With the Sheldon and District Summer League already up to the midway point of its season, despite being held to a 4-4 draw at home by Raven Arrows The Dingle hold on to pole position in group one with a total of seven points. Hot on the heels of Dingle are Highwood and Langley Arrows who are both just one point behind Dingle with a game in hand. Second placed Highwood handed out an 8-0 whitewash to their visitors Yardley Ex Colts while Langley Arrows, who also had a home tie, beat bottom of the group Willclare Sports and Social 6-2. John Buckingham (Highwood) and Lee Hodges (The Dingle) each recorded a maximum.
The top three teams in group two held on to their places the only change in the group coming in the bottom two teams. Maggies, after recording their first win in four when they won 5-3 against Shirley Misfits moved off the foot of the table to be replaced by Hornet who had a bye this week. Leaders Sheldon Dukes were held to a 4-4 home draw by second in the group Brian’s Flights and so remain two points to the good on their rivals while third placed Shirley Misfits despite the surprise defeat remain third, now on the same three points as as their victors Maggies, but with a slightly better average. Highlight of the group was the 149 game shot by Maggies player Noel Hall.
Langley Flights suffered their first defeat in four in group three and as a result lose their number one spot and drop to third being replaced at the top of the table by their hosts and victors Trident Spears, who with seven points have a one point lead over second placed Kingshurst Labour Club and Langley Flights. Kingshurst Labour with a maximum from Rick Richards won their fixture at Sheldon Marlborough Ridge 6-2.
The top three teams in group four are all on six points with Banbury Club heading the table with not only the best average but also with a game in hand on the chasing duo Smithswood Social Club and Moseley Rugby Club. Banbury had their game at Hampton and Solihull Cricket Club postponed while Smithswood Social Club moved up one place in the table to second after their 6-2 win at The Raven, Moseley Rugby Club losing the number two spot after they were held to a 4-4 draw at home by Sheldon Marlborough Flights leaving them just one leg of average short of Smithswood.
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As the South West Birmingham Clubs League completes the first half of its season a convincing 6-1 win at Stirchley Flights keeps Longbridge United top of the singles division with twenty points from eleven games. West Heath CEM kept the heat on Longbridge with their similar 6-1 home win over Moseley All Services and remain just the one win, two points behind the leaders. A further two points behind in third place is Bournbrook who had a closer 4-3 win playing away against bottom of the table Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club who have just the one win from their eleven games so far. Fourth and fifth placed Stirchley United and Northfield Town in turn won 5-2 at Perfection and 4-3 at Avenue Social.
In the pre-match doubles division of the league Longbridge again top the table with 155 points and have a huge lead of twenty-six points over their nearest rivals West Heath CEM who in turn are twenty-eight points to the good on third in the table Quarry Club.
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Week two in the Sutton and District Summer League and two teams are locked together at the top of the division one table level on both points and average. Aston Manor CC Flights had a 6-3 win at Bishop Vesey to see them jump up from fourth to joint top while their opponents dropped from second to sixth. Highcroft Hotdogs won their home tie with Old Horns Lions 5-4 to go level with Aston Manor. Third in the division Old Oscott Arrows were also 5-4 winners in their away game against next to bottom Heartlands to leave them just one leg of average short of the two teams above them. After the unbeaten three teams at the top of the table come four with two points, two behind the top trio, Red Lion, Walmley CSC Flights, Bishop Vesey and Nomads. Red Lion suffered their first defeat going down 5-4 at Nomads while Walmley had a 6-3 success at Old Horns Arrows.
In division two Scott Armers lead the way their convincing 8-1 win at St Tom Cats keeping them in pole position with a three legs average lead over Rosey Mac’s who won the local derby with Rosey Mac’s Bar 7-2. Erdington Arrows and Plough and Arrows are joint third, Erdington having a 6-3 win at Sutton Sharks while Plough and Arrows while Plough and Arrows had a bye.
Individual achievements this week go to Scott Alexander (Highcroft Hotdogs) and Phil Locke (Old Oscott Arrows) who both hit a maximum, not too far behind were Karl Tooze (Erdington Arrows) with his 177 and Kevin Smith ((Nomads) 171. Nomads Carl Winters was in fine form recording a 152 break, a score of 101 and a winning leg of eight darts.
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Over the last two weeks the Rowley Monday Night League have been playing their top half and bottom half doubles knockout down to the last eight pairs and winning through to the quarter-finals in the top half were K.Wright & G.Jackson, S.Gillam & C.Whitehouse, S.Price & T.Brennan, B.Young & K.Chambers, J.Bland & D.Stanton, I.Stokes & D.Whittle, A.Lynch & B.Gillies, T.Johnson & J.Green. The last eight pairs for the bottom half of the league are D.Locke & J.Tart, R.Lenton & L.Eaves, K.Gardener & I.Vincent, B.Smith & P.Partridge, S.Hadley & J.Keller, N.Cox & A.Ward, D.Brookes & D.Bunce, K.Bedford & S.Thompson.
