Warwickshire’s sixth fixture in the premier division of the UKDA National League was a home game against Glamorgan, the ladies ‘B’ getting the weekend off to a good start at the Hen Lane Social Club, Beacon Road, Coventry, CV6 4DS when they recorded a 4-2 win over their counterparts with Natalie Gilbert collecting the match award for her straight 3-0 win over Jo Pugh and super 23.86 average. The men’s ‘B’ opened up a 4-2 lead at the midway point of their game but at the end of the day it was Glamorgan who got the 7-5 verdict. Man of the match was William Naylor, who in his 4-2 win over Liam Wigley he chalked up a 27.03 average.
Going into Sunday’s ‘A’ games, the score was level at 9-9 but that quickly changed as the ladies slumped to a 5-1 defeat, Caroline Pike there sole winner as she accounted for Donna Thomas with a 3-1 result and 16.94 average. The men’s ‘A’ now required a 9-3 win to secure an overall victory and they came oh so close as they went on to finish 8-4 winners to put the overall score for the weekend at 18-18. Taking the match award for the men’s ‘A’ was Sam Price, who defeated Hywel Manuel 4-1 and averaged 31.51.
The resulting draw saw Warwickshire drop one place in the table to eighth with 113 points from six games, they have a game in hand on four of the seven teams above them.
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In the Andy Wheeler Fisheries Championship Division of the UKDA National League, West Midlands had a home fixture with Middlesex, the two teams being promoted from the L-Style Division One last season. The result for the weekend was a terrific 22-14 win for West Midlands which took them to the top of the promotional table with 147 points, sixteen more than former leaders, and now second in the division Hampshire with Middlesex third on 130 points. The ladies ‘B’ won 4-2 with Shellbie Guest their top player, beating Louise Grannell 3-0 with a 22.77 average. The men’s ‘B’ match award went to Dan Nicholls who won 4-0 against Brian Green with a 29.47 average in his team’s superb 10-2 victory to see the home side carry a 14-4 lead into Sunday’s games.
It was a disappointing start to the ‘A’ games as the ladies fell to a 5-1 defeat with Evonne Taylor the solitary winner beating Margaret Sutton 3-0 with a 19.27 average. Just four winners were required from the men’s ‘A’ to secure a win for the weekend, those four winners came in the first half of the men’s ‘A’ game as they went on to win 7-5 to give an overall 22-14 result to the hosts. Man of the match for the men’s ‘A’ was Daniel Hands, who in his 4-1 win over Brandonn Pearson he averaged 32.87.
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Black Country had a tough away fixture against high-riding Clwyd who topped the L-Stylr Division One table with 160 points, Black Country lying seventh and with some forty-nine points fewer than their hosts but with a game in hand. Despite this it was Back Country who had the better start to the weekend with the ladies ‘B’ getting a share of the spoils in a 3-3 draw and the men’s ‘B’ winning 7-5. Match awards going to Chez Allcock and Rich Bowen who in turn accounted for Alex Foulds with a 3-0 win and 20.31 average and Dan Alker who Bowen beat 4-0 and averaged 27.45.
Beginning Sunday with a 10-8 lead, Black Country quickly found themselves trailing 13-11 as the ladies ‘A’ finished on the wrong side of the 5-1 result with Stella Sims their only winner, Sims taking the match award for her 14.88 average in her 3-2 win over India Edwards. Although the running-score was now 13-11 in Clwyd’s favour, there was still a chance of Black Country getting something out of the fixture and hopes were heightened as at the halfway stage of the men’s ‘A’ game the score was 3-3 and the overall total standing at 16-14 to Clwyd but still with everything to play for. With three winners in the first four games of the second half, Clwyd were home and dry, the result 7-5 to the home team to give them an overall 20-16 win for the weekend. One shining light for Black Country was the performance from their Tom Bissell, who in his 4-0 win over Phil Hughes he chalked up a fantastic average of 33.97.
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With the majority of teams only having a couple more fixtures to play to the halfway point of the season in the Harborne and District League, the big question is will leaders Copper Fox ‘R’ go into the second half undefeated? In what was their thirteenth fixture, Copper Fox ‘R’ had a 6-3 win at Weoley Castle to keep them two points to the good on second and third placed Northfield Darts Club and Northfield Conservative Club, both Copper Fox ‘R’ and Northfield Conservative Club have a game in hand on Northfield Darts Club. The Darts Club were also 6-3 winners in their home tie with fourth in the league Smethwick Cricket Club while the Conservative club had a more emphatic 8-1 win over Crown in their home fixture.
