The second premier division fixture of the season in the BDO Inter County Championships saw Warwickshire get off the mark with a 22-14 home win over Cornwall. It was not good news for the ladies as both teams finished on the wrong side of 4-2 results. For the ‘A’ team Trina Gulliver (23.02) made it two match awards in a row, Sue Gulliver (22.43) the only other winner. For the ‘B’ it was Wendy Adams (17.66) who won the award with Edwina Holdsworth their other winner.
It was a good weekend for both of the men’s teams, the ‘B’ winning their game on Saturday 10-2, Matthew Edgar recording a superb 29.63 average to win the man of the match award, with Dean Stewart the ‘A’ teams top man with a 28.76 average as the team won 8-4.
Warwickshire were the premier division’s top climbers as they moved five places up the table to fourth.
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In division two of the BDO Inter County Championships West Midlands were engaged in away fixture with Merseyside. Due to West Midlands opening fixture with Nottinghamshire having to be postponed, this effectively was their season opener and they got it off to the best possible start although after Saturday’s games it didn’t appear to be going that way.
The ladies ‘B’ lost 4-2 with Christine Banks (15.05) their award winner. The men’s ‘B’ suffered an 8-4 defeat with Mark Craddock’s 25.08 average taking the match award.
Sunday was a different story the ladies were in top form as they fought off the challenge of their hosts with a straight 6-0 victory Lisa Astbury getting the ball rolling when she opened up with a 3-0 win over Janet Hardman to take the award with a 20.04 average.
The men’s ‘A’ won 8-4, Ian Jones (26.34) their top player to give a final score for the weekend of 20-16 to the West Midlands.
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Week two of the Sheldon and District Winter League and of the eleven teams in the premier division only four of them are able to boast a 100% win record. Crown at Olton lead the field closely followed by Saltley Amateur Gardeners, both having won their two games. Third placed Crown at Shard End and fifth placed Old Bill and Bull have only played one and won one.
Banbury Club are the early leaders in division one having won their two games, Highwood KB’s and CV Stadium have both played one, won one.
The top four teams are unbeaten in division two, Crown-Forget-Me-Not, Sheldon and Marlborough Club plus Ridgemere Flights, who have all won two, while fourth placed Maggies have won the one they have played.
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It was a good week for the two bottom teams in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League as bottom team Old Star ‘A’ recorded only their fourth win in 35 games when they won 5-4 at home to Roebuck, who are 14 places above them in the table and a massive 38 points better off.
Next to bottom Brickmakers were also successful as they won their home tie with Griffin 7-2. However despite the two wins both teams remain in the bottom two places.
Thirteenth placed Bridge ‘A’ also pulled off a shock result winning 6-3 against their local rivals Bridge ‘B’, who are fourth in the table.
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Crown ‘A’, leaders of the Cradley Tuesday Night League were surprisingly held to a close 5-4 win by Netherton Sports and Social ‘A’, who are seventeenth in the table. Nevertheless the win puts Crown ‘A’ four points ahead of second placed Chainmakers ‘B’, who had a bye this week.
Third in the table Brickmakers lost ground as they lost 5-4 away to seventh placed Gate (Colley Gate).
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The Netherton Thursday Night League are three games into their new season and Springfield Social Club consolidated their number one spot with a 7-2 home win over Pensnett and Bromley. Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club and Riddins Tavern are the only other teams to remain unbeaten, both of them won 5-4 against respective opponents Brickmakers and Rose and Crown.
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After five games Coventry Bishopsgate have a three points lead at the top of the Warwickshire Men’s Super League. Brandon are currently second on 35 points, eight more than third in the table Birmingham Court Oak.
There are just two teams without a win so far Birmingham Erdington and Sutton Sports.
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The top three teams in the Stourbridge Monday Night League all won 6-3 this week, with all three teams having won all eight games keeps Ashwood top by one leg of average on Britannia and they in turn are two legs ahead of Ten Arches. Bird (Wordsley) dropped two places to sixth after their 6-3 home defeat by Britannia.
