the table to third with seventy-nine points some seventeen short of leaders Clwyd. The win saw Merseyside move up two places to seventh on sixty-six points but still with a game in hand.
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Week nine in the Kings Norton League brought about no changes in the top eight positions with leaders Northfield adding a 4-3 win at Dingle to make it eight straight wins, their undefeated run giving them a perfect sixteen points and a two point’s lead over second in the table Greenlands who were 5-2 winners at E57. Third placed Bourneville have only played seven games, their latest seeing them hand out a 7-0 whitewash to their hosts, bottom of the table Cavalier, to put them on twelve points with a game in hand.
There is just the one individual achievement to report this week which was the 160 break from Northfield’s N.Steventon.
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The Harborne and District League are up to week four and there are still six teams able to boast a 100% win record while at the other end of the table there are five teams still seeking their first points of the new campaign. There is no change in the top three team positions with Copper Fox ‘R’ leading the field after adding their most recent 8-1 win at Lion Bar. Four legs of average short of the leaders are local rivals Copper Fox ‘M’ who were also 8-1 winners in their fixture at home against Crown. Third placed Northfield Conservative Club are a further three legs adrift after they won 6-1 at Cock Inn while fourth in the league Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club were also 6-1 winners in their home tie with Weoley Castle WMC, leaving them one leg of average behind the Conservative Club. Smethwick Cricket Club won their home game against Bourneville 5-4, they are nine legs of average off the top of the table and making up the top six teams is Thimble Mill who have a game in hand on the five teams above them, their latest fixture seeing them win 8-1 at home against Windsor Complex.
At the other end of the table the teams still without a win are Cock Inn, Stag and Three Horseshoes, Windsor Complex, Bourneville and Lion Bar.
There were six maximums recorded in the league this week and they came from E.Simpson (Copper Fox ‘R’), A.Beagrie (Thimble Mill), A.Busby (Northfield Conservative Club), M.Smith, P.Brookes (Smethwick Cricket Club) and M.Bolton (Weoley Castle WMC).
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The Sheldon and District Winter League staged the quarter-finals of their divisional cups and in the premier league games there were 7-2 wins for Kingshurst Labour Club and Sheldon Marlborough Arrows who in turn accounted for Smithswood Social Club and Dog Inn Nomads. RAFA had a 6-3 success over Brian’s Flights while Langley Arrows were held to a narrow 5-4 win at Highwood.
Biggest winners in the division one games were Banbury Club who won 8-1 against Yardley Ex Colts, the other three games all ended with close 5-4 resuts going to Sheldon Marlborough Ridge, Station Inn and Trident Spears who in tunr accounted for Moseley Rugby Club, Lyndon Old Boys and Raven.
Maggies handed out a 7-2 defeat to Hunters Moon in the division two fixtures, Shirley Misfits not far behind with their 6-3 success over Raven Flights. CBMC-A and Hollywood Social Club made it through to the semi-finals with 5-4 wins over their respective opponents Digby and Langley Pints.
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It’s as-you-were in division one of the South West Birmingham Clubs League as Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’ held on to the number one spot with a 7-1 win at third in the division Perfection and second placed Northfield Darts Club kept within one point of the leaders with their 5-3 home win over Quarry Lane Club.
The top four teams remain the same in division two, West Heath CEM lead the table with six points after they won 5-3 at home against Bartley Green FC. Joint second placed Kings Norton Flights and E57 had their respective fixtures with Cue Club and Northfield Conservative Club ‘A’ postponed but hold on to the number two spot.
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Highcroft Hotdogs remain top of division one in the Sutton and District League, their 5-4 home win over Heartlands not only keeping intact their undefeated record but also the two points lead they have on second placed Nomads @ Hollyfields who won 7-2 at home against Old Horns Lions, D.Chiswell recording a tremendous maximum outshot of 170 for the Nomads. Charley’s Flights player Kevin Hewings had a 160 break in his team’s 8-1 defeat away to Bishop Vesey.
Rise Club made it seven wins in seven games in division two when they won 6-3 at home against Deer’s Leap, the win keeps them two points ahead of both second and third placed Great Barr Social and Plough and Arrows, Great Barr Social having a narrow one leg of average lead on Plough and Arrows after they won 5-4 in their home tie with Pint Pot Flights and Plough and Arrows, with a 160 break from Nigel Robbins won 6-3 at home against Sutton Sharks.
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The Netherton Thursday Night 501 League staged the first round of their Andy Bastable Trophy, the biggest shock of the round was the 6-3 defeat of reigning league champions Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ who went out of the competition with a 6-3 defeat to Townsend despite Phil Tonks and Mark Rollinson hitting maximums for the Ex Serviceman’s. It was a double blow for the Ex Serviceman’s Club as the ‘B’ side also lost 6-3 in their fixture with Haden Cross. British Oak and Old Liberal Club provided the biggest wins of the round, beating their hosts Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘A’ and Rose and Crown 9-0, with L.Thomas hitting a 180 for Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘A’. With a maximum from S.Tipper, Bulls Head won 7-2 at Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘B’ and joining them in the next round will be Furnace after their 5-4 win over Hill and Cakemore Ex Serviceman’s Club. Plough and Harrow had a bye.