Just the four maximums this week and they were supplied by M.Lloyd (Northfield Darts Club), L.Fox and D.Hopkins (Cock Inn) plus T.Hamilton (Copper Fox ‘R’).
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Two games into the second half of the season and Northfield continue to hold on to their 100% win record in the Kings Norton League. In the latest round of fixtures, Northfield had a 6-1 home win over Bournebrook to keep them six points ahead of second placed Greenlands who were also 6-1 winners at home against Dingle, Greenlands can reduce the arrears if they win their game in hand on the leaders. Third placed Bourneville had a 4-3 win at E57 leaving them eight points off the top of the table and four points ahead of fourth and fifth placed Bournebrook and Stirchley, Stirchly having a 6-1 home win over next to bottom of the league Pavillions.
Fixtures this week produced two 160 breaks from N.Steventon (Northfield) and R.Docker (Greenlands).
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No change in the top three places in the Premier League of the Sheldon and District Winter League this week as leaders Highwood won 6-3 at RAFA to put them on twenty-two points from thirteen games while RAFA dropped one place to fifth to leave them eight points behind their opponents. Second placed Langley Arrows had a bye but held on to the number two spot with eighteen points from eleven games while third placed Sheldon Marlborough Arrows won 7-2 at Mackadown Sports and Social Club to put them on the same eighteen points as Langley Arrows but from only ten games.
Banbury Club held on to pole position and their average lead over second placed Trident Spears in division one when they won 6-3 at Yardley Ex Colts while Trident Spears won by the same margin at Lyndon Old Boys. Third in the division RAFA Arrows had their fixture at Sheldon Marlborough Ridge postponed, like the two teams above them, they have twenty points but have played one game fewer than both Banbury and Trident. Brandon Evans (Moseley Rugby Club) scored the only maximum of the week in his team’s 5-4 win at Station Inn.
A 5-4 win at Hunters Moon sees Langley Pints hold on to the number one spot in division two and their four point’s advantage over second placed CBMC-A, who had a resounding 8-1 home win over Digby.
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The division one fixture in the South West Birmingham Clubs League between leaders Northfield Darts Club and next to bottom of the division Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club produced no fewer than eighteen three figures scores, four three figure breaks and one 100 game shot in what turned out to be a somewhat surprising 4-4 draw to keep the Darts Club top of the table with eleven points, a lead of two over second placed Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’ who also finished all-square at 4-4 in their game at Bournbrook.
Division two leaders E57 had a comfortable 7-1 home win over Longbridge Arrows, their twelve points giving them a single points lead on second placed Bartley Green FC who won 6-2 at Longbridge Supremes.
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It wasn’t unlucky thirteen for Highcroft Hotdogs in division one of the Sutton and District League as they made it thirteen straight wins when they won 8-1 at home against Charley’s Flights to maintain their four points lead over second placed Nomads @ Hollyfields who had a closer 5-4 home win against Erdington Arrows. A further four points adrift are third and fourth placed Old Horns Lions and Bishop Vesey, the former winning 8-1 at Rosey Mac’s while the latter went down 6-3 at Heartlands.
All of the maximums came in division one this week and were supplied by T.Cupkovic (Nomads @ Hollyfields), Richard O’Brien and Tim Vickers (St Thomas Lions).
Division two leaders, Rise Club also made it thirteen consecutive wins when they won 5-4 at Plough and Arrows, while the chasing pack of three, Great Barr Social, Pint Pot Flights and Plough and Arrows are all on twenty points, six off the top after Great Barr Social won 7-2 at home against Deer’s Leap and Pint Pot Flights had a 6-3 home win over Hollyfields.
T.Bryant (Oscott Social Cub) had a 160 break in his team’s 6-3 home win over Beggars Bush.
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Quarry Bank Liberal Club held on to their four points lead at the top of the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League with a convincing 8-1 win ar Red Cow ‘2’, making it twenty-four wins in twenty-five games. Second in the league Red Cow ‘1’ had a close, but important 5-4 win playing away against third placed Gornal British Legion to open a gap of four points between the two teams. Fourth placed Netherton Sports and Social Club have the same twenty points as British Legion after adding on their 6-3 win at Hilly house.