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A 6-1 win at The Leopard made it thirteen straight wins for Ten Arches ‘A’ in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League. Ashwood ‘A’ kept within four points of the leaders by handing out a 7-0 whitewash to their hosts Fox (Lye), while third in the table Ashwood ‘B’ fell two points behind their ‘A’ side as they lost 4-3 at home to Gigmill, who moved up one place to ninth.
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The Camp Hill League staged the semi finals of their League Cup and Consolation League Cup. In the League Cup Scruffy Ringers beat Bordesley Labour Club, while Gulp Tribe won against undefeated league leaders Cotterills Lane Club.
Only one of the semi’s was played in the Consolation Cup, which saw Devil’s Club lose to The Lions.
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The Pip Club League got their new season underway and in division one Bulls Head ‘A’ (Polesworth) are first to hit the top with an 8-0 sets win over Wigginton, Birchmoor Club and Bulls Head (Two Gates) are close behind with 7-1 wins against Two Gates Club and Belgrave Club.
In division two there were 11-5 wins for both Pip Club and Sports Bar ‘180’, who in turn beat Globe ‘B’ and Bulls Head ‘B’.
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In the Small Heath League two games, Emerald Flights versus Cobs Bar and Warwick Arms versus Mitre followed a similar pattern, the opening games were shared, but the better darts of the visiting teams proved to be decisive as both Cobs Bar and Mitre ran out 6-3 winners.
The Lions played hosts to reigning champions Gulp and although Lions shared the first two games from that point on Gulp never looked back and went on to win with a comfortable 8-1 scoreline.
Wagon and Horses were another team to win 6-3 in their home tie with Emerald Club, the win good enough to put them in pole position, two points to the good on both Cobs Bar and Gulp, who have both only played one game.
In the other fixture played Sheldon Marlborough Flights accounted for their visitors with a 7-2 result.
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There were 8-1 wins for both Crown at Shard End and Mackadown Social in the opening games of the new season in division one of the South Birmingham League, while Iron Horse went one better in division two with a 9-0 success against Highwood Exiles.
Two players hit maximums in the first game R.Earl (Raven) and S.Harvey (Coleshill Social).
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Only two results in from the opening day in division one of the Forest of Arden Winter League, which saw Harvester and Riley’s Red Arrows win 5-4 in turn against Journeys End and Centurion.
In division two Iron Horse are the early clear leaders following their 9-0 win over Highwood Exiles.
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The home and away League Cup was on the agenda for the Brierley Hill Friday Night League and saw wins for Bridge ‘A’, Miners (Wollescote), Pensnett Welfare and Dudley Sports ‘B’.
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For the second consecutive week Allens Sports Bar have lost 6-3 in the Rowley Monday Night League and as a result have dropped from fifth to sixth in the table their latest victors being Britannia Inn, who move up one place to eleventh.
Taking over the fifth spot is The Bell, who handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their opponents White Swan.
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Whitmore Reans WMC completed their season in the Tettenhall Wednesday Night League with a 5-2 home win over Moreton. Whitmore went through the 21 games season undefeated, while Moreton, as a result of their defeat finished fifth in the table. Riley’s, a massive ten points behind Whitmore took the runners up spot with a 5-2 win over The Bull.
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No Change at the top of division one of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League as the top three teams all won 6-1. So Riley’s ‘C’ hold onto pole with 46 points followed by Otter and Vixen and Victoria, who in turn have 40 and 36 points.
In division two leaders Chillington Club had a convincing 7-0 win away to Wednesfield Legion ‘B’, while Wednesfield Legion ‘A’ and Wednesfield Conservative Club both remain two points behind the leaders.
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The Tamworth league staged their Winners versus Rest of the League game as a warm up to the new season, the outcome was an 11-5 win for reigning champions Fox and Dogs.
The first week of the league saw Dolphin ‘A’ take the early lead with a 7-0 win at Longwood, but Fox and Dogs were not far behind as they won their home tie with Globe Inn 6-1.
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