2012-05-09

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.