League fixtures were replaced with cup fixtures this week in the Sheldon and District Summer League, round one of the League Cup which produced quite a few surprising results. In the top of division clash, leaders Langley Arrows, with a maximum from Richard Mills, lost 4-3 to second placed Raven Arrows, whose Zac Prince also hit a maximum. Division two leaders Kingshuurst Labour Club lost 4-3 to Station Inn who are second in group four. Another group two team to lose out to a group four side were Sheldon Marlborough Ridge who lost to CBMC-A and in the game between division three leaders Lyndon Old Boys and the division four top side Maggies, it was Maggis who got the 4-3 result.
Langley Flights, who are second in group three, were the rounds biggest winners, taking out second placed Yardley District Amateur Darts Team in group five, with a 7-0 scoreline. There was a maximum each for Raven (group three) and Trident Spears (group one) Dean Grainger and Preston Cupkovic respectively, with the 5-2 result going in favour of Trident Spears. Also making their way into the quarter finals were Highwood who beat their group one rivals Dog Inn Nomads 4-3 and RAFA (group two) after beating group four side Raven Flights 5-2.
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Week twenty-four in the Heartlands Sugardarts M&E Co Double Top League had no effect on the league’s top six teams, Steve Cain holding on to the top spot with 127 points from fifty-five games after adding on his latest results, which were a 3-0 win over Logan Swords and 2-1 wins against both Matthew Hoare and Ryan Barritt. Second placed Matthew Cain is thirteen points short of Steve Cain but with a huge eleven games in hand after he beat Tony Pedley and Steve McCormack 3-0 to keep him eight points ahead of third placed Martin Cooper who has played one game more thn Matthew Cain. Cooper began the night with a 3-0 success over Adam Rogers but finished on a low as he lost 2-1 to Stuart Bloomer. Ryan Cain is fourth on ninety-four points from forty-four games, his latest fixtures saw him win 3-0 against Bob Cooper and then go down 2-1 to John Yates while John Frost, who is fifth with eighty-eight points and has played forty-five games beat Matt Ryan 3-0 and Ellis Gundy 2-1. Making up the top six players is Stuart Bloomer, he is on the same eighty-eight points as John Frost but from one game fewer, on the night he lost 2-1 to John Yates and then won by the ame margin against Martin Cooper. John Burdett may be placed seventh at the moment but he is also on eighty-eight points and has only played forty-one games, he has games in hand on all seven players above him. He began the night with a 3-0 win over Emma Cain, beat Logan Swords 3-0 and made it three straight 3-0 wins when he accounted for Tony Pedley.
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There was a top of the table clash in division one of the South West Birmingham Clubs League this week with leaders Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club travelling to take on second placed Northfield Darts Club. As expected it was a close game with the narrow 4-3 result going in favour of Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club, to make it an unbeaten six points for the leaders who have a two points lead over Stirchley United, who have taken over the number two spot from Northfield Darts Club after winning 5-2 at Perfection. Northfield Darts Club drop to third with eight points.
In the division one pre-match doubles league, Northfield Darts Club lead the way on sixty-nine points and have a lead of six points over second placed Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club.
In division two the top two teams hold on to their places, E57 topping the table with ten points after their latest 5-2 win over Cue Club who were third in the division but now drop to fourth with six points. A 4-3 win at Stirchley Arrows has put Northfield Conservative Club ‘A’ level on ten points with E57 and trailing by just four legs of average. Bartley Green FC move up one place to third with six points after they won 6-1 at Kings Norton Arrows.
E57 not only top the division two table but also the division two pre-match doubles table with sixty-one points which is two points more than their nearest rivals Bartley Green FC, who have a nine points advantage over third placed Longbridge Warriors.
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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night League played their singles knockout down to the last sixteen players and making their way through to the next round were, B.Fitzgerald, J.Jackson, S.Bloomer (Cross), S.Gough, B.Watts, I.Hartland (Five Ways), K.Safe, A.Marson (Gornal British Legion), J.Simpson, J.Thompson (Mount Pleasant ‘B’), G.Churchill (Bird in Hand), A.Purchase (Netherton Conservative Club ‘A’), A.Ginifer (Mount Pleasant ‘A’), M.Williams (Raven), B.Rowley (Glasscutters Arms), J.Stevens (Seven Stars).
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It’s as-you-were for the top two teams in division one of the Rowley Monday Night League, leaders Bell making it fourteen straight wins when they won 7-2 at Rowley Labour Club, keeping them four points ahead of second placed Gate Hangs Well who had a 6-3 win at Albion. Tividale FC lost their third place after suffering a somewhat surprising 6-3 defeat at Snooks who were eight places below them in a next to bottom position. Wheatsheaf take over the third place after they won 7-2 at Romsley Cricket Club, their sixteen points some twelve short of the leaders and eight fewer than second placed Gate Hangs Well. Hawthorns lost 5-4 at Bostin Darts ‘A’, however their T.Johnson had a superb maximum 170 break.
