Warwickshire will be back in action in the premier division of the BDO Inter County Championships this coming weekend when they take on newly promoted and local rivals West Midlands in this the second of their scheduled nine fixtures. Both teams will be looking to chalk up their first win of the campaign Warwickshire having lost a hard fought home battle against reigning champions Yorkshire 19-17 and West Midlands who opened their account with an 18-18 draw away to Devon.
Lining up for Warwickshire will be Men’s ‘A’:- Mark Westgarth, Jamie Hughes, Dean Stewart, Antony Allen, Tom Aldridge, Anthony West, Nigel Heydon, Prakash Jiwa, Kyle Anderson, Noel Grant, Kevin Dowling, Steve Hine, Men’s ‘B’:- Richard Foster, Ian Shaw, Graham Hall, Carl Green, Charlie Symons, Mark Carter, Matt Edgar, Ian McFarlane, Tom Ryan, James Hykin, Peter Hughes, Luke Kennedy, Reserves:- Ted Evetts, Mark Strong, Andrew Foulkes, Simon Fairbrother, Ashley Hykin, Tom McGlone, Simon Power, Women’s ‘A’:- Donna Pinch, Sue Gulliver, Natalie Gilbert, Melanie Jones, Chloe MvKevitt, Caroline Pike, Women’s ‘B’:- Nina Bolt, Helen Rigg, Angela Jones, Wendy Adams, Lisa Deslandes, Marian Conway, Reserves:- Ann Rogers.
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The South Birmingham League have got their new winter season underway and the early pacesetters in division one are last season’s runners up Erdington Members Club who beat The Raven 6-3. Reigning champions Mackadown Social didn’t have the best of starts as they went down 5-4 at home to Coleshill Social.
In division two Toby Jug with a 6-3 win against C’s Flights top the table closely followed by Crown Jewels and Iron Horse who in turn had 5-4 wins over Kingfisher and The Dog.
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There was just one result from the South Birmingham Summer League, a rearranged fixture which saw Pavilions beat Toby Jug 6-3 to see them replace The Dog at the top of group two to take the title with 16 points, two more than The Dog who finished as runners up.
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Reigning division one champions The Boat were unbeaten last year in the Four Oaks and District League but very nearly lost the first match of the new season when after going 3-0 up away to Old Oscott Arrows they lost the next four games, however in the end they scraped a very close 5-4 victory. Last year’s runners up Royal Sutton Flights had no such problem as they beat St Thomas’s Social Club 8-1 to go top of the table.
Red Lion hold pole position in the second division with a 7-2 win against Plough and Arrows while a resurgent Pint Pot Flights are in second place after defeating Bishop Vesey 6-3.
Boldmere Tap lead the way in division three after winning 6-3 at Brookvale Social, A.Gough producing the only 180 of the week for the Tap. At 3-3 The Oscott Social took the next two games to win their first match in the League 5-4.
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The Sheldon and District League have completed their summer season fixtures and taking the honours are, in division one Mackadown Social who are champions with 15 points two more than runners up Iron Horse Flights. The division two title has gone to Highwood KB’s with Willclare Sports and Social runners up, again the difference between the two teams was two points.
Ridgemere Social are division three champions finishing with 14 points just one more than their nearest rivals Shirley RBL Misfits while division four produce the biggest winning margin in the league with Fox and Goose topping the table with 18 points, three more than runners up Highwood Exiles.
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The Shirley Red Lion Premier League lost one of their 30 players in week twelve when due to health issues Jack Nason had to drop out of the league all of the players wish young Jack a speedy recovery.
On the league scene Tom Bent extended his lead at the top of the table to six points after taking seven of a possible eight points in his latest games. He kicked off with a 3-1 win over Dave Heighway and ended the night with a straight 4-0 win over Mark Cater to put him on 77 points.
There were second defeats of the season for second and third placed Mark Gwalchmai and Steve Sidwell as Gwalchmai, after being held to a 2-2 draw by Chris Thomas snr then lost 3-1 to Ken Hopton and Sidwell who began with a 3-1 win against Hopton then lost 4-0 to Phil Thomas, leaving Gwalchmai on 71 points with a game in hand on Bent and Sidwell with two games in hand on Bent on 69 points.
Phil Thomas with a 100 checkout in a 2-2 draw with Mick Bown takes this week’s £5 for the highest finish.
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After their away trip against Staffordshire in the Western division of the Northern Youth Darts Organisation for a second successive fixture Warwickshire’s Youth Darts team played away when they travelled to Telford to take on Shropshire, following up their opening 11-4 win with a tremendous 8-7 victory.
With wins from Matthew Cain, Jake Liggins, Jordan Ainsworth and George Ross the under 18’s won 4-3 while the ladies won 2-1 thanks to Shona Emslie and Lucy Keyte. The under 21’s lost by a close 3-2 result with Tom Mills and Adam Paxton their winners.
Winners of the match awards were Matthew Cain (Under 18’s), Lucy Keyte (Ladies) and Adam Paxton (Under 21’s).
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Only two results from the Forest of Arden Winter League which produced two local derby’s. League leaders Journeys End took on second placed Journeys End Flights and went down 6-3 to leave them top of the table with 18 points from 11 games and their opponents second also on 18 points bur from only 9 games. Highwood Arms squared up to Highwood KB, the latter winning 7-2 to put them third in the table with 16 points from 11 games.
