This coming weekend Warwickshire County Darts Organisation will be playing their final game of the season in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division of the UKDA National League, an away game against Lincolnshire. Going into the fixture Warwickshire are lying sixth in the table with 206 points with their host’s just one place above them on 210 points soa very close game is envisaged. A win for Warwickshire could easily see them move up the table as third in the division Essex are only thirteen points to the good.

Lining up for this final encounter will be Men’s ‘A’:- Jamie Atkins, Gareth Braham, Kevin Dowling, Noel Grant, Carl Green, Nigel Heydon, Steve Hine, Jamie Hughes, Tom Martin, Wayne Mynard, Jack Wareing, Matty Washbrooke, Men’s ‘B’:- Mark Carter, Adam Hancock, Dave Hill, Scott Hope, Pete Hughes, Mark Martin, Will Naylor, Sam Price, Karl Reynolds, Mark Strong, Martin Tonks, Jenson Walker, Reserves:- Lee Miller, Dave Redding, Noah Rose, Ian Shaw, Women’s ‘A’:- Wendy Adams, Sue Gulliver, Courtney Hine, Tammy Montgomery, Caroline Pike, Donna Pinch, Women’s ‘B’:- Nina Bolt, Marian Conway, Angela Jones, Melanie Jones, Chloe McKivett, Hannah Meek.

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Copper Fox are now the only team in the Kings Norton League to remain undefeated after the opening six games they head the table with twelve points, two more than both second and third placed Thurlestone and Northfield. Thurlestone had a comfortable 6-1 win away to Cock Inn but Northfield suffered their first defeat of the campaign when they lost 5-2 playing away against Copper Fox. Bournebrook, Rubery Social Club and Bourneville are all a further two points adrift, Bournebrook having a 6-1 home win over Bourneville and Rubery Social Club were the biggest winners of the week handing out a 7-0 whitewash to their visitors Coppice.

On the individual front there were no fewer than five maximums recorded with three of those going to Thurlestone players R.Waldron, C.Airey and R.Hosey, the other two being Bourneville’s K.Mason and R.Fishier who plays for Kings Norton Flights. Bournebrook’s T.Cullen had a tremendous 161 game shot.

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Erdington Nomads kept their two points lead intact at the top of the Camp Hill League table with a 5-2 away win over third in the league Clumsy Swan. Second in the table Tyseley WMC were the week’s biggest winners as they accounted for their visiting team, bottom of the table Sedgemere Devils with a 7-0 result, Sedgemere after playing fifteen games still looking for their first points of the campaign. Third placed Tyseley Bears are a huge eight points off the top of the table despite their 6-1 win at Moseley Arms.

Although they had their fixture with Sheldon Marlborough Flights postponed, Peaky Blinder hold on to the number one spot in the Shadow League with four points from their five games, they have a two points lead over their would-be opponents Sheldon Marlborough Flights and also Moseley Arms who have played one game more than the two teams above them.

The league received some sad news this week when they heard of the passing of their long serving player Mark Wyatt. Mark’s funeral will take place at the Robin Hood Crematorium, Streetsbrook Road, Shirley, Solihull West Midlands B90 3NL at 1.30pm on Monday 5th June with followers then meeting at the Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club, 151-153 Cotterills Lane, Birmingham, B8 3RY.

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With just one more fixture to be played in the second division of the Four Oaks and District League the title is still undecided as current leaders Minworth Flights missed the opportunity to clinch the title when in game twenty-one they lost 5-4 playing away against their nearest rivals Oscott Social Club, the win puts Oscott Social Club level on thirty-six points with Minworth, but with a far superior average Minworth Flights retain the top spot. The final league fixture will see both of the top two teams play away with Oscott Social Club having the more difficult task as they play against St Thomas Arrows who are fifth in the table while Minworth Flights will travel to The Funky Bear who are placed eighth, should be a tense couple of games with so much riding on the outcome. Funky Bear actually head the Shadow League with ten points from ten games but second placed Plough and Arrows are just two points behind them with two games in hand.

Oscott Social Club’s Ian Stanton was the only player to find the three treble twenties this week.

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Longbridge United made it four straight wins in the South West Birmingham Clubs League when they won 6-1 at Avenue Social, the win giving them a two points breathing space over West Heath CEM, Bournbrook and Quarry Club, West Heath CEM had a 6-1 win at Northfield Town while Bournbrook handed their visiting opponents Northfield Conservative Club a 7-0 whitewash. Quarry Club were the only losers in the top three teams, their hosts Perfection, not quite perfect but nevertheless having a 4-3 win. Despite the defeat Quarry Club remain third in the table with the same six points as the two tams above them and two to the good on Stirchley United, Perfection and Avenue Social. Stirchley United were involved in a local derby with Stirchley Flights, a game which they won 5-2.

There was a maximum for Northfield Conservative Club player A.Simms and a 160 break for N.Watts from West Heath CEM.

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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night League played their Doubles Knockout down to the last sixteen pairs and winning through were S.Hall & C.Penzer, N.Cooper & A.Floyd, K.Bambrick & J.Batham, C.Hart & S.Tipper (Old Liberal Club), W.Incher & J.Jackson, C.Moreton & A.Moreton, S.Bloomer & B.Fitzgerald (Cross, Oldswinford), A.Dimmock & A.Nicholls, D.Powell & K.Hipkiss (Bell), M.Abbott & R.Purchase, D.Homer & R.Lawley (Netherton Conservative Club), D.Edwards & C.Clewes (Princess), S.Smith & R.Whale (Church Tavern), P.Russon & I.Kelly (Bird in Hand), W.Green & R.Green (Fox Inn, Lye), P.Probert & P.Gill (Rose and Crown).