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The majority of teams in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League have only five more fixtures to play and the title is still up for grabs for the current two leading teams Old Liberal Club and Cross (Oldswinford). In game number thirty-one all of the top three teams won 7-0, leaders Old Liberal Club won at Rose and Crown ‘A’, second placed Cross (Oldswinford) had a home win over Glasscutters and third placed Ten Arches, who also played at home, beat Fox Inn (Lye). The results keep Old Liberal Club top with sixty points, Cross (Oldswinford) second with the same sixty points but trailing by nine legs of average and Ten Arches third with fifty points.
The Shadow League is being fiercely contested with Crestwood, who had a bye this week, leading the field with fourteen points from thirteen games. Raven and Mount Pleasant are second and third, they are both on the same fourteen points as Crestwood but are behind on average and have both played one game more than the leaders. Third and fourth in the table Rose and Crown ‘A’ and Church Tavern are both on twelve points and have a game in hand on Raven and Mount Pleasant.
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Just the one rearranged fixture played in the Netherton Thursday Night League this week but what a vital fixture it was as second in the league Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘A’ played hosts to leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’. A win for the home side was the only remote possibility of them winning the title as before the fixture they were two points behind their opponents and this was their final fixture of the season with the away side still having one more game to play. The result was an emphatic 7-2 win for Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’, confirming them as champions for a second successive season. Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘A’ will finish as runners-up on 42 points and with the same number of points but with a lesser average Bulls Head third. Netherton Sports and Social Club ‘B’ with one win from their twenty-eight games take the wooden spoon.
With the season all but now completed the league are on the lookout for more teams to join them for the forthcoming campaign. Anyone interested in entering a team into the league or requiring any further information should contact either Carl on 07898-299992 or Ron on 07970-694450.
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Allen’s Bar ‘A’ handed their opponents Albion a 7-0 whitewash in week twenty of the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League to take their points tally to thirty-four from nineteen games giving them a most comfortable lead of eight points over Vine ‘A, Cottage Spring and Horseley Tavern with Vine ‘A’ and Cottage Spring having a game in hand on the leaders. Vine ‘A’ and Cottage Spring in turn had 4-3 wins over Horseley Tavern and Allen’s Bar ‘B’., Horseley dropping from second to fourth in the table, Vine ‘A’ and Cottage Spring both moving up one place to second and third respectively.
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Old Liberal Club ‘A’ extended their unbeaten run in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League to eleven games when they added their 6-1 win away to Ashwood to their account. The win sees the leaders hold on to their two points lead over Bird in Hand ‘E’ and Hollybush, the former winning 6-1 at Woodman (formerly Black Horse) and the latter having a 7-0 success at Netherton Conservative Club. Union had a 6-1 win at Garibaldi and Stourbridge FC won by the same margin at Kings Head to leave them fourth and fifth in the table both on eighteen points.
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Leader of the Ashwood Premier League John Green began week twenty-four with a 6-1 win over Jayden Harper and followed that with a 5-2 success against Rob Pierce to put him on 247 points from 45 games but second placed Nick Fullwell played three fixtures and the first two saw him win 7-0 against both Alan Bate and Wozza Pritchard. Fullwell then ended the night with a 5-2 win over Rob Pierce to reduce the arrears on Green to just one point and he still has three games in hand on Green. Chris Williams didn’t have the best of starts as he lost 4-3 to Sam Aitkens, Chris Fox and Ben Watts before ending the night on a high with a 6-1 win over Dave Simpson to move him up into third place with 235 points, twelve fewer than Green and nine short of Fullwell but he has now played 49 games.
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A 4-1 home win against Horse and Jockey was not enough for Whiteheath Tavern to hold on to second place in the Black Country Men’s Super League as with thirty-two points they drop to third in the table with Quarry Bank Liberal Club replacing them in the number two spot after their 5-0 home success over White Swan which takes their points tally to thirty-three, one more than Whiteheath. Allen’s Bar ‘C’ remain in pole position after they won their home game against Halesowen Cricket Club 4-1 to give them thirty-five points.
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Week twenty-one saw Dog and Partridge, leaders of the West Midlands Men’s Super League lose for the first time in eighteen games when they went down 3-2 away to Bridgtown Social but despite the defeat they still have a comfortable elven points lead over second and third in the league Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ and Kings Head ‘A’, Kings Head ‘A’ having a game in hand on the two teams above them.
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The top two players in division one of the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League Scott Baker and Ben Johnson didn’t play in week twenty-one but nevertheless hold on to their places in the table, Baker with 147 points and Johnson on 133, both having played nineteen games. Third placed Martin Price is on 114 points and has two games in hand on both of the players above him.
A 5-3 defeat by Clark Cook has seen Tony Singh drop from pole position to second in division two and has seen Jason Hough take over the top spot following his 8-0 win over namesake Jason Lloyd giving him a four points advantage over Singh.
Alan Melling continues to lead division three, his 8-0 success against Helen Sims taking his number of points to 174, twenty-six more than his nearest rival Robert Harris who didn’t play this week but he has played the same twenty games as Melling.
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