This coming weekend Warwickshire will kick start their new campaign in the UKDA Cosmo Darts Premier Division by making the long trek to the south west to the Indian Queens WMC, St Columb Major, St Austell, TR9 6QN where they will take on the local county Cornwall.
Last season Warwickshire finished sixth in the premier division with 223 points while their hosts ended up seventh with 210 points so the fixture could well prove to be a close encounter, however Warwickshire have strengthened their squad this season and returning to the county after an eleven year absence is top player Mark McGeeney and also joining the men is Kishan Jiwa while adding strength to the ladies squad are Sally Hodges, Kirsty Hinchliffe and Kristeen Meek.
Lining up for Warwickshire in the opener of what is the third season of the ULKDA National League will be Men’s ‘A’:- Carl Green, Dave Hill, Gareth Braham, Jack Wareing, Jamie Atkins, Kev Dowling, Mark McGeeney, Matty Washbrook, Nigel Heydon, Noel Grant, Steve Hine, Wayne Mynard, Men’s ‘B’:- Adam Hancock, Dave Redding, Karl Reynolds, Lee Miller, Mark Carter, Mark Martin, Mark Strong, Martin Tonks, Pete Hughes, Sam Price, Scott Hope, Will Naylor, Reserves:- Prakash Jiwa, Kishan Jiwa, Jamie Hughes, Noah Rose, Ian Shaw, Women’s ‘A’:- Natalie Gilbert, Courtney Hine, Wendy Adams, Donna Pinch, Marian Conway, Hannah Meek, Women’s ‘B’:- Nina Bolt, Caroline Pike, Kirsty Hinchcliffe, Denise Keyte, Chloe McKivett-Saunders, Kristeen Meek, Reserves:- Sally Hodges.
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After gaining two successive promotions from division three and division two, Black Country will begin life in the L-Style Division one with a home game against Gwent. Gwent last season were relegated from the Andy Wheeler Fisheries Championship Division so it could prove to be something of an early season trier for the home side to see how they will shape-up in the new higher division.
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West Midlands finished as runners-up in the L-Style Division One last season and as a result got promoted back to the Andy Wheeler Fisheries Championship Division but they will have to wait until the weekend of the 30th September / 1st October before they begin their season when they will play away against Cheshire as in this weekend’s opening fixtures they have a bye.
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After their close 4-3 win playing away against Cock Inn Northfield hold on to pole position in the Kings Norton League with a total of twenty-eight points from sixteen games while second placed Copper Fox won 5-2 at home against Coppice to leave them on the same twenty-eight points but with a game in hand on the leaders. Rubery Social Club lost their third place after going down 5-2 at home to Bourneville and drop one place to fourth on twenty-two points, two short of their victors who replace them in the number three position.
Four players found the three treble twenties this week L.Allen (Northfield), J.O’Neill (Rubery Social Club), M.James and A.Deeley both from Bourneville.
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The Sheldon and District Summer League played off the quarter-finals of their League Cup which produced a couple of surprising results the first of which was the 4-3 win by Willclare Sports and Social who beat The Dingle, both team are in division one Willclare bottom of the division without a win in eight games while Dingle are two places above them in the table with three wins under their belts. Another surprise was the 5-2 success from division four’s Smithswood Social who won playing away against Lyndon Old Boys who reside in division three. In the other two games there was a victory for division one teams Raven Arrows and Langley Arrows who in turn won against The Banbury Club and Brian’s Flights 7-0 and 6-1. Daniel White (Langley Arrows) hit the only maximum of the round while Dave Reed (Willclare Sports and Social) had a 115 finish and Gary Fleetwood (Banbury Club) had a 103 game shot).
Just the one rearranged division three fixture played which saw Kingshurst Labour Club and Trident Spears finish all-square at 4-4. Kevin Richards had a 128 checkout and Stephen Shepherd a twelve darts game for Kingshurst.
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It was not a good week for Highcroft Hotdogs in the first division of the Sutton and District Summer League as for the first time in six games they lost. Playing away against seventh in the division Old Oscott Arrows Highcroft returned on the wrong side of the 6-3 result, however they still remain top of the division but now only lead by three legs of average as second placed Bishop Vesey won 5-4 at Heartlands to go level on points with them. With the top two teams both on ten points third placed Old Horns Lions had an impressive 5-4 win at The Nomads who are just below them in the table and now two points behind them.
In division two Scott Armers have opened up a four points lead at the top of the table with a 5-4 win at fourth in the division Plough and Arrows while Charley’s Flights moved up two places to second with their 7-2 home win over Rosey Mac’s who were second and drop to fifth on the same six points as fourth and fifth placed Erdington Arrows and Plough and Arrows, Erdington Arrows had a bye this week. The five teams directly below Scott Armers all have a game in hand on the leaders.
Only the one score of 180 this week and that was achieved by Ryan Lowe from the Red Lion.
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It’s as you were in the Singles Division of the South West Birmingham Clubs League with the results from game fifteen not having any effect on the table whatsoever. Leaders Longbridge United remain top of the division despite losing their home tie with middle of the table Avenue Social 5-2 but now second placed West Heath CEM with their 6-1 home win over Northfield Town have drawn level on twenty-six points with Longbridge and only trail them by the slightest of differences, just one single leg of average. Third placed Bournbrook are a further two points behind although they handed out a 7-0 whitewash to their visitors Moseley All Services.
