Week ten results in the Sheldon and District Winter League saw no change in the top four places of the Premier League, Langley Arrows holding on to pole position with a 6-3 win away to third in the division Highwood. Langley’s win keeps their 100% win record intact making it nine consecutive victories and also maintains their two points lead over second placed Sheldon Marlborough Arrows, who with a maximum from their Neil Parsonage won 7-2 at Raven Arrows. Highwood’s defeat has seen them fall eight points behind their victors and has also seen fourth placed Banbury Club draw level on the same ten points following their 7-2 home win over Sheldon Dukes.
In division one leaders Brian’s Flights had a 7-2 win at Iron Horse Rebels to give them a slender one leg of average lead over Trident Spears whose 6-3 home win over Hollywood Social puts them level on sixteen points with Brian’s Flights. Third placed Willclare Sports and Social won 7-2 on their home board against The Bell Inn leaving them two points short of the leading duo but they have now played ten games, one more than the two teams above them.
An 8-1 home win over The Raven has increased division two leaders Sheldon Marlborough Ridge’s average lead over second placed Castle Bromwich WMC who won 5-4 at Lyndon Old Boys. Although two points behind Ridge, Castle Bromwich have a game in hand but currently a 9-0 win in that game would see them go level on points with Sheldon Marlborough Ridge but still trailing on average. Hornet and Lyndon Old Boys are third and fourth in the division both on ten points after Hornet beat Moseley Rugby Club 6-3 and Lyndon lost at Castle Bromwich WMC.
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Smethwick Cricket Club have been ousted from their number one spot in the Harborne and District League after returning from Cock Inn on the wrong side of the 5-4 result. Smethwick drop to fifth in the table and are replaced at the top of the table by Copper Fox ‘R’ who made it two wins in as many games when they had a convincing 8-1 win away to next to bottom of the table The Mill. Other teams to have won both of their opening fixtures to the new season are Northfield Conservative Club, Northfield Town and Weoley Castle WMC. Northfield Conservative Club handed Copper Fox ‘M’ their first defeat of the new campaign beating them on their own board 7-2 while Northfield Town, who are level on the same points and average as the Conservative Club handed their hosts Windsor a 9-0 whitewash. Weoley Castle WMC were another team to keep a clean sheet as they also won 9-0 away to Avenue Social.
Just the one player found the three treble twenties this week and that was Northfield Conservative player A.Sutton.
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Thurlestone lost their top place in the Kings Norton League and drop to fourth in the table after suffering a 6-1 home defeat by Northfield. After only three fixtures have been played, from the starting line-up of fourteen teams only two are able to boast a 100% win record, Copper Fox and Northfield. Taking over at the top of the league are those two teams Copper Fox and Northfield who share the number one position level on points and average after Copper Fox won 5-2 at Cock Inn and Northfield beat Thurlestone.
Two 160 breaks were recorded in the league this week and they were supplied by S.Jacques whose team Coppice lost 4-3 at Bourneville and M.Welsh who also finished on the wrong side of a 4-3 result as his team Stirchley lost at Longbridge.
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The South West Birmingham Clubs League are up to game eight and Longbridge United consolidated their top of the table position in the singles division with an 8-0 win at E57. The win keeps Longbridge five points to the good on second placed Northfield Town who were not far behind with their 7-1 home win over fourth in the league Northfield Conservative Club ’B’, With ten points, five fewer than Longbridge, West Heath CEM are placed third after being held to a 4-4 draw at home by Quarry Club who are seventh in the league.
It’s close at the top of the pre-match doubles division with both West Heath CEM and Longbridge United on ninety-one points. Northfield Town are the nearest threat to the leading duo, they are third, four points off the top with eighty-seven points.
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The Four Oaks and District League have got their new season underway with the preliminary round of their Coronation Cup, the biggest win of the round going to The Beehive who won their home game with Rosey Mac’s Bar 14-1. Close behind Beehive were Rosey Mac’s who had a 13-2 win at Sutton Sports while with a 12-3 scoreline Highvroft Hotdogs beat Drakes Drum. There were 11-4 win for Plough and Arrows, Old Horns Lions, Pint Pot Flights, Deer’s Leap, The Nomads and Red Lion who in turn accounted for Charley’s Flights, Erdington Arrows, St Thomas Arrows, St Tom Cats, The Rise Club and Sutton Sharks. Bishop Vesey booked their place in the next round with a 10-5 win at Heartlands and joining them will be Walmley CSC Flights who were 9-6 winners at Beggars Bush,,
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The Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League have managed to increase their numbers for the new season by adding another four teams. The season has got underway with the first round of their Black Country Windscreens Trophy which saw Cottage Spring chalk up the round’s biggest win as they took out Albion with a 6-1 scoreline. There were 5-2 wins for both Ivy Bush and Horseley Tavern ‘A’ who in turn defeated Horseley Tavern ‘B’ and Vine ‘B’. The remaining three fixtures all finished with a close 4-3 result and making their way into the next round were Allen’s Bar, Tamebridge and Vine ‘A’ at the expense of Waggon and Horses, Sow and Pigs and Horse and Jockey.
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The Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League staged the semi-finals of their League Cup in which already acclaimed league champions Old Liberal Club ‘A’ beat fourth in the league Cottage 5-2. Meeting Old Liberal Club ‘A’ in the final will be Stourbridge FC who had close 4-3 win over Brickmakers Arms who are just two places off the foot of the table.
