The Harborne and District League have got their new season underway with five games being played in the week’s opening fixtures. Biggest winners in the first games were Cock Inn who returned from The Mill after handing their hosts a 9-0 whitewash. Not far behind Cock Inn was Copper Fox ‘R’ who finished fifth in last season’s final table they won 8-1 at home against Smethwick Cricket Club who ended their last campaign third. Copper Fox ‘M’ are third in the table after their first game in which they won 7-2 playing away against Weoley Castle WMC. In the all-Northfield clash Northfield Conservative Club won their home tie with Northfield Town 6-3.
In the very first week of the season there were no fewer than five maximums recorded which were supplied by A.Sutton and T.Garfield (Northfield Conservative Club), R.Needham (Northfield Town), A.Williams (Avenue Social) and J.Hykin (Copper Fox ‘R’).
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With the majority of domestic issues all sorted in the Four Oaks and District League the league are now running down their season with the various cup games and the latest of which saw the the play-off of the Derek Masters Singles Knockout.
A.Lilley began his quest for the title with a 2-0 win over M.Pearce and then followed that with a 2-1 result over M.Corfield. He then won his quarter-final game against K.Smith 2-1 and booked his place in the final with a similar 2-1 win over P.Locke. From the other half of the draw B.Hughes had a bye in the preliminary round and then won both his last sixteen and quarter-final games 2-1 against respective opponents R.Lowe and J.Collins. In his last four encounter Hughes was taken to a decider by S.Abbott before securing his final place with a 2-1 scoreline. The final was extended to the best of five legs with A.Lilley adding his name to the winner’s silverware with a 3-1 result.
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The Kings Norton League are up to week eight and of the starting line-up of twelve teams only one, Copper Fox is able to boast a 100% win record. Copper Fox took their unbeaten run to a dozen games when in their most recent outing they won 6-1 against Kings Norton Flights, the win giving them a four point’s breathing space over Bournebrook, Northfield and Bourneville. Bournebrook moved up the table one place to second after beating Northfield 4-3 and replacing them in the number two spot while Bourneville had a more impressive 6-1 home success against Longbridge. Bournebrook are two legs of average to the good on Northfield and have three more winning legs than Bourneville.
Two players, A.Vaughan (Cock Inn) and C.Smith (Bournebrook) found the three treble twenties this week but Northfield’s M.Hopkins was in a top scoring mood recording scores of 3×100,125 and 2×140.
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Week six of the South West Birmingham Clubs League brought together the league’s top two teams when leaders Longbridge United played hosts to second placed West Heath CEM. Going into the fixture both teams were undefeated so something had to give and it was West Heath CEM who suffered their first defeat going down in a close 4-3 game. Longbridge United have now opened up a two points lead between them and West Heath CEM who hold on to second place, they, like Longbridge also have a two points advantage over their nearest rivals third placed Avenue Social and fourth in the table Bournbrook, Avenue Social had a 7-0 home win over bottom of the table Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club while Bournbrook, who also had a home game had a 5-2 win over Stirchley Flights.
Highlights of the week were a 160 break from Perfection’s A.Little and doubles proved to be no trouble whatsoever for Longbridge United’s D.Hopkins who had breaks of 120 and 100 together with a finish of 120.
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The big question in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League is can leaders Cross (Oldswinford) go throughout the thirty-six fixtures season and remain undefeated. Playing their twenty-sixth fixture Cross in their home game took on fourth in the league The Princess, not an easy fixture but Cross won the encounter with a close 4-3 result to keep them top of the table, unbeaten in twenty-six games and have a lead over second placed Old Liberal Club of four points. Old Liberal Club kept within four points of Cross by handing their visitors, bottom of the table Glasscutters a 7-0 whitewash and although four points short of Cross Old Liberal Club do have a game in hand. Third in the league Ten Arches are a further six points adrift, their 6-1 home win over Rose and Crown ‘B’ being their twenty-six fixture, meaning they have played one more than Old Liberal Club. The Princess hold on to their fourth place but have had their lead cut to two points over fifth in the table Cottage who won 5-2 at home against Raven.
