With a break from league fixtures the Four Oaks and District Winter League played the second round of their Brian Goodman and Ken Rust Cups.
In the Brian Goodman Cup Bishop Vesey came from 3-0 down to level the match against The Boat but The Boat responded to take the next two games and eventually run out 5-4 winners. Erdington Arrows went 4-0 down to Boldmere St Mikes and despite winning the next two games lost 7-2. Another see-saw game was that between Old Oscott Arrows and last year’s Ken Rust Cup winners Boldmere Tap, Tap lost the first two games then won the next five to run out 5-4 winners. Pint Pot Flights made their way into the semi-finals with a close 5-4 win over The Boot.
In the Ken Rust Cup there was further torture for division three’s bottom team The Towers, they matched their opponents Drakes Drum for scores but could not find their finishing doubles and made their exit losing 9-0. Golden Hind, last year’s losing Brian Goodman finalists made short work of Red Lion winning 7-2 while Rosey Mac’s and St Thomas’s Social Club had narrow 5-4 wins over respective opponents St Thomas Arrows and The Fox to reach the semi-finals.
I.Lloyd (St Thomas’s Social Club) and T.O’Kereke (Golden Hind) both Chalked up a 180.
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With the Wharf having a bye in the Shirley and District Monday Night League the Highwood took the opportunity to extend their lead at the top to four points coming from 1-0 down away to Legionnaires to go on and win 8-1. Third placed Red Lion reduced the arrears on second in the table Wharf to just two points with a similar 8-1 win at Sharmans Cross and keep a one point lead with a game in hand on their nearest rivals Legion Flights who beat Saracens Misfits 7-2.
Finding the three treble twenties this week were Trevor Carter (Legionnaires) and James Hinkley (The Lodge) who both hit two plus Dave Heighway (The Bears), Jack Sidwell and John Sidwell (Red Lion).
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The Camp Hill League rounded off their season with a rearranged fixture between league champions White Swan Nomads and Journeys End Lions. From their previous fifteen fixtures the Nomads had lost just one game and that was against Journeys End Lions. Journeys made it a memorable double beating the champions for a second time when they won 4-3. Despite the win Journeys still finished fourth in the table four points short of third placed Tyseley WMC.
The leagues new season will get underway tonight (Wednesday 16th January).
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With Emerald Club unable to field a team in the Small Heath League their would be opponents East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association were awarded a 9-0 win to take their unbeaten run in the league to thirteen games and keep intact their two points advantage plus a game in hand on second placed Heartlands Club who won 6-3 at Wagon and Horses.
In the local derby between Sheldon Marlborough Arrows and Sheldon Marlborough Flights it was third in the table Arrows who got the 7-2 result over their bottom of the table opponents.
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Coleshill Social suffered their first defeat in their opening four games in division one of the South Birmingham Winter League when playing at home against second in the table C’s Top Guns they went down 6-3, C’s Top Guns are now the only unbeaten team in the division and just two points off the top with a game in hand plus a superior average.
In division two there was no such problem for leaders The Dog who won 7-2 at Toby Jug, the home side losing their number two spot to The Trident who won 5-4 away to bottom of the table C’s Flights. Just one leg of average separate Trident and Toby Jug with both teams on four points, four fewer than leaders Dog but they both have two games in hand on the top side.
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It just could not be tighter at the top of the Shirley Premier League with three players Mark Henderson, Thomas Bent and Phil Thomas all having played 16 games with 47 legs for and 17 against with a total of 47 points. After 4-0 wins over Dave Fisher and Mick Bown, Henderson has won one fixture more than his rivals and takes pole position with Bent and Thomas sharing second place. Bent also had two 4-0 wins in his games against Brian Lawton and Lee Lattimer while Thomas played catch up and after a 2-2 draw with Jordan Ottley, beat Jack Barrows and Colin Geens 4-0 and rounded off the evening with a 3-1 success over Dave Fisher.
Former leader Ken Hopton dropped to fourth place despite winning 3-1against Mick Bown and 4-0 against Trevor Carter to put him on the same 47 points as the three players above him but he has won fewer games.
Mark Gwakchmai held on to fifth place and is only two points behind the players above him after his 4-0 wins over Gary Cleverley and Dave Barrows.
The highest finish of the night went to John Smyth, a 120 game shot in his 3-1 victory over Pete Silver. There were 180’s from Gary Cleverley, Mark Henderson and John O’Sullivan.
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Chris Fox added a 6-1 success over Liam Baker and an important 4-3 win against Chris Williams in the ECC Sports and Social Club Thursday Night Champions League to give him 77 points from 18 games and the leadership in the league table.
