This coming weekend the Warwickshire Darts Organisation will be kicking off the new season in the Premier Division of the BDO Inter County Championships, Warwickshire’s eleventh consecutive season in the top flight of darts and to no-one’s surprise they will be taking on reigning champions Yorkshire in their opener, again for the eleventh consecutive time.
This will be Warwickshire’s first fixture at their new home venue Hen Lane and District Social Club, Beacon Road, Holbrooks, Coventry, CV6 4DS and lining up for the county in the curtain raiser will be Men’s ‘A’:- Steve Giddings, Ian Shaw, Nigel Heydon, Tom Aldridge, Steve Hine, Ian McFarlane, Jamie Atkins, Kevin Dowling, Antony Allen, Charlie Symons, Prakash Jiwa, Robert Comben, Men’s ‘B’:- James Hykin, Karl Reynolds, Mark Carter, Carl Green, Tom Martin, Simon Fairbrother, Dave Hill, Gareth Braham, Adam Paxton, Mark Strong, Jack Wareing, Tom Ryan, Reserves:- Noel Grant, Dean Stewart, Tom McGlone, Wayne Mynard, Women’s ‘A’:- Natalie Gilbert, Sue Gulliver, Wendy Adams, Donna Pinch, Caroline Pike, Angela Jones, Women’s ‘B’:- Nina Bolt, Helen Rigg, Kat Spanswick, Melanie Jones, Chloe McKivett, Marian Conway, Reserves:- Courtney Hine, Denise Keyte.
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With only a few more weeks remaining in the Shirley Legion Double Top League just seven points separate the top eight players. Although Lee Harris was unable to attend this week he holds on to pole position with 99 points from 34 games. Anthony Daly moves up two places to second in the league following his 2-2 draws with Sam Hicks and Ken Hopton plus a 3-1 win over John O’Sullivan to put him on the same 99 points as Harris but after playing 36 games he has now completed his season.
Former long-time leader Thomas Bent was another player missing this week and he drops another one place to third just one point behind the two players above him and although he has layed the same 34 games as Harris he has two in hand on Daly.
Finding the three treble twenties this week were Jack Barrows, Gary Cleverley and Sean Talbot while Mick Bown recorded the highest break of 160.
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Both of the top two teams in the Small Heath League Heartlands Club and East Birmingham Allotment Holders Association handed out 9-0 whitewashes to their respective opponents Cob’s Bar and Wagon and Horses to leave the position at the top of the table as it was before Heartlands top with 14 points from eight games and E.B.A.H.A. second on the same 14 points but from an unbeaten seven games. At the other end of the table the two bottom teams played each other with next to bottom Sheldon Marlborough Flights winning 5-4 against Emerald Club to leave the losers still rooted at the foot of the table.
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A 7-0 win away to Kings Heath keeps Avenue C.Fox top of the Kings Norton League with a perfect 12 points from their opening six games. Grant Arms have moved up two places to second following their close 4-3 home win over Dingle putting them on the same 12 points as the leaders but from eight games. Grant Arms have replaced Bournbrook in second place, Bournbrook dropping to third after they lost 4-3 at home to Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club who are now just two points behind them and fifth in the table.
Fourth in the league Rubery RBL are a team to watch as they have two games in hand on the two teams just above them and wins in those games would see them move up and take over the number two spot in the table.
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The Camp Hill League have got their new season underway and after the opening fixtures two teams New Inn and reigning champions White Swan Nomads share the number one spot as in turn they won 6-1 against North Star and Wagon and Horses. Emerald Club in third place are not far behind with their 5-2 success over newcomers Peaky Blinder.
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After the opening eight games in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League Brickmakers Arms are the only team able to boast a 100% win record as they added a resounding 9-0 win over Swan to their tally. Stourbridge RBL lost their second place as they went down 5-4 away to ninth in the table Church Tavern and taking over from them in the number two spot is Britannia who like league leaders Brickmakers also had a 9-0 win in their tie at Kingswinford Conservative Club who are at the foot of the table, the only team in the league without a win so far.
There were a couple of surprising results as British Oak went from fourth to seventh after losing at 5-4 at home to tenth in the table Bird (Wordsley) and Hop House dropped two places to eighth after going down 6-3 away to Ten Arches who moved up from eighth to sixth. There was a first win in eight for Bird (Stourbridge) as they won 5-4 at Lion (Stourbridge).
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A 9-0 home win over next to bottom of the Brierley Hill Monday Night league table Limes Club has preserved Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ top of the table position and also kept intact their two points advantage over their nearest rivals Roebuck who won 6-3 at home against Rose and Crown who are still placed third but are now two points behind their victors.
