In their middle of the season fixture in the Premier Division of the BDO Inter County Championships, Warwickshire were unable to make it four consecutive wins over their hosts Lancashire as they lost 20-16 despite having a good start to the weekend when the ladies ‘B’ finished all square at three each with Wendy Adams taking the lady of the match award for her straight 3-0 win over Marie Fitton with a 19.27 average.
The men’s ‘B’ team were unable to make it four wins in five games as theynarrowly lost 7-5. Top player for the men was Jamie Atkins who although he was taken to a seventh and deciding leg by James Caton won 4-3 with a 26.92 average to earn him his first match award for the season.
For the second successive fixture the ladies ‘A’ lost 5-1, however for the third consecutive time Natalie Gilbert took their match award, on this occasion with a 3-1 win over Sue Corry after Corry had won the opening leg, Natalie’s average 21.53.
The men’s ‘A’ had a great 7-5 victory making it four successive wins and just one defeat. With a tremendous 30.52 average Ian McFarlane came from 2-0 down against Carl Sneyd and went on to win 4-2 and in the process take the man of the match award for his efforts.
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Congratulations to Warwickshire’s Jamie Hughes and West Midlands player Scott Baker who have both secured a two-year Tour Card after competing at Wigan in the PDC UK Qualifying School.
Tipton based Hughes won on the first day of qualifications beating Jamie Barrowman (5-3 with an 86.7 average), Sean Bell (5-1 with an 88.8 average), John Bryan (5-1 with a 97.0 average), Scott Dale (5-2 and a 95.6 average) before a run of three games with top averages of 109.8, 109.3 and 108.5 against respective opponents Callan Rydz (5-4), Kevin Thomas (5-1), and Dafydd Edwards (5-1). Hughes then recorded a resounding 5-1 win over ex-World finalist Kirk Shepherd to secure his status as a full-time professional for the 2019 and 2020 PDC circuit.
Jamie Hughes
On day two and in his first attempt at Q School Scott Baker was also successful. He began his campaign with confidence boosting 5-0 whitewashes over Mark Esposito and Lorraine Winstanley before beating David Adshead 5-2 with a superb 107.7 average. He then followed up with victories over former Tour Card holders Barrie Bates, Stephen Burton and Jonathan Worsley before a 5-2 success over Lakeside Championship semi-finalist Jim Williams to put him within one win of glory.
A convincing 5-1 triumph over American Danny Lauby, confirmed Baker’s status, like Hughes as a full-time professional on the PDC circuit for 2019 and 2020.
Scott Baker
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The intriguing battle at the top of the Shirley Premier League continued in week nine with Thomas Bent taking his turn at the top of the table with 54 points from 18 games after a 3-1 win against Ken Hopton and a 4-0 success against Sam Hicks. Former leader Mark Henderson has dropped to third place as after a 4-0 win over Chris Thomas snr he then lost 3-1 to Chris Thomas jnr leaving him two points short of Bent’s total.
Phil Thomas holds on to second place and is just one point off the top after he beat both Brian Lawton and Steve Harper 3-1.
Third in the table Ken Hopton is on the same 52 points as the player just above him Mark Henderson despite his 3-1 defeat to Bent as he recovered and went on to win 4-0 against Dave Barrows.
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The South Birmingham Winter League had their Roy Parry Cup on their fixture card in which there were no shock results as division one leaders Coleshill Social beat division two’s top side The Dog 5-4, the all C’s Club tie produced a convincing 8-1 result in favour of C’s Top Guns who are second in division one over C’s Hot Shots who are placed in a mid-table position in division two. The only other game played was an all division two affair which saw The Trident win 5-4 against C’s Flights.
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Week thirteen proved to be a little unlucky for a couple of title contenders in the C’s Club Wednesday Night Double Top League as long term leader Bob Nixon suffered his first defeat in 23 games when he lost 2-1 to second in the table Mitchell Mann. With an earlier 2-1 win over Adam Gallett, Nixon holds on to pole position with a two points lead plus four games in hand on Mann who remains second.
There was also a first defeat in seventeen games for Simon Edwards as he began the night on the wrong side of a 3-0 scoreline against Steve Sidwell, however he recovered and added 3-0 wins over Melissa Beale and Chris Meigh to his account to put him fourth in the table on 51 points, twelve short of leader Nixon but with four games in hand.
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The only notable change in the Shirley and District Monday Night League table was the swapping of places by The Bears and Legion Flights as Flights 6-3 home defeat at the hands of third in the league Red Lion saw them drop to fifth place and The Bears with a 6-3 home win over Legionnaires replace Flights in fourth place.
Leaders Highwood with six games to go held on to their four points lead over second in the table The Wharf as they beat Plume of Feathers 8-1 and Wharf won 6-3 at Cider House, Red Lion are a further two points adrift on 36 points.
Biggest win of the week was a 9-0 success for Saracens Misfits over Shirley Spartac, which saw Spartac drop to the foot of the table, an excellent 5-4 away win for Sharmans Cross at the Blue Bell lifting them two places off the bottom spot.
