A Look Back In Time - Alan Towe 27.02.2002
The shocks continue in the Forest of Arden Winter League and the team to provide the biggest shock of the week is Solihull Borough Flights. Playing away against top of the table Red Arrows Flights returned with a fantastic 5-4 victory. Hobs Meadow Mixes recorded a 6-3 home win over Old Bill and Bull and with Hobs Meadow winning 6-3 at the Harvester, Arrows and the two Hobs teams are now locked together on the same 20 points. Les Wheeler played a real captains part for Hobs Meadow as he broke with 150 and then registered the league’s highest outshot of the campaign 167.
John Mason (Highwood) had a 160 break as his side went down 5-4 against Mackadown Social.
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There was a top of the table clash in the premier division of the Harborne and District Winter League when Bartley Green Social Club took on the Highlander. The result was a 6-3 success for Bartley Green. Punchbowl hit top form and with a maximum from P.Clifford beat W.C.WMC with a similar 6-3 verdict.
In division one Weoley Castle proved to be far too strong for Stonehouse Flights and ran out 7-2 winners. J.Smurthwaite recorded a 160 break for Weoley. Village Stump’s T.Collier was another player to break with 160, however his team finished on the wrong side of a close 5-4 result at Bartley Green F.C.
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Things are really hotting up at the top of the Minworth Social Individual League with the first five players winning their matches this week. Leader Tony Randell (105 points) had 2-1 and 3-0 wins over respective opponents Alan Mayell and Carl Betteridge, Randell hitting a 180 in both of his games. Second placed Peter Allen beat Richie Baker 3-0 to push his points tally along to 99, with two games in hand on Randell. Mark Hollyoake remains in third spot four points adrift of Allen, but has games in hand on both of the top two players.
Richie Shenton notched two maximums in his 2-1 defeat of Steve Hawkes to put him fourth in the table.
Other players hitting 180’s this week were Steve Davis (2), Chris Forsyth, Steve Brindley, Mick Smith, Mark Hollyoake and Derek Fardon.
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The Warwickshire Darts Organisation have been involved their play-off’s for the Gold Cup singles. In the men’s event Coventry’s Steve Hine followed up his 3-2 win over Birmingham Vauxhall’s Colin Fowler in the semis with a straight 3-0 victory against Birmingham’s Rob South. South’s path to the final included a terrific 3-2 success against team mate Mark Hollyoake in the semi-final.
The ladies final turned out to be a fascinating tussle which brought together Leamington Spa Super League, Warwickshire County and England team mates Trina Gulliver and England’s latest recruit Claire Bywaters. As expected it was a tremendous encounter and would have graced the stage of not only the grand final of the Gold Cup but any final in the world. Both players hit a maximum and chalked up thirty plus averages per dart in a match that went the full distance the result, a memorable 3-2 victory for Claire Bywaters.
Steve and Claire now go forward to the next round as Warwickshire champions.
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Warwickshire resume their BDO Inter Counties Championship campaign this coming weekend when they play hosts at the Belgrave Sports and Social Club, Tamworth, to Cambridgeshire. Following two successive defeats against Yorkshire and Glamorgan, the local county will be looking for a return to winning ways.
Lining up will be, Men’s ‘A’:- C.Fowler, K.Dowling, P.Rouse, S.Dwyer, T.Brown, M.Bagley, S.Hine, A.Sharratt, C.Laffar, S.Mitton, P.Koyce, Men’s’B’:- D.Clarke, D.Wykes, T.McGlone, M.Whelan, D.Honey, D.White, C.Betteridge, T.Ryan, G.Sanders, P.Merrett, J.Brooks, P.Brotherton, Reserves:- L.Thompson, C.Green, P.Jiwa, D.Harris, R.Shenton, Women’s ‘A’:- T.Gulliver, L.Newcombe, D.McPherson, C.Pike, C.Bywaters, C.Jackson, Women’s ‘B’:- P.Thornton, C.Barber, V.Franklin, D.Jones, D.Burke, V.Byrne, Reserves:- D.Barnes, N.Harris.
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