It may not have been a good end to the season for Warwickshire in the Riley’s BDO Inter County Championships, but it was a happy one as they retained their premier division status with four wins and a draw in a nine game season.
Warwickshire brought the curtain down with an away game against Kent, a team fighting against relegation. The result was a 21-15 win for the hosts to keep them in the division, six points better off than next to bottom Hampshire. The weekend got off to a good start as the ladies, with a match award performance from Wendy Adams (17.14) won 4-2 and the men won 8-4, with Anthony Allen (25.95) taking the match award.
With a 12-6 lead all that was required from Sunday’s two games was seven wins. Unfortunately the ladies went down 5-1, Angela Jones (18.09) their sole winner and the men suffered their biggest defeat of the season 10-2, Jamie Atkins was their top player with a 25.73 average.
The defeat saw Warwickshire drop from third place to finish sixth in a field of ten teams.
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West Midlands were fighting to maintain their division status in a home tie at Gilberts Bar, Willenhall against Derbyshire. Prior to the fixture West Midlands were next to bottom team Bedfordshire, but hopes were raised when Saturday’s games saw the ladies finish all square at three each, with Jacqueline Maiden (17.77) the lady of the match and the men record a very much needed 9-3 win, their sixth win in the nine game season. Taking the match award for the third time this season was Doug Thompson (26.10).
Sunday did not begin well as the ladies lost 5-1, Sarah Robbins (16.93) was their only winner and left the ‘A’ side without a single win all season having drawn two and lost seven.
The men after leading 6-4 had to finally be content with a 6-6 draw, Ian Jones in super form to take the match award with a superb average of 31.01. However, the draw was enough for an overall 19-17 victory and took the West Midlands points tally to 166, enough for them to leap-frog London, who lost by a massive 25-11 to division one champions Surrey. London ended the season with a total of 156 points, ten fewer than the West Midlands.
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No change at the top of the Small Heath League as the top four teams all win this week. Leaders Mitre had a comfortable 7-2 win at Sheldon Marlborough Flights, while second in the table Scanlons won their home tie with Redhill Tavern 6-3. Third and fourth placed Custard House and Midland Darts Centre also won 6-3 in their respective home games with Emerald Club and Wagon and Horses.
Cobs Bar continue to be the in form team in the shadow league recording their second consecutive win when they accounted for Custard House Flights with a 5-4 result to keep them four points clear at the top of the shadow league table.
The league will be holding their AGM at the Emerald Club on Sunday May 13th. Anyone interested or requiring any further information should contact Paul Brown on 07748-754548.
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For the tenth consecutive season the Dougie Bowen Memorial Trophy was staged at the Raven, Hodge Hill. A total of 28 players entered the competition and raised a magnificent £110 which was donated to Cancer Research.
In the last eight there were wins for Tony Comerford, Mark O’Donnell, Terry Blakemore and Ian McFarlane. O’Donnell beat Comerford 3-1 in the semi finals, while McFarlane had a straight 3-0 success against Blakemore. The final was a very close affair with Ian McFarlane just getting the 3-2 edge on his opponent Mark O’Donnell.
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In the third week of the Camp Hill League season Forgers had their first defeat inflicted on them when they lost 4-3 away to Custard House. As a result they have lost the top place and share second spot with Scruffy’s Ringers who had an emphatic 6-1 home win against Redhill Tavern.
Taking over the number one position is Ladyboys, a 6-1 home win over Sportsman Champs maintaining their 100% win record, they and Custard House are the only team undefeated after three games, Custard House having played just two games so far.
At the other end of the table Waggoners have moved up four places to seventh following their first win of the campaign, a 5-2 win away to Roosters.
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In the Rowley Monday Night League leaders Wilson Hall had their fixture with Springfield Social postponed, and as a result have dropped to third in the table. Boat have replaced Wilson Hall in pole position, a 7-2 win at Hunting Tree putting them on 22 points from 13 games. Gate Hangs Well had a 6-3 home win against Ivy Bush ‘A’, the only team in the top nine to lose this week, Gate Hangs Well move up the league from fourth to second, level on points with Boat. Then comes four teams all on 20 points, Wilson Hall, Ivy Bush ‘Z’, Ivy Bush ‘A’ and Ex Serviceman’s, with Wilson Hall having a game in hand on the other five top teams, the league have played off their doubles competition and taking the honours with a final win over P.Wells and N.Dingley were J.Lowe and M.Bastable. Losing semi finalists were, D.Redding and L.Eaves, who lost to Lowe and Bastable, and K.Atkiss and K.Hopton.
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Both of the bottom two teams in the Tamworth Sports Bar League won in the latest round of fixtures. Bottom team Sports Bar had a close 4-3 win at home to Globe ‘B’, but still remain at the foot of the table, while Dolphin Inn, who were next to bottom won their home tie with mid table Mile Oak Rovers 5-2 and move up one place above Three Tuns, who lost their home match against Rugby Club 4-3.
In the players league Three Tuns man Martin Young moved up two places to fourth from bottom after a somewhat surprising win over Nathaniel Bailey (Rugby Club) who drops two places to sixth. Bottom man Rob Taft(Sports Bar) had a rare win, beating Geggy Wright (Globe ‘B’), Taft’s third win in eighteen.
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