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Leaders of division one in the Four Oaks and District Winter League The Boat had a bye in week eight and the chasing pack of three all took advantage to reduce the arrears as they all won, however they have now all played one game more than The Boat.
Second in the division Old Oscott Arrows drew level on 12 points with the leaders after a 6-3 win at The Boot while Boldmere St Mikes are third and two points adrift of the top two following their 9-0 thrashing of Red Lion. Fourth placed Golden Hind beat Pint Pot Flights 6-3 to leave them a further two points adrift.
The Fox stay top of the second division with a 7-2 win at Boldmere Tap to keep them two points ahead of St Thomas’s Social Club who kept the pressure on the leaders with an 8-1 win at The Oscott Social.
Erdington Arrows, Bishop Vesey and Drakes Drum are all on the same eight points, Erdington Arrows had a bye but Bishop Vesey lost ground as they suffered a 7-2 defeat at the hands of the Drakes Drum team.
Third division leaders Oscott Sports beat The Digby 7-2 and remain unbeaten in seven games while second in the table Rosey Mac’s are just two points off the top after their 7-2 win against Sutton Sports and Social Club.
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The Camp Hill League have got their new season underway and the early pacesetters with 5-2 wins are Roost and Tyseley WMC who in turn defeated North Star and Wagon and Horses. Just one leg of average short of the top two teams are Sedgemere Devil’s Club and reigning champions White Swan Nomads who in turn had 4-3 wins over Emerald Club and New Inn.
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It was cup week in the Small Heath League with the semi-finals of their League Cup and the next game in the Round Robin Consolation Cup. In the League Cup league leaders East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their opponents Sheldon Marlborough Flights and currently second in the league Heartlands Club won 8-1 against Sheldon Marlborough Arrows to set up what will be a tremendous final between the league’s top two teams.
In the Round Robin Consolation Cup there was a 5-4 win for Emerald Club over Cob’s Bar.
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The quarter finals of the 3 A-Side Knockout was the order for the day for the Brierley Hill Friday Night League and making their way into the semi-finals were Delph Bell, Dudley Sports, Miners (Wollescote) and Brickmakers Arms ‘A’.
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The Henley and District Winter League were engaged in their League Cup and progressing to the next round were Beausale, Dorridge, Studley Cricket Club and Studley Conservative Club who in turn took out Village Inn, Wythall Legion, Wythall RBL and Wootton Bears.
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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night League had the quarter finals of their League Cup on the agenda and of the four games played the only slightly surprising result was the 6-3 win by Glasscutters at Bird (Stourbridge) as in the league Glasscutters are some six places and eight points adrift of their hosts. In the other games Ten Arches ‘B’ beat Church Tavern 5-0, British Oak won 8-1 against Stourbridge RBL and league leaders Brickmakers Arms won 7-2 at Hop House.
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Prior to the new season getting underway the Cradley Tuesday Night League played the preliminary round of their League Cup and in the local derby between Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ and ‘B’ it was the ‘A’ team who got the 7-2 verdict. Riddins Tavern won 7-2 against Netherton Sports and Social ‘B’ and Bulls Head had a close 5-4 result away to Dudley Labour Club.
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As the second half of the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League got underway leaders Ashwood ‘A’ took their unbeaten run to 20 games with a 5-2 home win over High Acres second placed Swan keeping within two points of them and increasing their average advantage with a 7-0 success away to Brickmakers Arms ‘B’. Third in the table Ashwood ‘B’ also registered a 7-0 win in their fixture at Holly Bush ‘B’ to keep within four points of their ‘A’ team.
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It was week one of the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League’s new season and three teams Ivy Bush, Merry-Go-Round and The Vine all began the campaign with 6-1 wins over respective opponents Court House, New Talbot and Waggon and Horses. The chasing three teams in the table Dewdrop ‘A’, Miners Arms and Sportsman were not behind the three top teams as they chalked up 5-2 victories in turn over Dewdrop ‘B’, Horseley Tavern and Wonder.
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It was cup semi-finals week in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League and in the Team Cup Old Bulls Head had a resounding 8-1 win over Gornal Labour Club, meeting them in the final will be Netherton Cricket Club after their 6-3 success against Pensnett Liberal Club.
Both of the Team Trophy games finished with close 5-4 results as White Lion and Red Cow accounted for Chainyard and Hilly House.
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Queens Head kept their title hopes in the Pip Club League on course and also their undefeated run of an undefeated eleven games going with a 7-2 win against third in the Main Division Birchmoor Club, Mark Martin hitting a maximum for Queens. Just two points behind Queens is Belgrave Sports and Social Club who with a 180 from Wayne Hewins handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their hosts Progressive Club.
Other players to hit a maximum were Paul Thompson (Old Liberal House) and Mark Hollyoake (Pip Club).
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Eighteen points is now the lead that Allen’s Sports Bar ‘A’ have in the West Midlands Men’s Super League after adding their latest 4-1 win over Hill and Cakemore to their tally. Woodside surrendered their second place as they lost 3-2 at home to The Crown who are eight places below them and have 42 fewer points. Taking over in the number two spot is Yeltz Bar who after a 3-2 home win over The Victoria are now three points ahead of Woodside in third place but eighteen short of the leaders.
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