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The top two teams in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League, Old Liberal Club and Gornal British Legion both handed out 7-0 defeats to their respective opponents Raven ‘A’ and Glasscutters ‘B’ in their latest fixtures, Old Liberal Club holding on to pole position with sixty points and having a two points advanatge on Gornal British Legion. Third in the league Ten Arches ‘A’ had a bye and now trail the leaders by six points but with a game in hand.
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The John Edwards Thursday Night League had their League Cup on the fixture card and in the two games played Tividale Sports were 8-1 winners over Bostin Darts and Club ‘99’ beat Navigatin 6-3.
There were also three rearranged league fixtures played in which Red Cow won 5-4 against Double Tops Micro Bar whose Owwen Boswell hit a maximum. Wonder with a 5-4 win at Whiteheath Tavern joined Bell and Tividale Sports at the to of the table, all three teams now on twelve points from a possible fourteen, K.Harrison and M.Perkins both finding the three treble twenties for Whiteheath. There was no joy for bottom of the table Brandhall Labour Club who went down 8-1 at Ivy Bush.
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A 5-3 win at Dudley Sports ‘B’ keeps Old Star top of the Silver End Sunday Morning League with a five points lead on second placed Dudley Sports ‘A’ who won 7-1 at the Vine. After the top two there is a gap of eleven points to third placed High Acres ‘A’ who won their home game with Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club 5-3 to give them a two point’s breathing space on both Old Liberal Club and Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club who are respectively placed fourth and fifth in the league.
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With a 6-3 win at Roebuck ‘A’, High Acres kept their two points lead over both Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ and Raven at the top of the Brierley Hill Monday Night League intact. Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A were involved in a local derby with their ‘B’ side which they won 7-2 while Raven in their home game handed their visitors Mount Pleasant a 9-0 whitewash. Lamp Tabern are fourth, a further two points adrift after winning 5-4 at home against Starving Rascal, while fifth placed Bridge suffered a somewhat surprising 5-4 defeat at Wombourne Club leaving them on the same eighteen points as Lamp but with a game in hand.
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Game twenty in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League saw leaders Chop House suffer only their second defeat in twenty games when they lost 5-2 at home to Swan who are seven places below them and have ten fewer points. Nevertheless Chop House remain top of the table with thirty-six points and have a lead of four over their nearest rivals Stourbridge FC ‘A’ who won 4-3 at home against Netherton Conservative Club. After the top two there are three teams all six points off the top Bird in Hand ‘E’, Old Liberal Club ‘A’ and Hollybush.
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For quite some time now the Rowley Monday Night League title race has been battled out between two teams, current leaders Wonder and reigning champions and second placed Bell. In the latest round of fixtures Wonder won 5-4 at home against Plough and Harrow while Bell had a 6-3 win at Snooks to put both teams on sixty points with Wonder having a thirteen legs of average lead.
There were no fewer than five maximums this week and they came from H.Kainthal (Tividale FC), K.Chambers (Plough and Harrow), R.Dingley (Rowley Labour Club) plus J.Wright and H.Thompson (Snooks). N.Bradley(Snooks) had a 160 break.
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Allen’s Bar ‘A’ had a 4-1 win over Bostin Darts 180 Bar in the Black Country Men’s Super League to keep them top of the table with ninety-six points, Quarry Bank Liberal Club also won 4-1 in their game at home with Townsend Social but it was not enough for them to hold on to second place as Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club won 5-0 in their home game with Soccer Zone ‘B’ to put them on seventy-nine points, one more than the Old Liberal Club who drop to third.
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Jacqueline Maiden consolidated her number one spot in the West Midlands Ladies Super League when she won 3-2 against Julie Emery, the win taking Maiden’s points to sixty-eight, seventeen more than reigning champion and second placed Evonne Taylor who beat Kelly Aston 3-0 and Gemma Barrett 3-1 to put her on fifty-one points but from four fewer games than Jacqueline Maiden.
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A 5-2 win at Dog and Partridge ‘B’ keeps Junction ‘B’ top of the singles league in the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League, their thirty-six points four more than their second placed opponents who have a two points advanatge over third placed Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ after they won 4-3 at Golden Lion ‘B’.
In the doubles league Golden Lion ‘A’ remain top of the table, taking their points tally to thirty with a 2-1 win at Junction ‘D’. Second and third places go to Dog and Partridge ‘B’ and New Gate Inn, the former having a 2-1 win over Junction ‘B’ and the latter a similar 2-1 win against Wednesfield Legion.
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