Division two leaders, Bostin Darts ‘B’ suffered their first defeat in fourteen games, they lost 5-4 at Shelter, who have moved one place up the table to third with eighteen points. Double Tops Micro Bar hold on to second place with twenty points, six less than the leaders after they had their fixture with Star Valley postponed, leaving them with a game in hand on Bostin Darts ‘B’.
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After the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League have completed four games only two of the starting line-up of twenty-one teams are able to boast a 100% win record and they are leaders Raven and ninth placed Hollybush who have only played three games. Raven kept their winning run intact with a 5-1 home win over Ten Arches to keep them two points ahead of no fewer than eight teams, Chop House, Swan, Old Liberal Club ‘A’, Plough, Beech Tree Miners, Bird in Hand ‘E’, Ashwood and Hollybush. Both Chop House and Swan are three legs of average short of Raven after in turn they won 4-3 at Old Liberal Club ‘A’ and 7-2 at home against Stourbridge FC ‘B’. Old Liberal Club ‘A’ and Plough are a further two legs short of the leaders, Plough winning 5-2 at home against Five Ways. Beech Tree Miners lost their home game with High Acres 6-1 while seventh placed Bird in Hand ‘E’ beat Railway Inn 4-3. Ashwood lost 5-2 at Stourbridge FC ‘A’ while Hollybush had a bye.
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On the fixture card for the Netherton Thursday Night 501 League was thheir singles knockout which they played down to the last eight players at four venues. Wining through to the quarter-finals were, Reece Hodgetts (Plough and Harrow), Dan Homer (Haden Cross), Jamie Rollinson (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’), Jason Southall (Plough and Harrow), Nick Fullwell (Old Liberal Club) Mark Archer (Hawthorns), Joe Poole (Rose and Crown, Wordsley), Carl Hadlington (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’).
All of the winning players wil now go forward to finals night on the 1st October.
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The top three teams in the West Midlands Men’s Super League all won 5-0 this week, leaders Staffordshire Knot played at home against Landywood, second placed Kings Head also played at home against Carrington Club and third placed Dog and Partridge made it three home games when they played Gate Inn. Staffordshire Knot have 123 points, Kings Head 111 points, and they have both played twenty-four games, Dog and Partridge are on 102 points and have played twenty-three games. Dudley E Serviceman’s Club are fourth, like Dog and Partridge they have played twenty-three games, their ninety-one points some thirty-two short of the leaders.
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Two 7-0 wins over Robbie Hipkiss and Craig Slater keep Jason Lowe top of the Amblecote RBL Premier League with 284 points from forty-one games, he has a huge lead of forty-three points over second placed Ian Townsend who has played the same number of games after he lost 4-3 to Joe Poole and then beat Jon Underhill 7-0. Nick Fullwell is third with 237 points, on the night he won 5-2 against Jon Underhill and 7-0 against Dave Edwards to leave him with two games in hand on the two players above him. Fourth and fifth placed Ryan Hardman and Paul Wells hold on to their respective places, Hardman having played forty games with 213 points while Wells has only played thirty-four games and has seven games in hand on the top two players, although his 204 points are eighty less then leader Lowe.
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For the majority of the season, Simon Pritchard has been top of division one in the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League and that is where he currently resides after he won 5-3 against Malcolm Pugh and then lost by the same margin to Kevin Bate. Pritchard has a total of 153 points from his twenty-three games while second placed Brian Dolman has 147 points from twenty games after he on the night won 8-0 against bottom of the table Christopher Jones and 5-3 against Chris Manoila. Reigning champion Scott Baker is third, he has only played seventeen games and his 8-0 win over next to bottom of the table Mark Daniel took his points tally to 145 to leave him well on the way to securing the title once again.
A 5-3 win over Dave Akers sees Wayne Barratt holding on to the number one position in division two, his 163 points are four more than second placed Matt Ford after they have both played twenty-two games. Ford was held to a 4-4 draw by Liam Davis before winning 7-1 against Claire Hobbs. Dean Showell is third he beat Lawley Daniel 7-1 to leave him just two points behind Ford with a game in hand. A former leader, Neville Quinton is currently placed fourth, he won 7-1 against Alfie Warrender to put him on 132 points, however his eighteen games are four fewer than leader Wayne Barratt and fifth placed Charlie Baker has only played seventeen games and is on the same 132 points as Quinton.
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On the agenda for the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night Darts League, was their 4 A-side knockout, and lifting the winners silverware were the Junction ‘B’ side comprising of Ryan O’Connor, Rob Pitt, Dean Simmons-Fullwood and Callum Parkes, who in the final accounted for the New Gate Inn quartet of Mike Beasley, Paul Tonks, Chris Hipkins and Andy Aston.
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