With Iron Horse Flights having a bye in division one of the Sheldon and District Summer League in week eleven second placed Langley Hall Sports and Social Arrows drew level on 16 points with them at the top of the table when they won their home game against fourth in the table Mackadown Social 6-2, but Langley have now played ten fixtures compared to the nine played by Iron Horse.
In division two The Harvester maintained their six points lead at the top with a 5-3 win over fourth placed Sheldon Marlborough Arrows while second in the table The Pirates were held to a 4-4 draw by their nearest rivals Iron Horse Arrows who are third, Pirates could reduce the arrears to four points as they have a game in hand on the leaders. At the other end of the table Sheldon Dukes with a 6-2 win over George ‘V’, only their second win in nine outings moved off the foot of the table to be replaced by Holy Souls who had a bye.
Highwood KB’s had a bye in division three and lost pole position to Crown Arrows who finished all square at four each with Willclare Sports and Social who are just two places off the bottom of the table. KB’s are just one point behind Crown Arrows with three games in hand.
No change at the top of division four as leaders Small Heath Amateur Gardeners won 6-2 at Highwood Exiles and second placed Ridgemere Flights went one better beating Meadway Sports and Social 7-1 to keep within two points of Small Heath.
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All three divisions of the South Birmingham League have now been decided, Coleshill Social rounded off their fixture card with a 6-2 win over The Bell to take the division one title with a perfect sixteen points from their eight games. The division two title went to Erdington Members Club who finished their season in style by handing out an 8-0 whitewash to The Kingfisher.
Division three champions Mackadown Social also finished on a high by beating their visiting team The Dog 6-2.
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The Forest of Arden Summer League had the final of their new Rose Bowl Cup on the fixture card and taking the inaugural title were division one champions Journeys End who beat their local rivals and division two champions Journeys End Flights 5-2, M.Tilley and S.Edwards both notching a maximum for Flights.
The Rose Bowl Consolation Cup final was played off by the bottom two teams in division one, next to bottom Crown Arrows just getting the 4-3 edge on bottom placed Chelmsley Town to win the title.
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The Shirley Red Lion Premier League title is being so hotly contested that no fewer than ten of the sixteen fixtures in the third week finished with a 2-2 draw. Chris Thomas followed up his 2-2 draw with Steve Sidwell with a 3-1 success against Brian Lawton to give him 17 points and pole position and a lead of three points over second and third in the table Paul Higgins and Mick Bown, Higgins having a 2-2 draw in his first game against Mark Gwalchmai and then a 3-0 win over Tony Daly while Bown finished all square at 2-2 with Tony Daly and won his second game against Stuart Dixon 3-0.
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Wins for the top three teams in division one of the Kings Norton League leaders Court Oak taking their unbeaten run to twelve games with a 5-2 win at The Coppice while second in the table Hillyfields were 7-0 winners away to Stirchley United to stay just two legs of average ahead of E57 who won 6-1 against Toby Jug ‘A’, the two teams a massive ten points behind Court Oak who have already won the divisional title.
Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club won 5-2 at Cotteridge Social to hold on to pole position in division two but their nearest rivals Rubery RBL’s 7-0 win at Toby Jug Flights leaves them four points off the top with two games in hand.
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There was a shock for Louis Burley in week eighteen of the Winmau Centre Thursday Night Champions League as for only the second time in thirty two games he lost. Playing against reigning champion Mick Baker Burley went down by a huge 6-1 margin, he recovered quickly to win his next game against Mark Bayliss 5-2 giving him a total of 173 points. Baker added a similar 5-2 win against Les Marson to his tally to give him 151 points and although he trails Burley by some 22 points with four games in hand he has a possible total of 28 points on offer that could take him to the top of the table. Kevin Harris lies in between Burley and Baker in the number two spot, Harris played just one game in which he beat Paul Boddison 4-3 to put him on 167 points six short of Burley from the same 32 games played.
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The Camp Hill League played their singles knockout down to the last eight and reaching the quarter finals were Adrian Radbourne (Station Wagon), Anthony Fisher, Joe Fox (Emerald Club), Leyton Powell (New Inns), Mark Coles, Nathan Prentice (Tyseley WMC), Matt Cooper (Cotterills Lane Club), Richard Hogan (Hay Mills Social Club).
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It just couldn’t be any tighter at the top of the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League with two points separating the top five teams, four of the teams having 60 points but from having played a different amount of games. Brickmakers Arms go from second to top on average after their 7-2 win against Queens, Brickmakers having played 34 games. Ashwood lost the top spot after losing 5-4 away to sixth placed Britannia, Ashwood and second placed Ten Arches ‘B’ have both played 35 games, Ten Arches ‘B’ having a 9-0 home win over Quarry Bank Conservative Club.
Fourth in the table Bird ‘A’ (Stourbridge) have only played 33 games and have games in hand on all the teams above them their latest fixture seeing them win 5-4 at home against Church Tavern.
Ten Arches ‘A’ like their ‘B’ team also won 9-0 as they accounted for their hosts Garibaldi, they have 58 points from 34 games and are fifth in the table.
