Warwickshire had their away game against Hertfordshire in the UKDA National League’s Cosmo Darts Premier Division brought forward a couple of weeks. Prior to the fixture Warwickshire were fourth in the division with 146 points and their host’s three places below them with 133 points.
The weekend didn’t get off to a very good start as the ladies ‘B’ finished on the wrong side of the 5-1 result with Courtney Hine their sole winner beating Kerry King 3-0 with a 16.52 match award winning average. The men’s ‘B’ levelled the score for the day when they won 8-4, thanks to wins from, Jnr Joyce, Steve Hine, Mark Strong, Mark Faulkner, Karl Reynolds, Jack Wareing, Mark Martin and Zac Prince, the match award shared by both Mark Faulkner and Jack Wareing who both averaged 25.69 in their respective wins over Ian Clarkson and Matt Creed.
In Sunday’s games the ladies ‘A’ finished all square at three each, their three winners being Caroline Pike, Hannah Meek and Marian Conway with Hannah Meek topping the averages with her 19.88 and 3-1 win over Stacey Aylesbury. Like the ladies ‘A’ the men’s ‘A’ also finished on level terms, their six winners being Danny Lauby, Nigel Heydon, Kevin Dowling, Samuel Price, Jamie Hughes and Gareth Braham with Jamie Hughes their top player averaging 30.49 in his 4-2 win against Jarred Cole.
The overall 18-18 draw for the weekend saw Warwickshire move up one place to third with 165 points just three short of second placed Lancashire.
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The ever-popular Brandon Easter Open was staged over the weekend which paid out a total of £790. Making their exits in the last sixteen were John Hilton, Nigel Heydon, Ryan Saunders, Alex Kenney, Ian McFarlane, Martin Tonks, Mark Tennant and Dan Hutchinson. In the quarter-finals Harry Earp won 6-3 against Charlie Symons, Noel Grant had a 6-4 win over Dave Pallett, Jenson Walker won 6-4 against Taylor McGuckian and Liam Mulryne had a close 6-5 verdict over Matt Norton. The first of the semis was another game to go down to the wire as Warwickshire’s Noel Grant got the 6-5 edge on Leicestershire’s Harry Earp while Lincolnshire’s Jenson Walker beat Liam Mulryne 6-1. The top prize of £300 went to Jenson Walker after winning 7-3 in the final against Noel Grant who received £150. There was £90 for the losing semi-finalists and £40 each for players exiting in the quarter-finals.
Jenson Walker (Winner) and Neil Pritchard
Noel Grant (Runner-Up) and Neil Pritchard
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Langley Arrows completed their fixtures in the Premier League of the Sheldon and District Winter League with an 8-1 win at EBAHA to put them on twenty-eight points. Second placed Sheldon Marlborough Arrows won 7-2 at third in the division Raven Arrows whose Jack Alexander hit a maximum. The win gives Sheldon Marlborough Arrows the same twenty-eight points as leaders Langley Arrows but they have one more game to play and a win in that game would see them clinch the title. Raven Arrows have two remaining games but they trail the leading duo by some twelve points.
In division one Smithswood Social Club won 5-4 at Trident Spears and with one more game to play they have won the divisional title as their twenty-eight points is six to the good on second placed Kingshurst Labour Club who won 6-3 at Iron Horse rebels, Kingshuurst have two more fixtures to play but cannot catch Smithswood.
It is still too close to call in division two as any one of the top four teams could still win the title. Current leaders Moseley Rugby Club had their home game with third placed Raven postponed and are on eighteen points from fourteen games with two to play. Second placed Sheldon Marlborough Flights had a bye they are also on eighteen points form fourteen games with two to play. Raven are two points behind the leading duo and have two remaining fixtures while fourth placed Lyndon Old Boys, who lost their home tie with Shirley Misfits 5-4 are on the same sixteen points as Raven but with three to play. Dave Sheridan (Lyndon Old Boys) was another player to find the three treble twenties.
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There were just three fixtures played in the Four Oaks and District League this week which in division one Charley’s Flights won 5-4 at Red Lin and Old Horns Lions had a 6-3 success playing at Rise Club.
The one division two fixture played produced a 7-2 home win for Deer’s Leap over Sutton Sports.
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It was the Mixed Doubles Knockout on the fixture card for the South West Birmingham Clubs League and from an entry of twelve pairs the eventual winners were Aaron Fenton and Samantha-Jayne Lilley who beat K.Webb and Shirley Nevin in the final.
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It’s as-you-were for the top four teams in the Stourbridge and District League with leaders Gornal British Legion winning 6-1 at Mount Pleasant to stay just ahead of second placed Old Liberal Club on average after they also won 6-1 at home against Ashwood. Old Liberal Club have only played twelve games compared to the British Legion having played thirteen, the Liberal Club are the only team in the league who are still able to boast a 100% win record. Ten Arches ‘A’ are third on twenty-two points after adding their latest 5-2 win over Raven ‘B’ to their account. Making up the top four are Glasscutters ‘A’ who won their home tie with Netherton Conservative Club 7-1, the defeat seeing the Conservative Club dropping two places in the table to seventh.