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With a maximum from A.Tonks and an 8-1 result over bottom of the table Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘B’ Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ moved another step nearer to retaining the league title in the Netherton Thursday Night League as they are now two points to the good, and have a game in hand on their nearest rivals Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘A’  who in their latest fixture won 6-3 at home against third in the league Bulls Head to open up a two points lead over their opponents who hold on to the number three spot, J.Southall recording a maximum for the Sports and Social Club. Fourth placed Hill and Cakemore are four points worse off than Bulls Head with game in hand.

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What a finale it was to the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League as going into the last fixtures either Gornal Labour Club or reigning champions Old Bulls Head could win the title. Both of the contenders were bringing down the curtain with away games, Gornal Labour Club were playing at fourth in the table White Horse knowing that a win would almost certainly confirm them as champions while Old Bulls Head travelled to Five Ways who were placed fifth in the league. The outcome was an incredible defeat for both of the top two teams, Gornal Labour Club going down 5-4 and Old Bulls Head losing 6-3. The result was that Gornal Labour Club and Old Bulls Head both finished the season with thirty-six points, the Labour Club taking the title with a five legs superior average. New Inn, who won 5-4 at the Griffin finished third with thirty-four points the same number as White Horse but with two more legs of average. Meadow Lark took the Wooden Spoon, finishing the season having played twenty-two games without a single win.

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Week four in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League produced wins for the top five teams, the only change brought about in the top five was that of Ashwood and Hollybush swapping places. Prior to the fixtures Ashwood were third and Hollybush fourth, Ashwood won their home game with Old Liberal Club ‘B 4-3 while Hollybush won 6-1 at home against Fox Inn, Lye to put them on the same six points as Ashwood but give them a slender one leg of average advantage. Leaders Bird in Hand ‘E’ won 6-1 at home against Garibaldi to take their undefeated run to four games and keep them two legs of average ahead of second placed Old Liberal Club ‘A’ who went one better with a 7-0 success in their home game with Brickmakers Arms, the win gives Old Liberal Club ‘A’ a three legs advantage over third in the table Shovel who beat their hosts Kings Head 5-2. In addition to Hollybush and Ashwood having six points sixth and seventh in the league Stourbridge FC and Dudley Sports are also on the same six point’s following their respective 5-2 and 4-3 wins over Wheatsheaf and Black Horse.

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White Swan have been ousted from their number one spot in the Rowley Monday Night League following their 6-3 home reversal against Gate Hangs Well who were third in the league prior to the fixture. Bell, with an 8-1 win over Waterfall have taken over in pole position and although level on twenty-six points with Gate Hangs Well, who have moved up into second place, and White Swan they have a huge ten legs of average advantage over Gate Hangs Well and are fifteen better off than White Swan. Fourth in the league Hill and Cakemore are one win, just two points short of the top three teams after they won 8-1 at home against Wonder.

Top individual performances this week were supplied by Connor Whitehouse (White Swan), A.Crowley (Hill and Cakemore) and A.Lynch (Bell) who all chalked up a maximum score of 180, Bell’s Trev Brennan and Rowley Bar and Grill’s Adam Bunce both had a 160 break while Matt Hadley (Rowley Labour Club) recorded an eight darts game.

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Week seventeen in the Ashwood Premier League saw leader Nick Fullwell add another two victories to his tally to give him a total of 192 points from thirty-two games. Fullwell beat bottom of the table Tony Bennett 7-0 and then had a narrow 4-3 success against Chris Manoila. Second in the league John Green began the night with a 6-1 win over Ash Marson and followed that with a 7-0 win against Mitch Pickett to put him within five points of Fullwell but he has played two more games than the leader. Third placed Josh Pickett kept hot on the heels of John Green beating Jon Underhill 6-1 and Chris Fox 5-2 to leave him five points behind Green with a game in hand.

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Rich Bowen had a good start to his latest round of fixtures in the Black Country Thursday Night Singles League beating Neil Murphy 5-3 but he then slipped up and lost by the same margin to third in the league Shane Price, however it was not all bad news for Bowen as his nearest rival Nick Fullwell lost his opening game against Neil Murphy 5-3 and although he recovered to beat Grace Angell 8-0 he is one point behind Bowen but with a game in hand. Third placed Shane Price, prior to winning against Bowen won 7-1 against James Davies and ended the evening with an 8-0 victory over Danny Knight to put him on 186 points from twenty-six games, three points short of leader Rich Bowen but he has played one game more than Bowen.

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In week two of the Black Country Men’s Super League 5-0 wins for Railway Tavern and Allen’s Bar ‘C’ have put them both top of the table with nine points and with a lead of two over Coseley Tavern, Whiteheath Tavern and Halesowen Cricket Club after Coseley won 4-1 at home against Ashwood, Whiteheath won by the same scoreline, again at home over Old Bulls Head and Halesowen handed their visitors Soccer Zone a 5-0 whitewash.

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Dog and Partridge continue to impress in the West Midlands Men’s Super League, their latest fixture seeing them win 4-0 against Kings Head ‘B’. ECC and Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ were the week’s top scorers both of them in turn winning 5-0 against Staffordshire Knot and Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’.

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The third and fourth teams in the Singles League of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League squared up to each other in game number seven, third placed Dog and Partridge hosting fourth in the table ECC ‘A’. The result was an emphatic 6-1 win for ECC ‘A’ to lift them above their hosts to third place in the division with twelve points just two short of the two top teams above them. Woodfield top the table on average after they won their home game against Corpus Christi ‘B’ 6-1 with Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’, who won by the same 6-1 margin away to Corpus Christi ‘A’  in second place.

ECC ‘A’ top the Doubles League, their latest 3-0 victory at Dog and Partridge giving them a two point’s lead over second in the table Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ who also won 3-0 at Corpus Christi ‘A’.

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2023-05-31