West Midlands played a rearranged division two fixture in the BDO Inter County Championships, a home tie against Nottinghamshire and it turned out to be a good weekend for the men but not so good for the ladies.
The Saturday games saw the women’s ‘B’ go 5-0 down before Sarah Roberts (22.77) won the final game against Gina Guest 3-0. The men’s ‘B’ chalked up their first win of the season’s six games so far a 7-5 win with Ashe Khayat (25.58) their top player.
Sunday was a similar story with the women’s team losing 4-2, Lisa Astbury (18.07) making it five match awards from six games and the men ‘A’ like their ‘B’ side winning 7-5, Ian Jones (30.36) taking the man of the match award.
Despite losing 19-17 West Midlands have moved a little further away from the relegation zone and are now with three fixtures remaining and on 106 points are 21 ahead of bottom team Wiltshire, have 15 more than Merseyside and 7 to the good on Suffolk.
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With Mitre having a bye this week in the Small Heath League the chasing teams were looking to close the gap on the leaders. Second placed Gulp were scheduled to play at home against bottom of the table Clock Inn but with the away side failing to turn up Gulp were awarded a 9-0 win to take them into pole position overtaking Mitre with a two points lead and superior average.
Third placed Emerald Club won 5-4 at Sheldon Marlborough Flights to put them on 18 points just two behind Mitre with a game in hand.
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Black Horse lost their second place and dropped to fourth in the Halesowen Monday Night Ladies League after losing their home game with third in the table Haden Cross by a massive 6-1. Leaders Spring Meadow made it five fixtures without defeat with a 4-3 win at The Widders and open up a four points lead over second placed Park Lane Tavern who had a 4-3 home win over bottom of the league Hare and Hounds who are still looking for their first points of the campaign.
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Dewdrop, leaders of the Hilltop Friendly League maintained their two points lead at the top of the table with a close 4-3 win away to Ivy Bush the same margin by which second placed Old Hop Pole beat fourth placed Merry-Go-Round making it six wins in as many games and leaving them two points off the top with a game in hand.
Biggest win of the week was supplied by Sow and Pigs who won 5-2 at Island Inn.
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Played eight won eight that’s the record for The Gate in the Cradley Tuesday Night League after winning their latest fixture at Crown ‘B’ 5-4. Gate’s nearest rivals White Horse are also undefeated in seven games and again the result was 5-4 in their tie at Wheatsheaf the only losers in the top six teams and who as a consequence drop two places to fifth.
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Two of the top teams in the Netherton Thursday Night League played each other this week, Netherton Sports and Social Club hosting Brickmakers Arms, the result was a 5-4 win for the home side which takes them up one place to second but see the losers drop two places to fourth.
Leaders Springfield Social Club consolidated their number one spot with a convincing 8-1 win at The Bell to open up a twelve points gap between them and their two nearest rivals Netherton Sports and Social and Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club, the Ex Serviceman’s Club winning 6-3 away to Pensnett Liberal Club.
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The Warwickshire Men’s Super League sees last season’s top two teams battling it out once more for the league title, reigning champions Coventry Bishopsgate after sixteen games have 111 points and are in second place with runners up from last season Brandon leading the way on 123 points from the same number of games.
Highest average so far is a tremendous 34.95 supplied by Jamie Hughes, the highest finish by Mark Westgarth and Prakash Jiwa is 161 and least darts of eleven recorded by Ian McFarlane, Noel Grant and Jamie Hughes.
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The Four Oaks and District League staged their Central Container sponsored Richard Winslow Pairs competition, in the semi-finals S.Paling & R.Hawker (Sutton Sports) had a comfortable 2-0 victory over P.Opelier & B.Godfray (Anvil Nomads) while A.Gallett & C.Packer (Boldmere Sports) had a much tougher match beating M.Wild & M.Ashton (Sutton Sports) 2-1.
It was a tremendous final the second division pairing of A.Gallett & C.Packer the winners beating S.Paling & R.Hawker 3-2.
M.Ashton (Sutton Sports), N.Robbins (Plough and Arrows) and B.Godfray (Anvil Nomads) all hit 180’s, while A.Gallett (Boldmere Sports) recorded his second of the season.