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The Netherton Thursday Night League played their Treble Knockout down to the last four teams and making the semi-finals were P.Tonks, M.Rollinson, B.Carr, R.Turner (Dudley Ex Servieman’s Club ‘A’), N.Fullwell, G.Moreton, J.Batham, C.Hart (Old Liberal Club), D.Stevens, A.Hill, S.Goodall (Cherrywood), P.O’Brien, C.Bowen, K.Wright, S.Priest (Bulls Head).
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Allen’s Bar stretched their unbeaten run in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League to nine games when they won their home game with Horseley Tavern ‘B’ 6-1. The win puts Allen’s two points ahead of second and third placed Vine ‘A’ and Sandwell after Vine ‘A’ lost for the first time in nine when they went down 4-3 at home to fourth in the table Cottage Spring who are on fourteen points while Sandwell had a 5-2 home win over Ivy Bush. After the top four there are three teams all on twelve points, Three Horseshoes, Wonder ‘B’ and Tipton Sports.
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Week two in the new season for the Silver End Sunday Morning League and the top three teams all hold on to their positions. Old Liberal Club top the table adding a further 7-1 win over Pensnett Liberal Club ‘A’ to their tally to put them one leg of average to the good on second and third placed Dudley Sports ‘A’ and Tenth Lock who both won 7-1 in their respective games against Ashwood and High Acres ‘B’. Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club lost their fourth place and dropped to ninth following their 6-2 defeat at sixth placed Old Star.
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Wins for the top four team in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League sees them all hold on to their places as leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ won 7-2 at home against Pensnett Liberal Club ‘B’ to give them a total of sixty-eight points from thirty-seven games. Second placed Bridge won 6-3 against Raven to leave them ten points short of the leaders but with two games in hand. Third placed Maverick are on the same fifty-eight points as Bridge but like the top team have played thirty-seven games, the latest of which saw them win 7-2 against Tommy Turners ‘A’. Old Bush are fourth, again with fifty-eight points after they won 8-1 at Dudley Sports ‘A’.
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The Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League played off the finals of their Singles Knockout and both semi-finals finished with 3-1 results as J.Churchill (Bird in Hand) lost to N.Fullwell (Hollybush) and K.James (Hollybush) beat W.Page (Beech Tree Miners) to set up an all Hollybush final. Once again in the final the result was 3-1, this time going to N.Fullwell with K.James runner-up.
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It certainly wasn’t unlucky thirteen for Wonder in the Rowley Monday Night League as they strolled to a 7-2 home win over third in the table Tividale FC to make it thirteen straight wins and keep intact their two points lead on reigning champions Bell who had a closer 5-4 win at the Vine. Tividale FC are on twenty points as are fourth in the league Snooks after they won 6-3 at home against bottom placed Ex Serviceman’s Club.
There were four maximums scored this week in the league and they came from D.Phillips (Snooks), S.Hadley (Loyal Lodge), M.Perkins (Wonder) and J.Harris (Romsley Cricket Club).
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Leaders of the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League New Inn 2 played a local derby against New Inn and won 8-1 to consolidate their pole position in the table and taking their points to thirty-six from a possible thirty-eight, giving them a two points advantage over second in the league Gornal British Legion who had a 5-4 home win over Netherton Sports and Social Club who in turn have a two points lead on thid placed Mount Pleasant after they defeated Baggeridge Social 7-2.
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Gemma Barrett added a 3-1 win over Hannah Davies to her tally to remain top of the table in the West Midlands Ladies Super League with seventy-four points from twenty-one games. Evonne Taylor takes over in second place from Jacqueline Maiden after she beat Julie Emery and Sarah Barrett 3-0 to leave her just two points behind Gemma Barrett with three games in hand. Jacqueline Maiden dropped one place to third following her somewhat surprising 3-0 defeat to Kelly Doleman, she is now five points off the top with one game in hand.
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No change in the to three places in the Amblecote RBL Premier League, leader Jason Lowe adding a 6-1 win over fifth placed Cayden Smith before going on to win 7-0 against Lee Craig to put him on 185 points from 28 games. Second placed Ian Townsend beat Lee Craig 6-1and Joe Poole 4-3 to put him on 173 points from 28 games while third placed Nick Fullwell is a further three points adrift with a game in hand after he won 7-0 against Ryan Green and 6-1 against Bayley Owen.
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Despirte not playing this week Scott Baker reamins top of division one in the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League with 84 points from ten games. Chris Manoila is seocnd, also on 84 points but from thirteen games, the latest being 6-2 win against Andrew Jervis. Third placed Mark Zambra is a further six points behind after he beat Steve Lynch 5-3,
An 8-0 win against Claire Hobbs keeps Michael Smith top of division two with 99 points, he has a lead of fourteen plus a game in hand on his nearest rival Wayne Barratt who beat Reece Cook Lucas 7-1 and although he has played two games more than third in the division Andy Mullinder, he has an eleven points lead on him after Mullinder won 6-2 against Ashley Marklew.
Olly Garratt kept his number one spot in division three, an 8-0 win over Josh Rowley taking his points to 112 from 13 games. Garratt’s nearesty rival, Keogh Baker lost ground in the title race as he went down 5-3 to league newcomer Troy Simmonds
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It was the finals of the Burrell Shield for the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night Darts League and losing out in the semi-finals were Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ and Hotshots, the title eventually going to Junction ‘B’ after defeating New Gate Inn ‘A’ in the final..
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