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The Netherton Thursday Night League staged the finals of their Singles Knockout and amazingly the quarter-finals and the semi-final all had straight 2-0 results, the final continuing the pattern with a 3-0 scoreline.
Winners in the last eight were Jason Bland, Grant Jackson, Carl Hadlington and Darren Brown who in turn accounted for Will Cairns, Dougie Richmond, Abdul Galeb and Phil Tonks. Winning through to the final were Grant Jackson and Darren Brown with their respective opponents Carl Hadlington and Jason Bland making their exits from the last four. The final 3-0 result went to Grant Jackson with Darren Brown finishing as runner-up.
Singles Winner Grant Jackson (Bulls Head)
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Week sixteen in the Rowley Monday Night League saw wins for the top six teams, leader’s Bell winning 5-4 at home against eighth in the table Romsley Cricket Club, second placed Gate Hangs Well wining by the same margin at Plough and Harrow to give them the same twenty-eight points as Bell and trail by ten legs of average. Third placed White Swan are also on twenty-eight points following their huge 9-0 win at Rowley Bar and Grill while fourth in the league Hill and Cakemore had an 8-1 home win over Huntingtree to put them on twenty-six points. Fifth and sixth placed Whiteheath Tavern and Windmills End are both on twenty points, the former winning 7-2 at Spring Meadow while the latter had a 6-3 home success over Waterfall.
Spring Meadow’s Simon Edmonds had a 160 break while Plough and Harrow’s Abdul Galeb recorded a maximum.
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For the first time in six games Bird in Hand ‘E’ lost in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League. Playing on their home board Bird in Hand ‘E’ took on third in the table Shovel who like their opponents had won their first five games. The result was a 4-3 win for Shovel to see Bird in Hand ‘E’ drop to third in the table and Shovel move up one place to second behind new leaders Old Liberal Club ‘A’ whose 7-0 home win over Garibaldi keeps their unbeaten run intact and gives them a six legs of average lead over Shovel.
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With Nick Fullwell not playing in week eighteen of the Ashwood Premier League he has had to forfeit his pole position and drop to third in the table. Talking over in the number one spot is John Green who on the night played two games winning 5-2 against Neil Murphy and then 6-1 against Chris Fox to give him a total of 205 points from thirty-seven games. Josh Pickett also moves up one place to second after he added a 4-3 win over Gavin Smith and then lost 5-2 to Neil Murphy to leave him six points short of Green from the same number of games played. Fullwell despite being some ten points short of John Green has four games in hand on both Green and Pickett.
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Nick Fullwell was able to play in the Black Country Thursday Night Singles League and added another three victories to his tally. He kicked off the night with 6-2 success over Benjamin Hollowood, he then won 7-1 against Ashley Ralph and rounded off the evening by handing his opponents Alex Mason an 8-0 whitewash to keep him top of the table and put him on 253 points from thirty-one games. Former leader and now second in the table Rich Bowen played two games in which he won 8-0 against Sarah Jane Parker and 5-3 against Benjamin Hollowood leaving him thirteen points behind Fullwell with just the one game in hand. The week’s results saw no change in the top five places Shane Price holding on to third place with a 5-3 win over Nick Whitehouse a 6-2 win over Benjamin Hollowood and a 5-3 win against Neil Murphy to give him 218 points from twenty-nine games. Gareth Johnston is fourth, only two points behind Price but from two games more and fifth in the league Benjamin Hollowood has 190 points from twenty-eight games.
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The West Midlands Men’s Super League are up to week seventeen and top of the table Dog and Partridge remain undefeated after completing fourteen fixtures the latest of which saw them have an important 3-2 home win over third in the table Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ who are now ten points short of their hosts and have played one game more than them. Second in the league Kings Head ‘A’ have played the same number of games as Dog and Partridge and are nine points behind them. Bottom of the table Three Crowns are the only team in the league without a win so far, they have played eleven games the most recent seeing them lose 5-0 at ECC who are fourth in the league table.
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