This coming weekend West Midlands will be playing a rearranged division two fixture in the BDO Inter County Championships, a home tie against Nottinghamshire which was originally scheduled as the opening game of the season. In the five games played so far West Midlands have won just one, drawn one and lost three so a win in this fixture is vital to lift them away from the relegation zone which sees them just two points to the good on bottom team Wiltshire yet only two behind Merseyside the team just above them.
Lining up for the West Midlands will be, Gary Watts, Gavin Baker, Ian Jones, Jonathon Platt, Keith Allman, Mark Rollinson, Neil Pointon, Richard Platt, Jamie Barrowman, Avtar Singh, with the remaining two players still to be named, Men’s ‘B’:- Ashe Kyhatt, Chris Read, Chris Stanley, Danny Coyle, John Mycock, Karl Hughes, Lee Arnold, Mark Watkiss, Martin Angell, Paul Price, Rob Smith, Sam Guest, Women’s ‘A’:- Kim Fellows, Heather Wright, Lisa Astbury, Kath Jenkins, Debbie Loon, Gemma Barrett, Women’s ‘B’:- Sarah Roberts, Chris Banks, Samantha Maiden, Jacqueline Maiden, Wendy Waine, Sophie Singh.
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The latest Britannia Sports Bar Knockout was won by West Midlands player Nick Fullwell, a final 6-2 result against Ashley Hykin saw Nick collect the winners £200 prize money. After a bye in the opening round Fullwell then chalked up two 3-0 wins against S.Meek and S.Que, he then added another straight 4-0 win over Steve Pasetti in the quarter finals before losing his first legs in the competition when he had a close 5-4 win against Richard Langlois in the semi’s.
Hykin, who collected £100 as runner up had also had an impressive run into the final stages as he chalked up 3-0 wins over S.Craig, J.Wheeler and D.Petty before winning his quarter final game against Kevin Bambrick 4-3 then in his last four encounter with Richard Hosey he won 5-1.
Winner of the 101 competition was Rob Pierce with James Hykin runner up.
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The top two teams in the Cradley Tuesday Night League kept their winning runs going, leaders The Gate had a 6-3 win against Hawne Lane Tavern and second placed White Horse beat next to bottom of the table The Vine 9-0, Gate remain in pole position having played one game more than White Horse.
Brickmakers Arms lost their second place going down 5-4 at home to Wheatsheaf, they drop to fourth and their victors move up two places to third.
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A 5-2 win over Jolly Collier keeps Old Hop Pole just ahead of Dewdrop on average at the top of the Hilltop Friendly League, Dewdrop beating Hayes Social 6-1.
Island Inn registered their first win of the campaign winning their home tie with The Vine 4-3 to put them two points ahead of bottom team Horseley Tavern who lost 5-2 at Merry-Go-Round.
Sow and Pigs beat their visitors Sportsman 4-3 and for the winners Ash Cross hit a maximum, ironically against the team he played for last season.
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It was cup week for the Four Oaks and District League and strangely in the semi finals of their Coronation Cup it was two Golden Hind teams taking on two Old Oscott teams. Division two leaders Golden Hind took on third in that division Old Oscott WMC and with 180’s from A.O’Kereke and A.Stainfield beat them 11-4. The second semi final matched two division one teams Old Oscott Arrows winning 14-1 against Golden Hind Arrows, M.Compton hitting a maximum for the winners and J.Clarke doing the same for the losers.
In the last four of the Norman Day Cup division one leaders The Beehive found their division three opponents The Fox difficult to beat, every game going to 2-1 before Beehive eventually won the tie 8-7. R.Stanton notched his second maximum of the season.
The second semi final also finished with a close 8-7 result Boldmere Oak just getting the edge on Erdington Arrows.
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In the Halesowen Monday Night Ladies League Black Horse not only lost their home fixture with Spring Meadow 4-3 but also their unbeaten record and also pole position as their victors took over the number one spot with their third consecutive win. Spring Meadow now have a two points lead over Black Horse who in turn have a two points lead over Park Lane Tavern, The Widders, Towsend and Haden Cross.
Black Horse defeated Spring Meadow in the Captains Cup to stay top of the table with a two points lead.
