Warwickshire County Darts Organisation always knew their eighth encounter in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division of the UKDA National League was never going to be an easy game as prior to the fixture they were placed fifth and their visitors Lancashire second in the table with seven points the difference between them.
Saturday’s games saw the hosts trail 13-5 as the ladies ‘B’ lost 4-2 and the men’s ‘B’ went down 9-3. Winners for the ladies were Melanie Jones who won 3-2 against Ally Smith and Hannah Meek who beat Ellen Fletcher 3-0 with a 19.52 average which earned the team’s match award. For the men Jenson Walker won 4-2 against Jimmy Welding, Pete Hughes beat Pete Day jnr 4-2 and Adam Hancock won 4-3 against Terry Hey with Pete Hughes man of the match for his 27.82 average.
Sunday’s results were slightly better as the ladies ‘A’ won 4-2 thanks to wins from lady of the match Tammy Montgomery who had a 3-2 success over Lindsey Ashton with a super 22.61 average, Natalie Gilbert beat Dawn Shaw 3-0, Wendy Adams won 3-2 against Amy Eden and confirming the win was Caroline Pike with her 3-0 win against Jo Clements. The men’s ‘A’ suffered a narrow 7-5 defeat and chalking up the five wins were Jack Wareing who won 4-2 against Gary Davey, Chris Wickenden with a 4-3 win over David Evans, man of the match Matty Washbrooke who had a tremendous 4-0 victory over Martin Adams with an outstanding 32.32 average, Jamie Atkins beat Jordan Brooks 4-2 and Wayne Mynard with a 4-2 result against David Airey.
The overall result was 22-14 in Lancashire’s favour keeping them in second place in the table with 186 points, thirteen short of leaders Yorkshire while Warwickshire slipped one place to sixth, their 168 points some 31 short of Yorkshire.
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West Midlands revival in the L-Style Division One of the UKDA National League continues as they added a convincing 29-7 home win over Somerset to their account with three of their four teams winning and the other finishing all square. Saturday’s ‘B’ games saw both the ladies and the men win as the former won 4-2 with wins from Jodie Rowlands, Debbie Davies, Tara Simmons-Fullwood and Gemma Barrett who for her 3-0 success over Natalie Wadham and her 19.27 average collected the team’s match award. The men’s ‘B’ won 10-2 and giving them that result were Mark Maiden, Ben Johnson, John Morris, Neil Pointon, Kieran O’Mahoney, Karl Hughes, Dean Simmons-Fullwood, Mark Craddock, Ian Stanton and Jack Aldridge. Man of the match was John Morris who beat Dave Russell 3-0 with a 26.84 average.
The ladies ‘A’ on Sunday were held to a 3-3 draw after opening up a 3-1 lead with wins from Katherine Jenkins, Jacqueline Maiden and Gemma Barrett, Jacqueline Maiden their top player with an 18.70 average and 3-2 win over Kate Hulme. The men’s ‘A’ had their win of the season handing out a 12-0 whitewash to their counterparts and giving them a clean sheet were Darren Williams, Jon Platt, Michael Baker, Ian Jones, Shaun Carroll, Ash Khayat, Owen Maiden, Rob Thompson, Scott Baker, Richard Platt, Kevin Bambrick and Ryan O’Connor. From the twelve winners Richard Platt topped the averages with a superb 31.81, that plus his 4-0 result against Chris Turner earned the match award.
Despite the huge win West Midlands remain fourth in the division, they have reduced the arrears on leaders Derbyshire from thirty-one points to twenty-four but trail second placed Suffolk by twelve and with just one more fixture to play promotion for this season looks to be just a pipedream, however they now have something to build on for their next campaign.
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On the weekend of the 15th and 16th April Black Country will complete their nine fixtures in Division Two of the UKDA National League with a home tie against Clwyd and after their latest 19-17 win away to Tyne and Wear, which gave them a massive twenty-seven points advantage over their hosts who are currently second in the division, they should for a second successive season get promotion as champions.
The ‘B’ games saw the ladies win 4-2 and the men 7-5. Winners for the ladies were Doreen Hunt, Sarah Jane Parker, Grace Angell and Lacey Hughes and for the men Jamie Barrowman, Jamie Rollinson, Martyn Harper, Gavin Smith, Mark Rollinson, Rich Bowen and Shaun Hill. Taking the respective match awards were Grace Angell (18.53) and Jamie Barrowman (31.31).
Sunday’s games saw the ladies finish with a 3-3 draw after trailing 2-0 with wins supplied by Grace Angell, lady of the match Chez Allcock (18.03) and Shannon Hall. The men’s ‘A’ for the second successive game and only the second time this season lost going down 7-5. The five winners for the men were Shane Price, Ben Hollowood, Dan Nicholls, Reece Colley and Tom Bissell with Reece Colley’s 30.36 average earning him the man of the match award.
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The most recent league fixtures in the Camp Hill League saw leaders Erdington Nomads lose for the first time in this season’s ten games played. Playing away against their nearest rivals Tyseley WMC the Nomads went down 4-3 but nevertheless hold on to pole position with eighteen points, two more than both second and third placed Tyseley WMC and Clumsy Swan, Clumsy Swan handing out a 7-0 whitewash to their hosts bottom of the table Sedgemere Devils who after ten matches are still looking for their first points of the campaign.
The league staged their doubles knockout at Sheldon Marlborough Cricket Club and taking the honours in a final which ended with a close 3-2 result were Neil Parsonage and Paul Webster representing Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club, the runners-up being James Hinkley and Stu Ollerenshaw (Tyseley WMC), the losing semi-finalists were Mark O’Donnell and Mick Looby (Clumsy Swan) plus Karl Neal and Leigh Dell (Tyseley Bears).