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Bird ‘A’ (Stourbridge) produced a shock result in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League this week when they won their home fixture with Ashwood 6-3. This was Ashwood’s first defeat of the season after 23 consecutive wins, Bird ‘A’ are fifth in the table and some twelve points behind Ashwood. Despite the defeat Ashwood remain four points ahead of second placed Ten Arches who won 6-3 at The Bird (Wordsley).
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Rose and Crown (Brierley Hill) suffered their first loss in nine games in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League going down 6-3 at Bridge ‘B’. The defeat for Rose and Crown has opened up the league as second placed Dudley Sports ‘C’ had a 7-2 win at Dog and Lamppost ‘A’ to put them on 14 points, two behind Rose and Crown but with a game in hand. Fourth placed Bridge ‘B’ have also only played eight games and they too are just two points adrift of the leaders.
Third in the league Roebuck are another team with 14 points but they have played nine games.
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Miners (Wollescote) dropped one place to third in the Brierley Hill Friday Night League following their 5-4 demise away to Netherton Cricket Club who are fourth now level on 12 points with Miners trailing only on average.
Just one leg of average separates the top two teams, a 5-4 win at home against Dudley Sports ‘B’ keeping Brickmakers Arms in pole position, Pensnett Welfare Club hot on their heels with a 6-3 win at The Bridge to put them level with the same 14 points.
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Abbey made it five wins in as many games in the Harborne League when they beat Avenue Social Club 7-2 and remain two points to the good on second in the table West Heath Snooker Club who had a 6-3 away win over bottom of the table Weoley Castle WMC who are still without a win in five games.
After the top two teams there is a cluster of four teams Court Oak, Hillyfields ‘A’, Smethwick Labour Club and Hillyfields ‘B’ all on six points.
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Warwickshire County Darts Organisation are mourning the death of former Chairman Ken Glidle. Ken was Warwickshire’s first ever Chairman way back in 1974 and also Chairman of the BDO from its inauguration in 1973.
Ken was a well known character throughout the world of darts from local league to representative country teams he will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
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In the latest results from the Tamworth League Fox and Dogs had their fixture with Globe Inn postpones and as a result have been ousted from pole position. Taking over the top spot is Dolphin ‘A’ who won their home tie with Longwood 6-1 to give them 101 points from 13 games. Belgrave Club have moved into second place with 98 points, they also have played 13 games the most recent seeing them handing out a 7-0 whitewash to their visitors Dolphin ‘B’, which leaves Fox and Dogs third with 95 points but with a game in hand on the two teams above them.
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The Pip Club League played off round two of their Open Cup Knockout and winning through were Bulls Head ‘A’ (Polesworth), Old Liberal, Tamworth Motor Spares and Bull (Two Gates) who won in turn against Two Gates Club, Wigginton, Sports Bar ‘180’ and J W Belgrave.
Just one division two league fixture was played which saw Pip Club beat Royal Oak 11-5.
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Although there are a few outstanding games to be played in the Forest of Arden Winter League the major placings in the two divisions have been settled, Olton Crown with 26 points have won division one with Highwood ‘A’ runners up on 22 points. In division two Iron Horse completed a fantastic season beating New Inns 7-0 to go through the fourteen games season undefeated. Highwood ‘C’ were four points behind Iron Horse and take the runners up spot.
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In division one of the South Birmingham League leaders Crown-Forget-Me-Not still have three games to play but with a perfect 18 points from nine game they have won the title as their nearest rivals Crown at Shard End are some four points adrift and only one fixture remaining.
In division two Coleshill Social lead the field with again a perfect score of 22 points from eleven games and three to play, however second placed Trident have 18 points and two to play so it is still mathematically possible that Trident could steal the title but the odds are really stacked against them and it’s virtually an impossible task.
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ECC made it four opening wins in division one of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League when they handed out a first defeat to Village, a massive 7-0 win to put ECC two points clear of the rest of the field. Wednesfield FC were also 7-0 winners in their game at Bradmore ‘A’ which saw Wednesfield jump four places to second in the table.
In division two there was a first defeat for Whitmore Reans WMC as they lost by a narrow 4-3 at home to Boat ‘B’, Pheasant take over pole position with a 7-0 win at Wednesfield Legion ‘C’, their fourth win in as many games.
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Village Inn lost for the first time in five games in the Tettenhall Wednesday Night League and drop from the number one spot to fourth, Riley’s ‘B’ are now the only team to be undefeated their fifth win being a 5-2 success at Dog and Partridge.
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