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A bye has cost Bulls Head the leadership of the Netherton Thursday Night League and sees them drop three places to fourth on sixteen points. Taking over at the top of the table is Townsend Social Club, their 5-4 home win over Hare and Hounds giving them a two points lead over reigning champions Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ who like Townsend move up one place to take over the number two spot. The Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ had a 7-2 win over local rivals Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘B’ to leave them just two points short of Townsend but with two games in hand. On the same sixteen points as the Ex Serviceman’s Club ’A’ and Bulls Head is third placed Old Liberal Club whose latest fixture saw them win 8-1 away to Spring Meadow Social. Old Liberal Club have one game in hand on the current league leaders and also have a superior average.
The other end of the table produced a clash between the bottom two teams with bottom side Olde Queens Head taking on next to bottom Netherton Sports and Social Club, the 8-1 result going in favour of the Sports and Social Club to open up a four points gap between the two teams, Olde Queens Head still, after ten games, are seeking their first win.
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The Rowley Monday Night League saw White Swan become the early pacesetters as they kicked-off the new campaign with an 8-1 win at Huntingtree to put them top of the table. Close behind White Swan with 7-2 wins were Bell and Romsley Cricket Club, Bell with a tremendous 170 maximum break from their Trevor Brennan winning at home against league newcomers Hawthorns whose T.Johnson chalked up a maximum score of 180, while Romsley Cricket Club played away and won against Spring Meadow. Gate Hangs Well and Plough and Harrow both won 6-3 in turn defeating Snooks and Loyal Lodge while there were 5-4 wins for Rowley Bar and Grill, Rowley Labour Club and Wonder who beat respective opponents Tividale FC, Whiteheath Tavern and Hill and Cakemore Ex Serviceman’s Club.
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It was week six of the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League’s Mini Leagues, the John Walters Cup and the John Walters Trophy. In the cup Gornal Labour Club went down 6-3 at White Horse and as a result drop three places in the table to fourth with Netherton Sports and Social and Bulls Head sharing the top position after the former won 7-2 at Gornal British Legion and the latter won by the same margin at Baggeridge.
In the trophy a close 5-4 win at Meadow Lark was enough to keep Britannia top of the table and also take their unbeaten run to five games. Britannia with ten points have a two points advantage over second placed Red Cow who also won 5-4 in their home tie with Seven Stars.
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Week eight in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League and the top two teams continue to remain undefeated. A 160 break from S.Tipper and a 6-1 win at Crestwood helped to keep Old Liberal Club top of the table with a perfect sixteen points and a lead of seven legs of average over their nearest rivals second placed Bird in Hand who kept their winning run going with a 4-3 home win over Rose and Crown ‘A’. Third placed Netherton Conservative Club ‘B’ had a similar 4-3 win at Gate Hangs Well ‘B’ whose A.Moreton had a 160 break.
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Leader of the Amblecote RBL Premier League Nick Fullwell played three games in the latest round of fixtures he began by handing Jake Shipley a straight 7-0 defeat and after being held to a close 4-3 win by Neil Murphy rounded off his evening with another 7-0 win, this time against Michael Harding. The three wins take Fullwell’s points tally to 101 from nineteen games. Andy Vellender had to surrender his number two placing to Dan Nicholls despite playing and winning two games beating Mitch Pickett 5-2 and winning 6-1 against Ben Watts as Nicholls beat Joe Poole 6-1, Ryan Green 7-0 Jake Robinson 6-1 and Shane Passey 7-0 to take him up into second place with eighty-eight points from only fifteen games, thirteen short of Fullwell but with four games in hand. Vellender drops to fourth place on eighty-five points from seventeen games. Gavin Smith moves up to third place on the same eighty-eight points as Nicholls but from seventeen games, the latest of which saw him win 5-2 against Josh Wheeler, 4-3 against John Green and 6-1 against Steve Gillam.
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No change at the top of the Black Country Men’s Super League table as leaders Pensnett Liberal Club won 4-1 at home against Allen’s Bar ‘B’, Allen’s Bar ‘C’ lost 3-2 at Ashwood but hold on to second place with 100 points which is three short of the leaders and only one more than third in the league Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ who won 3-2 at home against White Swan.
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A 7-1 win over Jon Blakemore consolidates Wayne Jones place at the top of division one of the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League and gives him a three points lead plus a game in hand on his nearest rival Ian Stanton who beat Clark Cook 6-2 and Dean Simmons-Fullwood 5-3.
Alan Melling tops division two with forty-three points. In his latest fixture he was held to a 4-4 draw by Michael Franks but he still has a six point’s advantage over second placed Artur Lubkowski.
Leading the way in division three is Dave Thackeray who took his points tally to fifty-three with a clear-cut 8-0 win over Andy Poole to give him a lead of four points over second in the division Gareth Walsh after he won 5-3 against Sandra Beardsmore.
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Corpus Christi was the setting for the finals of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League’s singles knockout which attracted a total of forty-five players. Making their exits in the quarter-finals were Paul Bromley (ECC ‘A’), Ash Barker (Three Crowns), Adam Slade (Railway) and Luke Griffiths (ECC ‘A’). Just missing out on a final place and losing in the last four were Jamie Webb (Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’) and Ian Stanton (ECC A).
The final was fought out between Dave Lucas (Corpus Christi ‘A’) and Mark White (Ring of Bells) with the former getting the straight 3-0 result to clinch the title.
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