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There were big wins for the top three teams in the Rowley Monday Night League in week 25 as leaders Bell and second placed Cradley Sports and Social Club in turn handed out 9-0 whitewashes to Loyal Lodge and Windmills End while not far behind with an 8-1 win at Bulls Head was third placed George. The results mean Bell with 48 points hold on to their four points lead over Cradley who in turn are two points ahead of George.
Fairfield were the only losers in the top six teams as they lost 6-3 away to Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ who are fourth, fifth placed Ivy Bush winning by the same 6-3 margin against Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘B’.
There were 180’s for N.Simms (Ex Serviceman’s ‘B’), D.Whittle (Windmills End) and Ian Stokes (Fairfield) plus a superb 150 checkout by Alan Edmonds (Spring Meadow), strangely all individual achievements coming from players in teams that lost.
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In the Netherton Thursday Night League leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club and second placed Riddins Tavern had 6-3 wins over respective opponents White Horse and Fairfield to leave the Ex Serviceman’s Club nine points to the good on Riddins with a game in hand.
Third in the table Bulls Head after a 5-4 home win over fourth placed Townsend Social Club are three points, one win behind Riddins with two games in hand.
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The Vine consolidated their pole position in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League with a 7-0 win over Dewdrop ‘B’ to keep them two points ahead of second placed Tipton Sports who with a maximum from their M.Zambra won 6-1 against bottom of the table Wonder.
Third in the league Dewdrop ‘A’ had a surprisingly close 4-3 home win over Cottage Spring who are next to bottom of the table with just four wins from their twenty games. The win leaves Dewdrop ‘A’ ten points off the top and eight behind Tipton Sports with just one game in hand.
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The Brierley Hill Friday Night League played the first leg of the semi-finals of their league cup and league leaders Brickmakers Arms ‘A’, who played away against Netherton Cricket Club ‘A’, take a massive 6-1 lead into the second leg, in the other last four game Dudley Sports had a much closer 4-3 success at Delph Bell, both teams still having everything to play for.
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A 7-1 win was the result for the top three teams in the Silver End Sunday Morning League as leaders Woodside ‘A’ beat middle of the table High Oak, second placed Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club accounted for Old Star and third in the table Glasscutters ‘B’ won at Three Crowns. The results give Woodside ‘A’ 43 points and a lead of four over both Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club and Glasscutters ‘B’, however Glasscutters ‘B’ do have played one game fewer than the two teams above them.
Dudley Sports lost 5-3 at home against Brickmakers Arms ‘B’ and were the only losers in the top seven teams in the league.
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Two surprising facts from game nine of the Henley and District Summer League as three of the top four teams lost and both of the bottom two placed teams won. League leaders Studley Conservative Club took their unbeaten run to nine games with a 5-4 win over reigning champions and currently placed second Studley Cricket Club to extend their lead to four points. Third in the table Wythall RBL lost 7-2 away to bottom of the table Beausale who previously without a win had lost their first eight games, and Dorridge who were fourth in the league drop one place and are replaced by Wootton Bears who beat them 5-4.
Next to bottom of the table Village Inn made it two wins in nine when they won 5-4 away to Wythall Legion who are now just two points ahead of them.
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A new league the Ashwood Premier League has got its inaugural season underway and after the opening seven weeks games, leading the pack of an encouraging twenty four players is West Midlands man Nick Fullwell. Fullwell has played sixteen fixtures and won fifteen to give him a total of 112 points, his only defeat coming in week four when he lost 4-3 to Chris Williams. In his latest round of fixtures Fullwell added straight 7-0 wins over Jay Moule, Karl Aitkens and Stuart Aitkens.
Second in the table and some twenty points shy of Fullwell with two games in hand is Connor Pickett who has won eleven of his fourteen games the latest of which saw him beat John Broome 6-1 and Mike Cullis 7-0.
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The Pip Club League will be holding their presentation night tomorrow night (12th September) at the Belgrave Club, Wilnecote Lane, Belgrave, Tamworth with doors opening at 7.30pm.
Making a guest appearance for the league on the night will be PDC Professional and this year’s current UK Open and US Masters Champion Nathan Aspinall.
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A 6-1 win at ECC ‘A’ keeps Hurst Hill top of the Tettenhall Wednesday Night League with 40 points from their 21 games and leaves ECC ‘A’ still holding on to their fourth place in the table.
There was a shock for Cleveland Arms as they lost 4-3 playing away to bottom of the table Pilot whose win was only their third in twenty games. As an outcome of their defeat Cleveland lose their number two spot and are replaced by Whitmore Reans WMC who were held to a close 4-3 win at home by ECC ‘B’. Both Whitmore and Cleveland are on 36 points four short of Hurst Hill, second placed Whitmore having a game in hand on both Hurst Hill and Cleveland.
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