This week in West Midlands darts saw a captivating blend of thrilling cup clashes and crucial league encounters. In the Sheldon and District League, favorites advanced in the League Cup, while Langley Pints seized a league lead and Mackadown Sports ‘B’ pulled off a surprising draw. The Sutton and District League Doubles Knockout delivered a nail-biting final, with T. Colley and J. Grainger emerging victorious. Elsewhere, Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ continued their incredible undefeated run in the Netherton Thursday Night 501 League, and unexpected results shook up the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League Cups. The ladies’ and men’s Super Leagues also saw leaders consolidate their positions, though tight races keep the pressure on.
Sheldon and District League: Cup Drama and League Shakes-Up
The Greater Birmingham area was buzzing with a mix of darts cup play-offs and rearranged league fixtures designed to bring league tables up to date. The action was intense, with some expected outcomes and a few surprising turns.
League Cup Semi-Finals: Favorites Advance
The semi-finals of the League Cup unfolded largely as anticipated:
- Raven Arrows, boasting maximums from both Zac Prince and Will Naylor, secured a dominant 6-1 victory against Highwood.
- In the other last-four match, Langley Flights also triumphed with a decisive 6-1 win over CBMC-A.
Both winners showcased strong form, setting the stage for an exciting final.
Rearranged League Fixtures: New Leaders and Shock Draws
A couple of crucial rearranged league games had significant impacts on the standings:
- Group Four: Langley Pints, with impressive maximums from Sean Talbot and Dan Wilkins, and a rapid 11-dart game from Ryan Jackson, defeated Maggies 6-2. This victory propelled Langley Pints to the top of the group with twelve points, pushing Maggies to second with eleven. Crucially, Langley Pints still hold a game in hand.
- Group Five: In a result that sent ripples through the league, bottom-placed Mackadown Sports and Social Club ‘B’ held second-placed Castle Bromwich Spitfires to a surprising 4-4 draw. This missed opportunity means Castle Bromwich Spitfires are now level on fourteen points with leaders Yardley District Amateur Darts Team but trail by just one leg of average. Mackadown Sports ‘B’ remains at the bottom, but this draw could be a morale booster.
Sutton and District League: Doubles Knockout Delivers Thrills
The Sutton and District League hosted the final stages of their doubles knockout competition, bringing together the top eight pairs at the Walmley Sports and Cricket Club for a day of high-stakes darts.
The Road to the Final
The quarter-finals saw several strong pairs exit the competition:
- T.Vickers & J.Collins (St Thomas Lions)
- I.Hebberts & C.Green (Great Barr Social)
- P.Locke & D.Parsons (Old Oscott Arrows)
- A.Jones & T.Rubery (Bishop Vesey)
In the semi-finals:
- T.Bryant and J.Bryant (Oscott Social Club) were defeated 2-0 by the formidable duo of T.Colley and J.Grainger (Nomads @ Hollyfields).
- The other semi-final was a tighter affair, with H.Riddell and T.Cupkovic (Nomads @ Hollyfields) winning 2-1 in a decider against C.Sammons and S.Abbott (Bishop Vesey).
The Grand Final: A Deciding Leg Thriller
The final, extended to the best of five legs, was a true showcase of doubles darts. It went down to a dramatic deciding leg, where T.Colley and J.Grainger ultimately claimed victory with a 3-2 scoreline against H.Riddell and T.Cupkovic, who finished as commendable runners-up.
Camp Hill League: Wakefield Warriors Lead the Charge
The Camp Hill League continues to see strong performances, with several teams establishing early dominance.
- Wakefield Warriors extended their impressive winning streak to three games, securing a 5-2 away victory against Big Bull Wanderers. This win saw Big Bull Wanderers drop from second to fourth place, while the Warriors solidified their position.
- GGSB now occupies second place after a commanding 5-2 home win over Rosey Mac’s, also maintaining a perfect three-game winning run and trailing the leaders by only three legs of average.
- Moseley Arms climbed from fifth to third place with their third consecutive win, a narrow 4-3 home victory against Bull Ring Tavern.