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The Royal, Albrighton staged the fifth of their knockouts and as ever top players were attracted to the event which produced some first class darts. The first of the semi finals saw Telford’s Andy Roberts win 5-2 against Steve Ritchie from Shifnal and by the same margin Adam Smith-Neal from Coventry defeated Birmingham’s Jamie Hykin.
The final was extended to the best of eleven legs and it was Smith-Neale who with a 6-2 result walked away with the top prize of £190, runner up Roberts received £100. Both losing semi finalists Ritchie and Hykin collected ££30.
Winner Adam Smith-Neale
Runner Up Andy Roberts and Adam Smith-Neale Winner
In the first round losers Plate Competition Steve Groucott (Shifnal) with a 4-1 scoreline defeated Andre Knox (Telford), the winner picking up £25 and the runner up £13.
Plate Winner Steve Groucott
Plate Runner Up Andre Knox and Winner Steve Groucott
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Making the last eight of the Netherton Thursday Night League’s doubles knockout were L.Banner / P.Wells (White Swan), C.Wakeman / C.Hadlington, D.Hughes / N.Raybould (White Horse), J.Batham / R.Powers, S.Skidmore / T.Bingham (Dudley Sports), P.Tonks / M.Kendall, R.Carr / D.Brown (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club), S.Green / T.Johnson (Fairfield).
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Fancy a little extra cash? Think you can defeat the opposition? Then here is a reminder that Riley’s, Solihull will be staging the latest of their Last Sunday in the Month Open’s this coming Sunday with the club adding £100 to the prize fund.
Cost of entry is £5 with a deadline of 1.30pm for entries with a 2.00pm start.
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The Brickmakers Arms, Quarry Bank will be staging a darts marathon this coming weekend commencing at 12 noon Saturday until 12 noon Sunday with all proceeds going to the Mary Stevens Hospice.
Why not call in, donate and support a very worthy cause.
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Dudley Sports ‘C’ were 8-1 winners against Roebuck in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League but the result was immaterial as with one game to go, 56 points and a ten points lead over second placed The Bridge they have already retained their league title.
A 5-3 win at Dudley Sports ‘A’ has confirmed The Bridge as runners up and at the other end of the table The Griffin take the wooden spoon as they are four points adrift of the team directly above them Queens Head (Wordsley).
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In the Brierley Hill Friday Night League the top four teams all made it three wins in as many games, Pensnett Welfare Club ‘A’ leading the field on average after their 6-1 win against The Gate (Colley Gate). Brickmakers Arms won by the same 6-1 margin away to Lenches Bridge to leave them just two legs of average off the top. Third place is tied as Pensnett Welfare ‘B’ and Samson and Lion are level on both points and average, the Welfare Club winning 5-2 at The Fox (Lye) and Samson and Lion accounting for their hosts Miners (Wollescote) with a similar scoreline.
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Amazingly the top three teams in the Rowley Monday Night League all won 8-1 in week 24. Springfield Social Club beat The Roost to stay top on average from Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ who defeated Ivy Bush ‘Z’, both of the top two teams have 44 points. Third placed The Bell won away against bottom of the table Yeltz Bar, their win keeping them within two points of the top two with a game in hand.
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With only four fixtures remaining White Horse with a 6-3 win at Wheatsheaf moved another step closer to winning the Cradley Tuesday Night League as they now have a total of 50 points and a four points lead over their nearest rivals Crown (Station Road) who also won 6-3 in their home game with Crown ‘A’ *Netherton). Third placed Brickmakers Arms won 8-1 at home to Bulls Head but are eight points behind Crown (Station Road).
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The first round of their Harry Tibbetts Cup was the order of the day for the Wednesbury and Darlaston Wednesday Night League and winning through to the semi finals were Staffordshire Knot, Black Horse, Windmill and T and R Bar who in turn defeated Horse and Jockey, St Mary’s ‘A’, St Mary’s ‘B’ and Civil Defence.
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Riley’s ‘C’ are leaders of division one of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League and a convincing 6-1 win over second in the table Victoria has virtually confirmed them as divisional champions as they are now ten points ahead of Victoria with four to play. The only team that could mathematically catch the leaders is third in the table Wednesfield Conservative Club who are currently on the same 20 points as Victoria but have played two games fewer than both of the teams above them.
It’s tight at the top of division two with Sunbeam and Pavilion both on 28 points from 19 games. Sunbeam had a close 4-3 away win over middle of the table Boat while Pavilion handed out a 7-0 whitewash to their opponents Red Lion.
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There was a rare win for Jones Road in the Tettenhall Wednesday Night League, their surprising 4-3 win over sixth in the table Moreton being only their second success in 29 outings, but despite the win they remain at the foot of the table with four points, six behind the team above them ECC ‘B’.
At the top of the table Cleveland Arms continued their press for honours with a 7-0 win over Bull to keep them two points ahead of Whitmore Reans WMC who were 5-2 winners against Riley’s ‘B’, Whitmoer however do have a game in hand on Cleveland.
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