As reported a couple of weeks ago Iron Horse, leaders of division two in the Forest of Arden Summer League had a tough fixture in their final game of the season as they were to play away to third in the table Highwood ‘C’ and with a slender two points lead over second placed Peachy Keens even more pressure was added to the game. The result was a 5-2 win for Highwood ‘C’ and Peachy Keens won by the same scoreline in their home game against bottom of the table Chelmsley Town to see Iron Horse and Peachy Keens both finish the campaign on 14 points, Iron Horse taking the title with the narrowest of margins, just one leg of average to the good.
Division one champions Olton Crown finished the season on a low as for the first time this season they lost. Having won their previous nine games Olton, playing at home against mid table Greville Arrows went down 4-3. A different story in division three as champions Centurion beat runners up New Inns 5-0.
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As the Riley’s Friday Individual League goes into week two of their 501 section of the season leader John Burdett suffered his first defeat of the season in which he has played nineteen games. The man to beat Burdett was his closest rival Luis Barberan, who finished the 5-2 winner in a game that saw both players hit a maximum.
Despite the defeat Burdett, on 36 points still has a six points lead over second placed Barberan, who in turn is three points ahead of Barry Stephens, who has played one game fewer than the two players above him. These top three players now look odds on to claim the first three play-off spots as Paul Cummings and Gary Taylor, who are respectively fourth and fifth in the table are both on 23 points.
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Chelmsley Wood RBL consolidated their pole position in group ‘A’ of the South Birmingham League with a convincing 7-1 win away at The Dog to take the leaders 100% winning run to five games and 10 points. Second placed The Raven, with the help of two maximums from J.Evans won 6-2 at Banbury Flights to put them just one point behind Chelmsley, but they have played one game more.
In group ‘B’ Riley’s Kings made it five wins in as many games when they won their home tie with The Trident 7-1, W.Naylor hitting a 180 and L.Barberan notching seven tons for the “King’s” The Crown kept the pressure on the leaders with an 8-0 home win over Coleshill to put them level on the same 10 points but from six games. M.McFall grabbed a maximum for the Crown.
A 6-2 home win against The Kingfisher maintained St John’s Flights two points lead at the top of group ‘C’, Toby Jug their nearest rivals had a similar 6-2 win over Smithswood Social.
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Bulls Head ‘A’ chalked up an emphatic 15-1 win at home against Anchor Inn in the Pip Club League to keep them four points ahead of Dolphin in both the overall and division one tables. Dolphin had a much closer 9-7 win away to fifth in the table Belgrave Club.
Travellers lead division two despite losing their home game 9-7 with Longwood, who are a massive ten points behind them. Old Liberal Club and Two Gates Club were unable to reduce the arrears on the leaders as in turn they lost 9-7 at home to Birchmoor Club and 12-4 at home to Sports Bar ‘180’.
The league produced no fewer than six scores of 180 this week, two from Paul Corfield (Sports Bar ‘180) and one each for Ron Hunt (Travellers), Jamie Steadman (Longwood), Darren Massey (Dolphin) and Wayne Hewins (Belgrave Club).
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The Rowley Monday Night League played off the second leg of round one of their Bill Bishop Cup, which brought together the league’s top two teams, Crown and Springfield Social Club. The outcome of the first leg was a very close 5-4 win for Crown and in the second leg the result was reversed to take the match to a decider, which the Crown won to give them an overall 10-9 victory and passage into the next round.
Joining Crown in the next round will be The Bell, Bulls Head, Ex Serviceman’s Club, Whiteheath Tavern, Ivy Bush ‘A’, Ivy Bush ‘Z’ and White Swan.
Two teams lost out after winning in the first leg, Haden Cross won their first game against Whiteheath Tavern 5-4 and then lost the second leg 6-3 and Plough and Harrow won their first game against White Swan 5-4 then lost the next 7-2.
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In the latest round of fixtures second placed Chainmakers ‘B’ won an important game in the Cradley Tuesday Night League when they played away against third in the table Brickmakers and won 6-3 to put them six points ahead of their opponents.
Crown ‘A’, with a 7-2 home win over Hawne Lane Tavern, after 26 games still remain undefeated and have an eight points advantage over Chainmakers ‘B’.
Fourth in the table Members Club had a somewhat surprising defeat losing 5-4 away to Chainmakers ‘A’, who move up one place in the table to tenth.
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Winning through to the next round of the League Cup in the Camp Hill League were, Scruffy Ringers, Cotterills Lane Club, Gulp Tribe and Bordesley Labour Club, who had a bye.
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Qualifiers for the Division Two Riley’s Cup in the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League are, Dog and Partridge, Wednesfield Conservative Club, Roebuck and Wednesfield Legion.
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Early pacesetters in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League are Ashwood and Britannia. Both teams have won their opening two games and have exactly the same average. Ashwood’s latest win was 7-2 against Brickmakers, while Britannia, with the same score accounted for Quarry Bank Conservative Club.
Other teams with a 100%win record are, Bird ‘B’ (Stourbridge), Ten Arches, The Cat (Wordsley) and The Plough.
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Week seven in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League and Ten Arches ‘A’ took their unbeaten run to seven games, with a 6-1 win at Netherton Cricket Club. Ashwood ‘A’, were also 6-1 winners in their home game with The Swan (Brettell Lane) to stay within two points of the leaders. Ashwood ‘B’ and The Bridge are both a further two points behind.
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Just one fixture played in the Small Heath League, which saw Victoria New Club pull off a somewhat surprising 5-4 win at Westminster Lions. Lions remain in fourth from top, while the “New Club” move up one place to fourth from bottom.
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In group one of the Sheldon and District Summer League second placed Riley’s Rags produced a vital 7-1 win over their hosts Highwood Arrows to keep them in second place and put them two points ahead of their opponents.
The top two teams played each other in group two, Langley Hall Sports and Social and The Pirates, the result being a 4-4 draw to leave it as you were at the top of the group. Third placed Marston Green Tavern were also held to a 4-4 draw at Sheldon Dukes, with Marston’s M.Kane recording a tremendous 161 finish.
Raven and Banbury Club are first and second in group three they played each other and finished all square at four each.
Group four leaders Riley’s Misfits are still the only unbeaten team in the league, they extended that run to six games by handing out an 8-0 whitewash to their visitors Shannon’s, who are next to bottom of the group.
Sheldon and Marlborough Club picked up their first point of the season in group five when they held second placed Willclare Sports and Social to a 4-4 draw.
Shard End Social lost their group six away game at George V ‘B’ 5-3 and at the same time lost second place in the table dropping down to fourth, their hosts moving up one place to third.
Meadway Sports and Social missed out on the chance to take over pole position in group seven when they lost 5-3 at home to leaders Emerald Flights, who now have a two points lead.
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Warwickshire’s Jamie Hughes has taken the Antwerp Open by storm with a final win over Martin Adams. In the last sixteen Jamie defeated Pip Blackwell, avenging his defeat to the same player in the last BDO County match against Kent.
Further wins over fellow England International Glen Durrant by 5 legs to 2 and then a semi final whitewash over the ever improving Sam Hewson paved his way to the final. More points for Jamie towards a possible Lakeside spot in the New Year.
There was further success for Jamie when he teamed up with Lincolnshire’s Paul a Jacklin to clinch the mixed pairs title.
Meanwhile Warwickshire’s “Golden Girl” Trina Gulliver agonizingly lost out in a dramatic semi final with Deta Hedman, after being 4 legs to 1 up Trina missed many doubles to see the game off and bowed out by 5 legs to 4.
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