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Week three in the Pip Club League and leading the Main division is Old Liberal with a maximum six points after their latest 5-4 win over Globe (Wilnecote), Nigel Vaughan and Martin Richards both hitting a maximum for the winners. The Office are in second place and with 180’s from Alex Tempest and Mark Stringer plus a 13 darts game from Martin Edwards and a 14 darts game from Phil Daulman beat the Dolphin 8-1 to leave them two points short of Old Liberal with a game in hand and a superior average.
Wigginton Arms had a 6-3 win over Mercian aided by a 2-0 win from twelve years old Rosie O’Connor who beat Mercian’s Adam Walker
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The Brierley Hill Monday Night League took a break from their weekly domestic fixtures to stage the second leg of their League Cup and winning through to the quarter finals were Roebuck, Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club, Portway, Pensnett Liberal Club, Mount Pleasant, Delph Bell and New Talbot.
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After the opening three fixtures in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League just three of the sixteen teams remain undefeated. Gornal Labour Club are in pole position their latest 6-3 win handed their hosts Hilly House their first defeat of the campaign. Old Bulls Head are second remaining one leg of average short of the leaders following a similar 6-3 win in their game against Fellows Club. Making up the top three is Ashwood who are a further one leg of average short Old Bulls Head, their week three game saw them win 7-2 at home against Britannia, this being Britannia’s first defeat.
Coseley Tavern recorded their first win as they accounted for their hosts Pensnett Liberal Club with a close 5-4 verdict.
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Cup semi finals were the order of the day for the Netherton Thursday Night League, first the League Cup where the first leg games saw league champions Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club lose their home tie with bottom of the table Hill and Cakemore 5-4 and with the score Riddins Tavern beat Fairfield.
In the first leg of the last four play off for the Shadow Cup 5-4 was the scorelines yet again as Delph Bell and White Horse in turn won against Bulls Head and Townsend Club.
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The Cradley Tuesday Night League played off their doubles knockout and from the semi finals onwards the results were all 2-1. In the last four games Mark Rutter and Shaun Hill beat Carl Penzer and Jeff Batham and from the other side of the draw Lee Banner and Carl Davies took out Jess Archer and John Slim.
The title then went to Rutter and Hill as they defeated Banner and Davies in the final.
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Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ consolidated their number one spot in the Brierley Hill Friday Night League when they handed out a 7-0 whitewash to their hosts Pensnett Welfare Club ‘B’ and at the same time held on to their four points advantage over second in the table Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’ who won their tie at Dudley Sports 5-2.
There was rare joy for the two joint bottom teams this week as Netherton Cricket Club ‘B’ and Fox Inn ‘A’ (Lye) both won 4-3. Both teams had very surprising wins the Cricket Club beating Pensnett Welfare Club ‘A’ who as a result drop one place in the table to fourth whilst their victors move up one place from the bottom of the table as do Fox Inn ‘A’ (Lye) who won against their local rivals Fox Inn ‘B’ (Lye) who are placed fifth in the table.
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The Harborne and District League have begun their new season with eleven teams and topping the table after the opening fixture is HV Flights who won 8-1 against Avenue Social ‘A’. Hillyfields and Stag and Three Horseshoes both won 7-2 against respective opponents Smethwick CC and The Abbey while Cock Inn won 6-3 at Avenue Social ‘B’ and Bartley Green FC had a closer 5-4 verdict over Weoley Castle WMC.
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Gate ‘B’ lost ground in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League title race when in week 29 they lost 5-4 at home against fifth placed Bridge (Kingswinford) and as a result drop to third place behind Ten Arches ‘B’, both teams are on 48 points but Gate trail massively on average after Arches ‘B’ won 9-0 at Church Tavern. Leaders Ten Arches ‘A’ hang on to their four point’s advantage after a 7-2 home win over Britannia.
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After their recent surprising 5-2 defeat by The Vine, Dewdrop are back to winning ways in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League adding a vital 5-2 win over second in the table Waggon and Horses to their tally to put them eight points ahead of their rivals who are now just two points to the good on third placed Island Inn who also won 5-2 away to bottom of the table Hayes Social.
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Great prize money was on offer but it was a very disappointing turnout for the Brandon Open as only 28 players turned out. Despite the poor numbers a good day was had by all who did turn up.
In the semi finals Warwickshire’s Mark Carter and Noel Grant lost in turn to Nick Fullwell and Martin Biggs and then in the final West Midlands man Fullwell took the top prize and the title when he defeated Biggs.
Winner Nick Fullwell with Les Ball (Warwickshire Treasurer)
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Riley’s ‘B’ have lost their number one spot in the division one doubles division of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League after losing 2-1 to next to bottom of the table Jack’s Bar. With a 3-0 win at Victoria Riley’s ‘C’ have taken over in pole position but only on average as Riley’s ‘B’, Wednesfield Conservative Club and Bull are all on the same 32 points as Riley’s ‘C’.
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Week 29 results in the Tettenhall Wednesday Night League did not change the league positions at all, however there was a rare win for bottom of the table Jones Road as they chalked up only their seventh win in 29 games when they won 4-3 against next to bottom of the table Dog and Partridge.
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It was no surprise in the Wednesbury and Darlaston Wednesday Night League when leaders The Nutan beat bottom of the table Churchills ‘B’ 8-1 but it was something of a surprise when Black Horse lost 5-4 at home to Staffordshire Knot ‘A’ which saw Black Horse replaced in second place by their opponents who now have a two points lead over them but have played one game more.
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