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Just two results from the Camp Hill League which saw reigning champions Cotterills Lane Club win 5-2 against bottom of the table Devil’s Club to put them level on points with current leaders Scruffy Ringers and just one leg of average behind them.
In the other fixture Lions moved up into third place with a 4-3 win over Journeys End.
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Gulp gained a vital win in the Small Heath League this week when they beat their hosts Mitre 5-4. The result leaves Mitre still in pole position on 18 points from 12 games and Gulp second on the same 18 points but from 11 games.
Shock result of the week was the 7-2 win by Clock Inn over Cobs Bar, this being Clock’s first win of their twelve games season so far.
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No change at the top of the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League as all six of the top teams won and seventh in the table Bird (Wordsley) had a bye leaving Ashwood top with a six points lead on their nearest rivals Ten Arches, who in turn are two points ahead of third placed Britannia.
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The Forest of Arden Winter League played off round two of their Pairs Cup and the two results received so far saw both finish with 10-5 scorelines, wins for Olton Crown and Iron Horse over respective opponents Journeys End and Highwood ‘C’.
Just one rearranged division two league fixture played which saw Crown Arrows win 6-3 against Sheldon Flights.
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Crown at Shard suffered a setback to their division one title hopes in the South Birmingham League when they lost 5-4 away to next to bottom of the table Raven. Leaders Crown-Forget-Me-Not had a convincing 8-1 win at Punchbowl to give them a four points lead plus two games in hand on second placed Crown at Shard End.
In division two Coleshill Social made it eleven successive wins with an 8-1 home result over Poachers Pocket, while second in the table The Trident consolidated their position with a 6-3 home win over Smithswood Social.
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Congratulations to Kevin and Robert Harris who with a final 2-0 result defeated Nick Fullwell and A.Edgar to retain the Pairs Knockout title in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League. In the semi finals the winning duo beat N.Donaldson and M.Marson 2-0, Fullwell and Edgar won 2-1 against A.Batham and R.Pierce.
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Robert Smith (Springfield Social Club) was in fine form in the finals of the Netherton Thursday Night League’s Singles Knockout not dropping a single leg from the quarter finals to the final as he beat J.Batham (Rose and Crown) in the last eight, R.Harris (Springfield Social Club) in the semi’s and J.Southall (Netherton Sports and Social) in the final.
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Rose and Crown (Brierley Hill) made it six wins in as many games in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League when they won 5-4 at home against Black Horse to remain the only unbeaten team in the league they have a two point’s lead over Dudley Sports ‘A who won their home game with Griffin 6-3.
Dudley Sports ‘B’ recorded their first win in five when they won 6-3 at Dog and Lampost ‘B’, while High Acres dropped two places in the table to fifth following their 5-4 defeat away to sixth placed Blue Brick.
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Brickmakers Arms have opened up a two points lead at the top of the Brierley Hill Friday Night League after their 6-3 win over Dudley Sports ‘A’ and their nearest rivals Pensnett Welfare Club for the first time this season losing 5-4 at home to The Bell who are third and now level on the same eight points as the Welfare Club as are Miners (Wollescote) and Netherton Cricket Club.
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With Birchmoor Club having a bye this week in division one of the Pip Club League Bulls Head ‘A’ (Polesworth) and Prince of Wales both took full advantage to reduce the arrears on the leaders as Bulls Head ‘A’ won 5-3 against Tamworth Motor Spares to go level on 15 points with Birchmoor and Prince of Wales handed out an 8-0 whitewash to their visitors Two Gates Club to put them two points behind the leading pair.
In division two J W Belgrave added a 9-7 win over Globe ‘A to their tally to give them 24 points, four more than second placed Sports Bar ‘180’ who had a 10-6 win at Globe ‘B’.
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There was a shock in the Tamworth League this week as top side Fox and Dogs lost for the first time in twelve games this season. Playing at home Fox and Dogs finished on the wrong side of a 5-2 result against second in the table Dolphin ‘A’ to leave just a three points gap between the two teams. Fox and Dogs went through last season’s 22 games undefeated.
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The Tettenhall Wednesday Night League are two games into their new season and the early pacesetters are Otter and Vixen, Claregate, Village Inn and Riley’s ‘B’ all four of them having won their opening two games, Otter and Vixen topping the table on average only..
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