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Nomad Flights held on to their two points lead at the top of division one of the Four Oaks and District League with a 6-3 victory at Old Oscott Arrows who lose their number two spot to Old Horns Lions and drop to third place now four points off the top while Old Horns Lions convincing 8-1 home win over Highcroft Social puts them within two points of the Nomads.
Oscott Social Club have been ousted from their number one perch in division two after a somewhat surprising 5-4 home defeat by middle of the table team Deer’s Leap. The reversal has seen Oscott drop to second place and be replaced by Minworth Flights whose 6-3 home win against St Thomas Arrows has put them level on 26 points with Oscott Social with a slim three legs of average advantage.
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Week sixteen results in the premier division of the Sheldon and District Winter League had no effect on the top five teams whatsoever as leaders Sheldon Marlborough Arrows won their home tie with third placed Dunky’s Boys 5-4 to make it thirteen wins in as many games with just one more to complete the season. Sheldon have a huge eight points lead over second in the division Langley Arrows who had a bye this week and now have two to play.
A 6-3 home win over Yardley Ex Colts keeps Langley Flights top of division one with twenty points and one more game to play, however The Dingle’s 5-4 home win over Hornet keeps their faint title hopes alive as they, despite being two points behind Langley have two games to play, a win however would see Langley Flights over the line as they have a big average lead on Dingle.
With Trident Spears suffering a surprising 6-3 away defat at Lyndon Old Boys in division two Brain’s Flights have replaced them and returned to pole position following their conclusive 9-0 win over Raven. The battle for the title of division two is still wide open as any one of the top three teams could win it as they are all on 20 points but have played a different amount of games Brian’s Flights have played 13, Trident Spears 14 and Iron Horse Rebels 12.
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Game eighteen in the Netherton Thursday Night League may not have produced any changes in the league table but there were a couple of surprising results, the first of which was the 5-4 defeat of league leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ in their away game against fifth in the table Townsend Social Club while Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘B’ chalked up only their second win in 18 when they won 5-4 at home against bottom of the table Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘B’. Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘A’ moved to within two points of the leaders with a 6-3 home win over Spring Meadow while third placed Bulls Head had a vital 6-3 win over fourth in the table Hill and Cakemore to go level on 26 points with second placed Netherton Social ‘A’ and two ahead of their opponents. P.O’Brien notched a maximum for the Bulls Head while B.Carr also hit a 180 for Dudley Ex Serviceman’s ‘A’ and D.Homer one for Townsend.
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The Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League staged the finals of their Black Country Windscreens Trophy and in the semis Allen’s ‘B’ won 6-1 against Horseley Tavern, Allen’s ‘A’ then set up an all Allen’s final with their 4-3 win overVine ‘A’.
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Big wins for the top two teams in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League as leaders Cross (Oldswinford) won 6-1 at home against Mount Pleasant and second placed Old Liberal Club went one better winning 7-0 against Rose and Crown ‘B’ to lead Cross on average but trail them by two points. After the top two there is a gap of eight points where three teams Ten Arches, Netherton Conservative Club and Princess are all on 34 points, Ten Arches won 4-3 against Raven, the Conservative Club won 5-2 at Church Tavern and Princess had a bye, the Conservative Club and Princess both have a game in hand on the teams above them.
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Bell have moved up one place in the Rowley Monday Night League to third after beating Hill and Cakemore, who were previously second, 6-3. Bell are two points adrift of the two teams above them second placed White Swan who won 7-2 at Romsley Cricket Club and leaders Gate Hangs Well who were 6-3 winners at Whiteheath Tavern, Hill and Cakemore have the same 16 points as Bell but trail on average.
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A 5-4 home defeat by White Horse has seen New Inn lose third place in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League and be replaced by their victors who are now level on 24 points with second in the league Old Bulls Head who won 5-4 at Meadow Lark leaving them two points behind leaders Gornal Labour Club after they won 6-3 against Pensnett Liberal Club.
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Kings Head ‘A’, leaders of the Wet Midlands Men’s Super League had their fixture with bottom of the table Three Crowns cancelled but remain in pole position with 39 points. Dog and Partridge won their home tie with Chase Social 5-0 to move to within one point of the leaders.
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There are no changes in the top five in the Black Country Thursday Night Singles League, Rich Bowen holding on to top spot with 115 points closely followed by Nick Fullwell who is on 114. Third in the league Benjamin Hollowood has 97 points but has played one game fewer than the two above him.
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Week eleven has seen players in the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League hold on to their number one positions in all three divisions with Scott Baker top of division one with 74 points and a lead of seven over second placed Ben Johnson who has a game in hand. Tony Singh continues to lead division two with 75 points and although that is only two more than his nearest rival Clark Cook he has played one game fewer than Cook. Alan Melling extended his lead at the top of division three beating Michele Pritchard 7-1 to see him open a six point’s advantage over Jamie Aplin who takes over in second place.
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The Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League will begin its new season on Tuesday 11th April and there is just one space left to fill in the league. Anyone interested in joining should contact either Michele Pritchard or Wookie Mon (Simon Pritchard) on Facebook but must be prepared to pay a £50 Guarantee Fee.
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I mentioned recently about the sad passing of John Watt, the details of his funeral have now become available and will take place on the 20th April at 3.15pm at Sutton Coldfield Crematorium, Tamworth Road, Sutton Coldfield, B75 6LG.
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