Quarry Club’s 5-2 home win over Perfection keeps them top of the Shadow League with six points, two more than their nearest rivals Northfield Conservative who had a 4-3 win away to Kings Norton Ex Service.
Top of the Pre Match Doubles Division is once again Longbridge United with 196 points and once again it’s West Heath CEM who are the nearest rivals with 176 points before a huge gap of 43 points to third placed Avenue Social.
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With only two more league fixtures to play the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League title is still far from being decided as current leaders Old Liberal Club added a straight 7-0 defeat to Britannia and second placed Cross (Oldswinford) won 4-3 at home against Rose and Crown ‘A’ to put both teams on sixty-six points with only average the difference separating the two. Third placed Ten Arches won 5-2 at home against Gate Hangs Well but they are well out of the frame as they are twelve points adrift of the leading duo.
The Shadow League title could go to any one of the top four teams as leaders Mount Pleasant are on eighteen points from seventeen games, second placed Raven have sixteen points from the same seventeen games and both have just one more to play while third and fourth teams Crestwood and Church Tavern area also on sixteen points and have two games to play.
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In the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League Allen’s Bar ‘A’ handed a 7-0 whitewash to their visiting team Sow and Pigs to give them a total of forty points from twenty-two games and a lead of six over second placed Vine ‘A’ who were awarded a 7-0 win as their opponents Allen’s Bar ‘B’ have dropped out of the league. Third and fourth placed Cottage Spring and Horseley Tavern are both on thirty points with the former having game in hand on the other three teams in the top four after having a bye this week. Horseley Tavern had a 5-2 win at Tamebridge.
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Week twenty-two of the Rowley Monday Night League brought together the league’s top two teams with leaders Bell playing hosts to second placed White Swan. The outcome was a 7-2 win for Bell to see them open up a two points lead over White Swan who in turn had their advantage over third placed Gate Hangs Well remain at four points as Gate also lost, going down 5-4 at Windmills End who with thirty points are fifth in the league. Fourth in the table is Hill and Cakemore Ex Serviceman’s Club, they won 6-3 at Rowley Bar and Grill, the win keeping them within two points of Gate Hangs Well.
On the individual scene Connor Whitehouse (White Swan) hit a maximum and there were 160 breaks for both Simon Edmonds (Spring Meadow) and Matt Hadley (Rowley Labour Club).
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Old Liberal Club made the halfway mark of the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League without losing as they rounded off the first half with a 5-2 win away against fifth in the league Stourbridge FC. Although undefeated in fifteen games Old Liberal Club have only a two points lead on second in the league Hollybush who had a close, but important 4-3 win at Bird in Hand ‘E’ who are fourth in the table with twenty-two points two short of third placed Cottage after their 6-1 win at Shovel which leaves them with twenty-four points, six off the top.
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Leader of the Ashwood Premier League Chris Williams didn’t play in week 29 but nevertheless remains top of the table with 292 points from 60 games. Second placed John Green played and won his first game against Carl Hipkiss 5-2 and then won 4-3 against Jack Pritchard to put him on 287 points and although five short of Williams he has seven games in hand on him, Third in the league Nick Fullwell also played two games winning the first against Ash Marson 5-2 and then beating Carl Hipkiss by the same margin to give him 276 points, however he has four games in hand on Green and eleven on Williams.
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No change in the top placings of the Black Country Men’s Super League with leaders Allen’s Bar ‘C’ winning 4-1 in their home tie with Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ and with forty-nine points the leaders are just one to the good on second placed Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ who went one better with a 5-0 clean-sweep over bottom of the table Vine, Blackheath. Gilbert’s ‘B have a game in hand on Allen’s ‘C’ which could see them go top of the table.
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As a result of Danny Nicholls not playing in the Black Country Thursday Night Singles League he has dropped to second place behind new leader Mark Jones who with a 5-3 win over Neil Murphy and a 7-1 success against Rich Bowen has gone top of the table with 79 points, one more than Nicholls who has played one game fewer than Jones.
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Dog and Partridge are leading the West Midlands Men’s Super League with 117 points from 21 games, they have a lead of eleven points over second placed Kings Head ‘A’ plus a game in hand which looks very much like a title winning advantage.
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There are clear leaders in al l three divisions of the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League with Scott baker leading the way in division one with 176 points from 22 games and a lead of 27 over second placed ben Johnson.
In division two it’s Jason Hough who heads the table on 160 points with Clark Cook second just three points short of Hough from the same 22 games.
Alan Melling has a massive 33 points lead on his nearest rival Robert Harris and looks odds-on to clinch the title and promotion.
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Gilbert’s Bar was the setting for the Bank Holiday Knockout and also the Willenhall Junior Darts Academy Knockout. In the former it was Richard Hosey who collected the winners £170 after beating Simon Mountford 5-2 in the final, Mountford receiving £80.
In the semis Hosey won 4-3 against Rob Thompson and Mountford accounted for Kevin Bambrick with a 4-2 result, Thompson and Bambrick each picked up £25.
The Willenhall Junior Darts Academy Knockout title, plus the winners £50 went to Cayden Smith who had a straight 4-0 win over Jake Robinson in the final, Robinson collected £30.
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