The top two teams in the premier league of the Sheldon and District Winter League, Langley Arrows and Sheldon Marlborough Arrows squared up to each other in week three of the new season and home advantage proved to be a winner for Sheldon Marlborough Arrows as they won the game 6-3 to replace their opponents in pole position with a perfect six points from their opening three games. Langley Arrows slipped to third place behind Highwood who also made it three straight wins when they won 7-2 at home against Kingshurst Labour Club to share the top spot with Sheldon Marlborough Arrows, level on points and average. Fourth in the division RAFA had a 6-3 win at Mackadown Sports and SocialClub with both Sam Hicks and Kieran Smyth notching a maximum for the winners.
In division one RAFA Arrows held on to the number one spot with a 5-4 home win over Moseley Rugby Club, the win giving them a slender one leg of average lead on second placed Raven who made it three straight wins when they won 6-3 at Trident Spears. After the top two, there are three teams, Banbury Club, Trident Spears and Sheldon Marlborough Ridge all on four points, just two behind the leader duo.
CBMC-A have replaced Maggies at the top of division two, their narrow 5-4 victory away to Shirley Misfits leaving them as the only team in the division with a 100% win record. Maggies 6-3 home defeat to Hunters Moon sees them drop to third place with four points, one leg of average behind second placed Langley Pints after they added their convincing 8-1 home win over Raven Flights to their account, Anthony Daly hitting a 180 for the Pints while Garry Stait also hit a 180 for Hunters Moon as did Colin Kettlewell (Hollywood Social Club) in his team’s 5-4 win at Castle Bromwich Spitfires.
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The Sutton and District League had the first round of their Coronation Shiled and Norman Day Cup on the agenda and in the former there were wins for Old Horns Lions, Oscott Social Club, Erdington Arrows, Old Oscott Arrows, Deer’s Leap and Heartlands, who in turn accounted for Hollyfields (8-7), Rise Club (9-6), St Thomas Lions (9-6), Rosey Mac’s (12-3), Drakes Drum (8-7) and Nomads @ Hollyfields (9-6).
Making their way into the next round of the Norman Day Cup were Minworth Bulls, Plough and Arrows, Great Barr Social and Sutton Sharks who defeated respective opponents Misfits @ Holly Lane Sports and Social Club (10-5), St Thomas Arrows (10-5), Rosey Mac’s Bar (11-4) and Beggars Bush (8-7).
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With no result for Bourneville in the Kings Norton League this week they have lost the top spot and dropped to second place behind new leaders Northfield whose 6-1 home win over Longbridge has seen them make it four wins in as many games. Similar to Bourneville there was no result for Perfection, the former placed second and the latter third in the league table, both having played and won three games, the top three teams are the only teams in the league not to have lost so far. After the top three there are five teams all on four points, Cock Inn and E57 who have both played four games plus Bournebrook, Longbridge and Greenlands who have only played three games. Greenlands Tom Garfield was the only player to score a maximum this week in his team’s 5-2 home win over Kings Norton Flights.
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The South West Birmingham Clubs League rounded off their season with the final of their Bob Price Cup which was staged at Bournebrook and saw Stirchley United run out as champions with Northfield Darts Club runners-up after Stirchley got the better of the 5-2 result.
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Week twenty-five saw no change at the top of the Heartlands Sugardarts M&E Co Double Top League as leader Matthew Cain added a 3-0 win over Sue John before beating a former league leader Steve Cain 2-1 to give him a total of 115 points from 46 games and a lead of one point over his nearest rival, second placed Martin Cooper who added a 3-0 win over Charley Demery plus a 2-1 win over Ryan Cain to his account. John Frost is placed third and in addition to being thirteen points off the top he has also played two games more than the two players above him, his latest fixtures seeing him win 3-0 against Matt Richmond and 2-1 against Steve McCormack. John Burdett, in fourth place is only one point short of Frost and has two games in hand after he beat L.J.Austin 3-0 and Steve Cain 2-1. Ryan Cain scored the only maximum of the week in his 3-0 win over Clive Austin.
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It was cup semi-final week in the Stourbridge and Districr Monday Night League, the last four games of their League Cup in which Old Liberal Club beat Crestwood 6-1 and Gornal British Legion went one better with their 7-0 success over Seven Stars.
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With Double Tops Micro Bar having their fixture with Red Cow postponed in the John Edwards Thursday Night League they have lost their top spot and dropped to fifth place in the league table, Smethwick Cricket Club have replaced Double Tops Micro Bar in pole position, their 6-3 win at The Mill seeing them share the number one spot with Wonder who after handing their visitors Ivy Bush a 9-0 whitewash, have drawn level on points and average with the Cricket Club. Third and fourth placed Island Inn and Bostin Darts ‘B’ are also undefeated in their opening three games and in turn they both won 6-3 at home against Club ‘99’ and awaay to Tividale Sports. With the five top teams all unbeaten, at the other end of the table, the bottom three teams Red Cow, Artisan Micro Bar and Branhall Labour Club are all seeking their first points of the season.
