With only a scheduled six more games to play in the Harborne and District League and some teams having extra rearranged fixtures to play, three teams are level on forty-two points at the top of the table. Copper Fox ‘R’ are leaders, their latest 7-2 home win over Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club not only giving them an average lead, but they also have a game in hand on second placed Northfield Darts Club who won 8-1 away to bottom of the table Windsor Complex. Copper Fox ‘R’ have two games in hand on third placed Smethwick Cricket Club, who also had an 8-1 win in their fixture at Thimble Mill. Fourth in the league is Northfield Conservative Club who are on forty points, just two short of the three teams above and with a game in hand on Smethwick Cricket Club, plus they have a superior average on Smethwick.. After the top four there is a gap of eight points to Copper Fox ‘M’.
There just the two maximums scored this week, S.Hercules of Bourneville in their 8-1 home win over Harborne Social and Lion Bar’s D.Windsor in a 6-3 home success over Stag and Three Horseshoes.
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The Sheldon and District Summer League are up to week seven of their season and the results for the week had no affect on the group one league table with Raven Arrows continuing to lead the field after they won 6-2 in their home tie with Trident Spears to put them on ten points, just one more than second placed Langley Arrows after they won by the same 6-2 margin at home against bottom of the table Dog Inn Nomads, Richard Mills scoring a maximum for the winners. Third placed Highwood had a bye, but they have played the same five games as the two teams above them, their four points are six off the top and five short of Langley Arrows.
The top two teams in group two, Kingshurst Labour Club and Sheldon Marlborough Ridge held on to the relative first and second places as Kingshurst won 5-3 away to bottom of the table RAFA Arrows, while Sheldon had their fixture with Smithswood Social Club postponed, leaving them one point behind Kingshurst Labour Club with a game in hand. Family Tree moved up one place in the table, replacing Smithswood Social Club in third place, their 4-4 home draw with RAFA taking their points tally to six.
Group three is another group that didn’t change, leaders Lyndon Old Boys surprisingly being held to a 4-4 home draw by bottom of the table Hunters Moon. Second placed Langley Flights are now in a position whereby they could take over in pole position as their fixture at Arran Way Arrows was postponed and although two points adrift of Lyndon Old Boys they now have a game in hand. A 5-3 win at Moseley Rugby Club has seen Raven keep hold of third place, on the same seven points as Langley Flights but from one game more than Langley.
Despite a maximum from A.Malloy, Station Inn have lost the number one spot in group four as they went down 7-1 at home to Langley Pints and drop to third place with eight points. Maggies have taken over at the top of the table with the same eight points as the former leaders but from one game less. Maggis latest fixture saw them ending all-square at 4-4 in a hone draw with next to bottom of the table Shirley Misfits. Second in the group is CBMC-A, their 6-2 home win over Raven Flights taking them once again to eight points with a slender one leg of average lead on Station Inn.
Group five made it three of the five groups that were not affected by the results with Yardley District Amateur Darts Team adding a 6-2 home win over Mackadown Sports and Social Club ‘B’ to their account to keep them top of the table with eleven points, two more than second placed Castle Bromwich Spitfires who had their game with Weir Raven postponed and now have a game in hand. Third in the group Langley Bullets have played one game more than the Spitfires and are one point behind them after winning 6-2 at home against Trident Flights who are bottom of the group.
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The South West Birmingham Clubs League have reached the midway point of their season and going into the second half, Stirchley United and Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club will be leading the way in division one as they are level on twelve points and also level on average. The latest round of fixtures saw Stirchley United beat their rivals Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club with a narrow 4-3 result, even though R.Foxhall hit a maximum for Kings Norton. Third placed Northfield Darts Club lost ground as they went down 4-3 at Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’ to leave them four points short of the top two teams. West Heath CEM’s, S.Smith had a super 153 game-shot in his teams 4-3 win over Bournbrook.
In division two, E57 have a clear two points lead in the number one spot, they had a close 4-3 home win over second placed Northfield Conservative Club ‘A’ to give them their two points advantage. Even though third placed Cue Club are four points adrift of E57 they have two games in hand which could put them top of the table.
In the division one pre-match doubles league, Northfield Darts Club lead the way with seventy-nine points, two more than their nearest rivals Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club who have a huge thirteen points lead on third, fourth and fifth placed Bournbrook, Stirchley United and Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’.
Leading the division two pre-match doubles league table is E57 with sixty-nine points, they have a ten point’s advantage over both second and third placed Bartley Green FC and Northfield Conservative Club ‘A’.
