One-time leaders of the Andy Wheeler Fisheries Championship Division West Midlands had a bye in the previous round of fixtures and dropped to fourth place, they were hoping for a good result away to Northamptonshire to see them to return to the top position. On current form it looked as though West Midlands could get the result they wanted as they were fourth on 147 points from six games and their hosts seventh on 138 from eight games.
The weekend did not start too well as the ladies ‘B’ lost the opening three games as Gemma Button, Lindsey Wingell and Lexi Jayne Rooksby in turn won against Tara Simmons-Fullwood (3-0), Sarah Maybury (3-0) and Gemma Barrett (3-1). Hannah Davies stopped the rot with her lady of the match performance against Taylor Johnson, winning 3-0 with an 18.03 average. The game was won in the fifth when Jackie White won 3-2 against Shellbie Guest, the final result 4-2 to Northamptonshire as Kelly Aston gave West Midlands their second winner in the last game, a 3-2 success over Hollie McKain.
Like the ladies ‘B’, it was not a good start for the men’s ‘B’ as Callum Parkes was their sole winner in the first half of the match. Lee Rose gave the home side the early lead when he won the opener against Ian Stanton 4-3, Callum Parkes then squared the game with his similar 4-3 win over Chris Shipley only to see the hosts leading 5-1 at the break after Dean Joseph won 4-2 against Mark Craddock, Andy Wakeling beat Kieran O’Mahoney 4-3, Chris Jones won 4-2 against Rob Thompson and Liam Johnson won 4-1 against Connor Lucas.
As the second half got underway West Midlands got their second winner, Dean Fullwood winning 4-0 against Steve Stanbridge. Dan Hutchinson put the home side into an unassailable 6-2 lead when he beat Jordan Craig 4-2 before West Midlands had their best run of the match, winning three-in-a-row thanks to Cameron Baird who beat Jamie Preston 4-0 and Sean Craig who defeated Mick Rooksby 4-1, Craig taking the match award for his 25.20 average. Making it a trio of wins was Justin Evans, his 4-1 success over Paul Walker taking the score now to 6-5, everything resting on the final game of the day. Lining up for Northamptonshire was Callum Johnson and for West Midlands, Martin Price. The game went the full seven legs distance with Johnson the 4-3 winner to put the final score at 7-5 to the home team.
The first two games of the ladies ‘A’ match both finished with 3-1 scorelines and both went to Northamptonshire, Ellie Moore and Angela Barrow in turn winning against Eloise Milburn and Jacqueline Trott. Jacqueline Maiden stopped the home team’s charge when she won 3-1 against Amy Chappell, only to see Debbie Dexter make it 3-1 to the hosts when she won, once again 3-1, against Jade Wellings. Keeping the West Midlands in with a chance of a share of the spoils was their lady of the match Evonne Taylor, who won 3-0 against Rebecca Rose with a 21.78 average and with a final 3-2 win for Hannah Davies over Rebecca Langridge, the final score was all-square at 3-3.
Trailing 14-10, the West Midlands required a 9-3 victory from the men’s ‘A’ for an overall win, those hopes disappeared as the first half drew to a close. Jamie Elliott gave the home team the first win of the men’s ‘A’ game when he beat Dean Fullwood 4-3, Ryan O’Connor levelled the game with his 4-1 win over Martin Biggs, but 4-2 wins from Michael Feasey and John Regan against Adam Teasdale and Neil Pointon put Northamptonshire 3-1 up and although Daniel Hands added his 4-3 win over Joe Judkins to the visitors tally, the score at the break was 4-2 to the hosts as Duane Small won the last game of the half against Mark Craddock 4-2.
The second half began with a man of the match performance for West Midlands when Richard Platt won 4-3 against Darren Williamson with a 28.90 average. The cheers were short-lived however as Antony Richardson won 4-3 against Shaun Carroll and Ben Goodger beat Jon Platt 4-1 to put Northamptonshire 6-3 up. Jack Aldridge (West Midlands) had a straight 4-0 win over John Gent but with a 4-2 win for Phil Coward over Gavin Baker followed by a 4-3 win for Luke Smith against Will Beaden, the final score was an 8-4 win for the home team.
The 22-14 defeat has seen West Midlands drop one place in the table to fifth with 161 points and their opponents move up three places to fourth with 163 points, however West Midlands have two games in hand on Northamptonshire and one in hand on all of the top three teams, Middlesex, Hampshire and London and in turn trail each of them by twenty-four, fifteen and five points.
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