There were mixed fortunes for our two local county teams Warwickshire and West Midlands in their division one curtain to the Kaliber BDO Inter Counties Championship season. Both teams had away fixtures Warwickshire playing against Hertfordshire and their match did not get off to the best of starts as the ladies ‘B’ side finished all square at 3-3 and the men went down 7-5 with Wendy Adams (18.16) and Trevor Frost (26.00) taking the respective match awards.
Sunday’s games were a different story as the ladies romped to a 5-1 success, Trina Gulliver leading the way with a 25.49 average, and the men chalked up a 7-5 victory with Nigel Heydon their top player with a superb 31.31 average. The overall result was a 20-16 to get the campaign off to a fine start.
It was not the case for newly promoted West Midlands who travelled to County Durham. The ‘A’ and ‘B’ ladies teams shared the spoils in 3-3 draws with Leanne Jennings (22.10) and Lisa Astbury (17.08) taking the respective match awards. Unfortunately both the men’s teams lost, the ‘A‘ 8-4 and the ‘B’ 7-5. Award winners were Ian Jones (28.36) and Andrew Forrester (31.98).
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It’s a hard task running any league but even harder to run one and win the title at the same time, but that is exactly what Ian McFarlane has done in the Brook Meadow Individual Double Top League. He rounded off his season with a straight 3-0 victory over Jason Evans to give him a total of 111 points, 13 more than second and third placed Mark Birch and Matthew Gallett.
Birch may not have won the league title but he more than made up for that by winning both the singles and doubles titles. On the way to the singles final he beat Adam Gallett 3-0, then Keith Kelly 4-0 and in the semi’s he won 4-0 against league champion Ian McFarlane. His final opponent was last season’s league winner Trevor Frost, Birch dropped his first leg of the competition but went on to clinch the title by 5-1.
In the doubles Birch teamed up with Mark Elkin and together they went on to win the final against Keith Kelly and Jason Evans 4-2.
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Another individual league that has completed its season is the Olton Double Top League. Congratulations go to Bob Nixon who with 81 points is the newly crowned champion despite losing his final game of the season 2-1 to his nearest rival and league organiser Andy Hutchings, who finished on 74 points. Tony Randell took third place but what a run in he had. In his penultimate match he played Bob Nixon and went down 3-0, he then rounded off his fixtures suffering a further 2-1 defeat at the hands of runner up Andy Hutchings, the two losses denying Randell of the number two spot.
At the other end of the table, congratulations go to Ralph Nunn who after 30 consecutive defeats recorded his one and only win of the season. In his last game of the campaign Nunn recorded a 2-1 success against Tim Lowe who finished just two points ahead of Nunn on 9 points.
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The Sheldon and District Winter League began their new season and there was a shock in the opening games of the premier division as reigning champions Saltley Amateur Gardeners lost their home tie against Mackadown Social 5-4. The two newly promoted teams, RAFA and Pavilions in turn went down 5-4 to Sheldon Dukes and 7-2 to Shirley RBL. Pavilions B.Bourne recorded a 160 break.
In division one Shard End Social, who were demoted from the premier won their opener at Iron Horse by 7-2 and there was also good news for Kingshurst Labour Club, promoted from division two, they won their home tie with Small Heath Gardeners Flights 5-4.
Small Heath Amateur Gardeners are looking for a quick return to division one, as in their first game of the season at home to Bordesley Labour Club, they handed out a 9-0 whitewash.
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A final reminder that the Sports Argus Charity Darts team are presenting the Birmingham Open Darts Championship this coming Sunday at Olton RBL, Masons Way, off Warwick Road, Olton, Solihull, B92 7JE, with a £300 first prize.
The pre entry fee is £5 per player and on the day £7 with a limit of 128 players. All entry fees will be paid out in prize money. Entries together with the fee should be sent to Ken Herbert, 15 Mountford Road, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, B90 1JA.
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