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On the agenda for the Sutton and District League were cup finals, first the Prestridge Shield in which division one champions Highcroft Hotdogs added more silverware to their trophy cabinet with a 5-4 win over Drakes Drum, Jordan Alexander notching a maximum for the champions.
The title for the Roy Bird Cup went to Charley’s Flights who had a 7-2 result against Minworth Bulls.
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After suffering three defeats last week, leader of the Heartlands Sugardarts M&E Co Double Top League, Steve Cain got off to another bad start this week as he opened the night with a 2-1 defeat to seventh placed John Burdett and then won 3-0 against Ryan Cain who is fourth in the league table and finished the evening with another loss, 3-0 to second placed Matthew Cain. Steve Cain reamains top of the table with 133 points but from sixty-one games whereas second placed Matthew Cain is on 125 and has only played forty-eight games. Prior to beating Steve Cain, Matthew won 2-1 against Ellis Gundy. Third, fourth and fifth placed Martin Cooper, Ryan Cain and John Frost have all played forty-nine games and in turn have 116, 101 and ninety-eight points. Martin Cooper winning 2-1 against John Burdett, Ryan Cain having a 2-1 win over Tony Pedley, then losing 3-0 to Steve Cain and Stephen Smith. John Frost played just the one fixture in which he beat Brian Meer 3-0.
Best break of the night went to Roxy Bennett who recorded a maximum 170 break in her 3-0 win over George Drennan.
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Leaders of the Rowley Monday Night League Bell, had their fixture with the Wheatsheaf postponed this week but still remain top of the division one table with a perfect twenty-eight points from their fourteen games, which keeps them two points to the good, with a game in hand on second placed Gate Hangs Well who had a 6-3 home win over Romsley Cricket Club. A further eight points behind in third place is Tividale FC who won their home tie with Bostin Darts ‘A’ 5-4 to keep them two points ahead of fourth and fifth Wheatsheaf and Wonder, Wheatsheaf have a game in hand on both Gate Hangs Well and Tividale FC, while Wonder chalked up a 5-4 win at Rowley Labour Club.
Bostin Darts ‘B’ handed out a 7-2 defeat to their visitors Loyal Lodge to take their points to twenty-eight at the top of division two. Second placed Double Tops Micro Bar went one better by winning 8-1 away to Shelter, leaving them six points behind the leaders but four better-off than third and fourth placed Bostin Darts ‘C’ and Shelter, Bostin Darts ‘C’ winning 5-4 at Huntingtree.
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It was cup week in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League, first the preliminary round of the League Cup in which seventh in the league, Chop House won 6-1 against Old Liberal Club ‘B’ who are next to bottom of the table. Biggest win of the round went to Old Liberal Club ‘A’, the fifth in the league beating bottom placed Stourbridge FC ‘B’ 7-0. Joining the winners in the next round will be ninth in the league Stourbridge FC ‘A’ who had a narrow 4-3 win at Hot Shots who are third from bottom.
There were just two games played in the preliminary round of the Shadow Cup, Netherton Conservative Club winning 5-2 at Ten Arches and Railway Inn winning by the same 5-2 margin at home against Hollybush.
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The Netherton Thursday Night 501 League are well into the second half of their season and the big question is, can Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ go through the season undefeate? They have, so far won all of their nineteen games, the most recent seeing them win 6-3 at Bulls Head who are fourth in the league with forty-two points, fifteen short of their victors. Second placed Rose and Crown (Wordsley) had a straight 9-0 win away to bottom placed Rose and Crown (Halesowen) to leave them six points behind Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ with a game in hand. Old Liberal Club are third, they won 8-1 at Gate Hangs Well to put them on forty-eight points, nine short of the leaders.
The league produced five maximums this week and they came from Kevin Tucker (Gate Hangs Well), Steve Tipper (Bulls Head), Jonathan Saddington (Netherton Sports and Social Club), Dave Cartwright (Furnace) and Joe Poole (Rose and Crown (Wordsley).
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The New Gate Inn staged their inauguration knockout and winning the very first title was Simon Pritchard with a final 5-3 win over Chris Slater after he had beaten Ben Forrest 4-2 in the semis. Slater won his semi-final against Mick Sullivan 4-1.
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On the fixture card for the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night Darts League were the Burrell Shield finals. In the semi-finals, division one champions Junction ‘B’ beat Ashmore who finished the season in fourth place in division one. From the other side of the draw Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ who took third place in division one, beat second placed Dog and Partridge ‘B’. The final saw Junction ‘B’ add to their division one title by beating Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’.
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