- Cotterills Lane EBAHA suffered a 5-2 home defeat to Shannons Rebels, marking Shannons’ first win of the season. This result caused Cotterills to drop to joint fourth place with Big Bull Wanderers.
Netherton Thursday Night 501 League: Dudley’s Unstoppable Streak
The Netherton Thursday Night 501 League is witnessing an extraordinary display of dominance.
- Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ continues their incredible run, achieving their twenty-second consecutive win with a resounding 9-0 whitewash against bottom-placed Rose and Crown (Halesowen). This victory gives them a commanding twelve-point lead at the top of the table.
- The race for second place saw a significant shift: Former second-placed Old Liberal Club suffered a 7-2 home loss to Ashwood. As a result, Ashwood has moved into second place with fifty-four points, three more than Old Liberal Club. Ashwood also has two games in hand on Old Liberal Club and three on the leaders, potentially narrowing the gap to just three points.
- Notable individual performances included Mitch Jeffrey with a 16-dart game and Jamie Skeldon with a 120 checkout for Gate Hangs Well, though they ultimately lost 5-4 to Haden Cross.
Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League: Cup Upsets Galore
The quarter-finals of both the League Cup and Shadow League Cup delivered a series of unexpected results and thrilling finishes.
League Cup Quarter-Finals: Favorites Stumble
The main League Cup saw some major upsets:
- League leaders Raven secured a tight 4-3 win over second-placed Old Liberal Club.
- However, third-placed Stourbridge FC ‘A’ surprisingly lost their home tie to sixth-placed Chop House with a significant 6-1 defeat.
- Tenth-placed Swan delivered a somewhat astonishing 6-1 victory over Stourbridge FC Youth (ninth in the league).
- Another big surprise came from thirteenth-placed High Acres, who beat eighth-placed Bird in Hand ‘E’ 5-2.
Shadow League Cup Quarter-Finals: More Shocks
The Shadow League Cup also had its share of upsets:
- The biggest shock was arguably twelfth-placed Fox Inn (Lye) defeating fifth-placed Ashwood 5-2.
- Fourth-placed Beech Tree Miners went down 5-2 to seventh-placed Plough.
- The remaining two fixtures were close 4-3 battles, with wins for Netherton Conservative Club and Wheatsheaf.
Black Country Ladies Team Super League: Leaders Maintain Dominance
Game five in the Black Country Ladies Team Super League saw the top teams maintain their positions with solid wins.
- Leaders Allen’s Bar ‘B’ secured a 3-2 win against their club counterparts, Allen’s Bar ‘C’.
- Second-placed Allen’s Bar ‘A’ achieved a decisive 5-2 victory over bottom-of-the-table Allen’s Bar ‘D’.
Allen’s Bar ‘B’ sits comfortably at the top with twenty-one points, holding a seven-point lead over Allen’s Bar ‘A’, though the ‘A’ side has played one more game.
West Midlands Ladies Super League: A Tight Race at the Top
The West Midlands Ladies Super League saw a flurry of activity, with players vying for top spots.
- Claire Hobbs played two games this week, losing 3-1 to Jacqui Simmons but then winning 3-1 against Kerry Dutton. These results place her top of the table with nine points, though she has played more games than anyone else.
- Joint second are Kelly Aston-Fletcher and Jacqueline Maiden, both just one point behind Hobbs with a game in hand. Aston-Fletcher won 3-1 against Hannah Davies, and Maiden also secured a 3-1 victory against Eloise Milburn.
- Lauren Herrington and Sam Rowley are a further two points back, both on six points.
West Midlands Men’s Super League: Staffordshire Knot Holds Firm
Staffordshire Knot continues to lead the West Midlands Men’s Super League, but the competition remains fierce.
- Staffordshire Knot consolidated their number one position with a 3-2 win over fifth-placed Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club, bringing their total to 149 points.
- Second-placed Kings Head delivered a crushing 5-0 defeat to Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’. They are fifteen points behind Staffordshire Knot but have a crucial game in hand, keeping the pressure on the leaders.
- Kings Head also holds a fifteen-point advantage over third-placed Dog and Partridge, who themselves secured a 5-0 win over Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’.
Source: Based on an article from Darts World Magazine.