There were five maximums scored in the league this week and they came from Chad Bates (Bostin Darts ‘A’), Dean Brookes and Tom Griffiths (Tividale Sports), Andy Lynch (Bostin Darts ‘B’) and Mick Edge (Island Inn).
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Despite suffering a surprising 5-3 defeat to Woodman, who are seventeen places below them in the league table, Old Star continue to hold on to pole position in the Silver End Sunday Morning League. Second placed Dudley Sports ‘A’ had a 6-2 win at New Talbot to keep them ahead of third placed Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club after they, again somewhat surprisingly, were held to a 4-4 draw away to Portway.
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High Acres march on in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League, taking their undefeated run to eight games with a 7-2 win at Kingswinford British Legion which keeps them four points to the good on four teams, Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’, Lamp Tavern, Raven and Bridge. Bridge, who have only played seven games, lost their unbeaten run and second place after going down 6-3 at Lamp Tavern, the defeat for Bridge seeing Dudley Ex Servieman’s Club ‘A’ move up one place to second following their 7-2 home win over Pensnett Liberal Club. Fourth placed Raven had a 6-3 win at home over Roebuck ‘B’.
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Chop House rounded off the first half of the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League season with a 4-3 home win over third in the league Old Liberal Club ‘A’ to keep them top of the table with thirty-two points and a lead of four over second placed Stourbridge FC ‘A’ who also won 4-3 in their fixture away to New Inns. Old Liberal Club ‘A’ remain third with twenty-six points, six short of the leaders and only one leg of average more than fourth placed Hollybush after their 6-1 home win over Plough ‘B’.
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Game number ten brought about no changes in the league table positions in the Black Country Ladies Super League, Allen’s Bar ‘A’ holdong on to pole position depsite losing 4-1 to their ‘C’ team who are now second and only two points behind their opponents. Bottom of the table Allen’s Bar ‘D’ chalked up only their second win in ten games when they won 4-1 against third placed Allen’s Bar ‘B’.
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A 4-1 home win over Townsend Social has seen Allen’s Bar ‘A’ open up a ten points lead at the top of the Black Country Men’s Super League. With no result for second placed Quarry Bank Liberal Club, they now have two games in hand on the leaders and after the same nineteen games are three points to the good on third placed Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club
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There was a top of the table clash in the latest round of fixtures in the West Midlands Ladies Super League with leader Jacqueline Maiden taking on second placed Gemma Barrett. The size of the result was a little surprising as Gemma Barrett ran out the 3-0 winner to take her within four points of Maiden who took her tally to forty-four points with a 3-0 success over Crysta Davies-Wilcox. Reigning champion Evonne Taylor played just the one game which saw her win 3-1 against Hannah Davies to put her on thirty-eight points from ten games and lying in third place. Fourth placed Kath Jenkins also has games in hand on all three players above her, a 3-0 win over Sarah Maybury taking her to thirty-two points but from only nine games, she has one in hand on Evonne Taylor and three in hand on both Jacqueline Maiden and Gemma Barrett.
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Scott Baker handed out a crushing 8-0 defeat to Carl Zambra in division one of the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League to remain one of the two undefeated players in the league. With a total of 233 points from twenty-eight games, Baker has a lead of forty eight points over his nearest rival Chris Manoila who has replaced Simon Mountford in the number two spot due to Mountford not playing this week. Third placed Mountford is just three points behind Manoila and has three games in hand on him.
Michael Smith leads the way in division two, a 6-2 win over second placed Andy Mullinder seeing Smith open up a massive seventy-three points lead over his opponent who has played six games fewer than Smith.
Division three leader Olly Garratt is the other undefeated player in the league having won twenty-three of his twenty-six games and drawn three, his latest fixture saw him win 7-1 against Tanya Dolman to take his points tally to 218 with a lead of fifty-seven points over second placed John Bate who has played one game fewer than Garratt. Third placed Dave Akers had a 5-3 win over Alex Bryant, he is eight points short of John Bate with a game in hand.
Spare a thought for division three player Eddie Gripton, of the forty-eight players in the league, he is the only player not to have won a game so far, he has played twenty-seven and lost twenty-seven.
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The Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League has played off the preliminary round of their 501 Cup and winning their way through to the next round are Junction ‘C’, Ashmore, Golden Lion ‘A’ and Dog and Partridge ‘B’ who in turned took out Golden Lion ‘B’, Milestone, Wednesfield Legion and Wheatsheaf.
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A note for the diary, on Saturday and Sunday the 6th and 7th December, Weoley Castle Working Men’s Club will be hosting the Birmingham Darts Festival and on the respective days there will be the Birmingham Classic and Birmingham Open men’s and ladies competitions with a total prize money of £9,000. Entry fee is £20 per event for the men’s and ladies, to register contact Stephen Spag Pasetti via Facebook Messenger or on 07956-602501.
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