Despite hitting two maximums and losing 4-3 to Sam Aitkens second placed Andy Vellender has taken his points total to 73 as he recovered from his defeat and followed his 6-1 win over Gemma Barrett with a 4-3 win against reigning champion Michael Baker.
Chris Williams is in third place on 70 points from just fifteen games. Prior to his 4-3 loss to Chris Fox he had lost by the same margin to Jordan Ward. However Williams won his third game of the night, a 6-1 victory over Sam Aitkens in which he hit a 180 and recorded a twelve darts leg.
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With all of the domestic fixtures completed in the Brierley Hill Friday Night League the 3 A-Side Knockout has been the most recent priority and winning their way through the latest round are Delph Bell, Miners (Wollescote), Old Star (two teams), Brickmakers ‘A’, Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’, Dudley Sports and Ashwood.
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Despite home advantage Ashwood were the surprise losers in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League as the Bird (Wordsley) beat them 5-4. The win for Bird (Wordsley), who are ninth in the table, puts them level on the same 36 points as their fifth placed hosts.
Brickmakers Arms made it a fantastic 29 wins in as many games when they beat Church Tavern 6-3 but despite their superb record they only have a slender two points lead over second in the table Ten Arches ‘A’ who added a 5-4 win at Bird (Stourbridge) to their account. A further four points behind in third place is Ten Arches ‘B’ who won their home tie with sixth in the table British Oak 7-2.
At the other end of the table bottom placed Hare and Hounds ‘A’ took on the team just above them Kingswinford Conservative Club ‘B’, the 5-4 result going to the Conservative Club to put them two points to the good on their opponents, both teams remain in the position they were prior to the fixture.
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The Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League played the first round of their Rickus Cup which produced wins for Tipton Sports, Merry-Go-Round, New Talbot, Sportsman, Dewdrop ‘A’, Court House, Miners Arms and The Vine who in turn defeated Island Inn, Ivy Bush, Horseley Tavern, Hayes Social, Wonder, Dewdrop ‘B’, Waggon and Horses and Allen’s Sports Bar.
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Highlight of the week in the Pip Club League was the maximums recorded by Emily Jones (Sports Bar ‘180’) and Rosie O’Connor (Wigginton Arms).
On the league front leaders of the Main Combined Division Queens Head with 180’s from Sam Whittaker, Scott Hope and Mark Tomlinson snr took their winning run to an unbeaten ten games with an 8-1 success at the Dolphin. Queens maintain their two point’s advantage over Belgrave Sports and Social and Birchmoor Club as second placed Belgrave Sports and Social won 9-0 at home against Bulls Head and Birchmoor beat Belgrave Club 6-3.
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Bob Nixon continues to dominate the C’s Club Double Top Wednesday Night League adding two more straight 3-0 wins over Steve Groves and Neil McCrave to take his points to a total of 60 with a lead over second placed Mitchell Mann of seven. Mann’s evening got off to a good start when he beat Richard Meigh 2-1 but then he lost 3-0 to Dan White who moves up from thirteenth to tenth in the table. Mann rounded off the evening with a 3-0 success against Charlie Kingdon to put him on 53 points, however third placed Richard Mills has only played 20 games and is just five points behind Mann.
Late entrant Simon Edwards is gradually catching up on games but is sprinting up the table, his latest 2-1 win over Gary Groves and 3-0 wins against Richard Hopkins and Steve Groves have taken him into fourth place on an unbeaten 45 points from 16 games, certainly a name to watch.
A special mention for Melissa Beale this week as she chalked up her second win in in twenty games. Her 2-1 success over Connor Marshall has lifted her up one place in the table and is now two off the foot of the table.
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With the Christmas and New Year breaks the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League have not played any league fixtures, they have however played the first round of two of their the cups, the Team Knockout and Team Trophy. In the former there were wins for Gornal Labour Club, Old Bulls Head and Pensnett Liberal Club who in turn defeated Five Ways, Gornal British Legion, and Coseley Tavern with Netherton Cricket Club having a bye.
Winners in the Team Trophy were White Lion, Chainyard and Red Cow at the expense of respective opponents Meadow Lark, New Inn and Jolly Crispin, Hilly House had a bye.
The semi-finals for both competitions will be played on the 15th January with the finals on the following week the 22nd.
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Seventeen points is the lead Allen’s Sports Bar ‘A’ have at the top of the West Midlands Men’s Super League after adding a 4-1 win over their ‘C’ team to their tally. The leaders have now played and won all twenty of their fixtures and lead both second and third placed Woodside Inn and Yeltz Bar, who are both on 109 points after Woodside beat Allen’s Sports Bar ‘B’ 4-1 and Yeltz had a closer 4-3 success at Cabin.
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