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The Silver End Sunday Morning League staged the final of their League Cup which saw table toppers Old Star beat second in the league, Dudley Sports ‘A’ 7-1.
There was one rearranged league fixture played in which Old Liberal Club won 5-3 at Ten Arches, the result having no bearing on the league table.
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As the Brierley Hill Monday Night League moves into the second half of its season, leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’, who had won nineteen of their previous twenty-one games, lost!! Playing away against fourth placed Raven, the Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ returned on the wrong side of the 5-4 result. Nevertheless the Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ hold on to pole position but have had their lead reduced to average only as second placed Lamp Taver won 9-0 at Kingswinford British Legion to go level on thirty-eight points with the top side as are third and fourth placed Bridge and Raven, Bridge having an 8-1 win at Rose and Crown ‘B’ and although third and curently trailing on average they do have a game in hand on both teams above them. Raven’s vital win keeps them in the chase as they too are on thirty-eight points.
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With one hand firmly on the winners silverware, Chop House added a 7-0 win to their tally in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League to keep them six points ahead of New Inns and Hollybush who in turn won 6-1 at home over Fox Inn (Lye) and 5-2 at home against Raven.
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Week three in the Rowley Monday Night League and only two teams remain undefeated in division one, leaders Bell and second placed Gate Hangs Well, who in turn won 7-2 against Romsley Cricket Club and Bostin darts ‘A’.
Three teams have a 100% win record in division two, Bostin Darts ‘B’, who won 8-1 at Coombs Wood, Double Tops Micro Bar, who had a 6-3 win at home over Huntingtree and Bostin darts ‘C’ after they won 5-2 in their home tie with Spring Meadow.
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The top three teams in the Netherton Thursday Night 501 League kept their undefeated runs intact, leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ winning their eighth game 6-3 at home against Bulls Head, while second and third placed Old Liberal Club and British Oak have both played seven fixtures, the latest of which saw them win in turn 8-1 at home against Gate Hangs Well and 9-0 at home over Rose and Crown.
There were no fewer than nine maximums this week, coming from Steve Hall and Gavin Moreton (Old Liberal Club), Phil Tonks, Mark Rollinson and Carl Hadlington (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’), Phil O’Brien (Bulls Head), Jamie Brookes (Netherton Sports and Social Club) plus Matt Hall and Liam Homer (Haden Cross).
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Week four in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League and only four teams, Cross, Bird in Hand, Old Liberal Club and Five Ways are able to boast wins in all four games.
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4-1 wins for Allen’s Bar ‘A’ and Allen’s Bar ‘B’ over respective opponents Allen’s Bar ‘C’ and Allen’s Bar ‘D’ sees no change in the Black Country Ladies Super League table whatsoever.
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A 3-0 win over Jade Wellings has seen Jacqueline Maiden return to the top of the West midlands Ladies Super League and although on the same ninety-three points as second placed Evonne Taylor, Maiden has a game in hand on her.
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A 5-0 home win over Gate Inn takes Staffordshire Knot’s total points to twenty-six at the top of the West Midlands Men’s Super League with a lead of three points over their nearest rivals Kings Head who won their home game over Chase Social 4-1.
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Nick Fullwell made it fourteen striaght wins in the Amblecote RBL Premier League with a 6-1 win over Pete Illic followed by a 4-3 success against Dave Edwards to give him a total of 98 points. Second placed Spike green is five points short of Fullwell after he won 5-2 against Shane Sheridan and 7-0 against Trevor Cunningham.Third placed Jason Lowe has a game in hand on the two players above him, he trails Fullwell by six points and Green by one.
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Simon Pritchard suffered his first defeat in nine games in division one of the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League when he lost 5-3 to his nearest rival Chris Manoila, Pritchard is now on sixty-seven opints from nine games and Manoila on fifty from seven games.
A 7-1 win over Alfie Warrender keeps Neville Quinton top of division two with fifty-five points from seven games and gives him a lead of ten over second placed Michele Pritchard who lost ground as she went down 5-3 to Stuart Davis.
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Junction ‘B’ made it twenty-five straight wins in the singles league in the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League, their fifty points four more than second placed Dog and Partridge ‘B’ who won 6-1 against Bradmore Arms.
Golden Lion ‘A’ lead the way in the doubles league, their latest 2-1 win over Milestone keeping them two points to the good on Junction ‘B’, Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ and New Gate Inn.
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