Division 1
The big news of the week has to have been the immediate withdrawl from the league of one of our longest serving teams and captains – David Peploe’s Wythenshawe Cricket and Sports Club. Dave’s side have been in the league for well over a decade, and have achieved no small amount of success with wins including the Division 1 title, the KO Cup and the KO Shield, the latter on multiple occasions.
With Dave struggling to put out a full team and having options reduced further in recent weeks, he felt there was no option than to pull the team out of the league. Here’s hoping Dave can get a side back together soon – you cant keep a good captain down, and he’s certainly proved to be that over the years.
The big match this week saw a repeat of last weeks Cup Semi Final between Ammies and St Johns, but this time it was the Saints who came out on top in a 5-2 win. Coupled with that, St Johns lost one less point than the Ammies when the Wythenshawe results were scrubbed so we now have new league leaders in Division 1 for the first time since Timperley led at the start of the season!
Victoria Withington 4 vs 3 Brooklands Tap
A back and forth match saw the Vic go two up with 180s in each of the first two games for winners Connor Wigley and Sean Edwards, before the Tap came storming back with a couple of deciding leg wins for Ryan Kelly (with a 16 darter) and Callum Nolan to level the match. Niall Willis then gave the tap the lead with a 3-0 win in game 5, but wins for Matt Jepson and myself gave the Vic a hard fought win.
Ammies 2 vs 5 St John’s
The Ammies found themselves two nil down early on in this one as a 180 for St John’s Rich Davies helped him win the opener, before Jez Saunders doubled the lead with victory over Pete Watson who hit his tenth 180 of the season in defeat. Ammies’ Mike Morrison hit two maximums in game three before winning a deciding leg with Martin Tyson to get his side on the scoreboard, and after game four it was all square when Adam Watson’s 83.5 avg helped him to a 3-0 win over Kaine Goldie, with both players hitting a maximum. Mike Shaw soon made it 3-2 to the visitors with a 3-0 win in game five, and the Saints were soon celebrating their first victory over the Ammies when Kraig Loose also won 3-0 in the sixth. The final game of the night went to a deciding leg but it was also to go the way of the visitors courtesy of Oliver Clarke, and with a seven point haul from this game St Johns now top the Division 1 table for the very first time.
Victoria Burnage 2 vs 5 John Alker
Veterans Mike Nolan and Gary Thompson put the visitors two nil up, before Vic Burnage captain Steve Moane pulled one back with a win against Baz Rowland, with both players hitting a 180. The Alker made it 3-1 via Gaz O’Donnell, before Gaz Brickhill secured the win with victory in game five. A win for the Vic’s Andrew Day reduced the defecit to 4-2, but the Alker made it 5-2 in the final game of the night as captain Ewan Donegan claimed a 3-1 victory over Dylan Wimbury.
Timperley vs Wythenshawe CSC
As per the news reported earlier in this article, Wythenshawe have now folded. All points and games for and against by other teams have been removed from those teams’ totals in the league table. All player stats have been left in place and will still count toward merit tables and personal stats.
Match Stats
Cringlewood 6 vs 1 Broadheath Central
The previous five meetings between these sides had ended 4-3 to one team or the other, but this crushing win for Cringlewood, along with Wythenshawe folding sees Cringlewood move out of the relegation zone, now 16 points ahead of their beaten opponents.
Leyton Jackson hit a 180 while putting Broadheath into an early lead, but that was to be as good as it got for them as Ryan Coffey and Alex Martin turned the game around to put the Cringlewood ahead. Rob Lauder hit a 180 while making it 3-1 to the home side before Ray Levesconte won a deciding leg with Dan Cross to seal the win, a win which was only enhanced further in the final games as John Mulhern and Phil Lauder each recorded 3-0 wins to make it 6-1 overall.
Division 2
Urmston extend their lead at the top of the table to 8 points after a ninth successive win, helped in no small part by second placed Ashton-on-Merseys 5-2 defeat at home to third placed Royal Oak, who remain third, 11 points behind Urmston, but with a game in hand to play.
Carters 1 vs 6 St Anthonys
St Anthonys flew through the first four games to secure victory in quick fashion, with wins for Mark Corrigan, Carl Paton, Dom Batty and Shaun Gill, but the Carters might count themselves unlucky after three of those games went to a deciding leg. Gavin Halton pulled one back for the hosts with a 3-0 win in game five, but the Saints went on to secure the remaining points and a big 6-1 scoreline with wins for Alan Farrar and Mark Paton.
Urmston 4 vs 3 Melville
Leaders Urmston’s long run of wins goes on after a hard fought victory against a Melville side who, despite lying in sixth, have a fine record of 9 wins and now 4 defeats from 13 games played in their first season in Division 2.
Gary Brisco put the visiting Melville ahead, but that was soon reversed after wins for Gaz Lane and Dave Tong put Urmston into a 2-1 lead. Melville Captain Jon Powell’s 3-0 win in game four brought the sides level at 2-2, but a James Heslop win by the same scoreline in the fifth soon edged Urmston back in front. The Melville were all square once again after a 3-0 win for Paul Sambrook in the sixth, but in the final game of the night a great performance from Urmston’s Steve Lye saw him hit eight ton plusses and a 120 finish to seal a 4-3 win for his side.
Trafford 4 vs 3 Malt Shovels
Trafford nearly had this one sewn up quickly after storming into a 3-1 lead through Gaz Collins, Jordan Fry and Jake Neersoo, but the Malts showed some fight to bring it back to 3-2 with wins for Luke Loveitt and James Roberts. There was to be no fairytale comeback though as Trafford talisman Kyle Wands wrapped up the win with a 3-0 victory in game six, but there was at least a consolation point for the Malts after James Golds won the final game of the night. Although, it was only a consolation point until Sunday when they lost it after failing to submit their game stats.
LMRCA 4 vs 3 Roebuck
LMRCA recorded a third win in five after going most of the season without tasting victory, and did so by beating a decent team in the Roebuck, who still might harbour hopes of getting back into the promotion battle.
Ron Cooke and Alan Gleave put the home side two up, but Roebuck’s Mark Garnett defied a 180 from Joe Davis to reduce the defecit before Chris Reddy pulled it back to 2-2. Derek Ostick hit a 180 while putting LMRCA back in front, but Roebuck’s Hayden Reddy claimed a good win over Tony Spilsbury to ensure the match went to a deciding game. That decider was won by LMRCA’s Dave Brooks to give his side another win and move them only a point behind the Carters Arms in seventh, in their quest to escape the relegation zone for the first time this season.
Ashton-on-Mersey CC 2 vs 5 Royal Oak A
This defeat for former league leaders Ashton-on-Mersey might have allowed Urmston to stretch their lead at the top but it wasnt enough to see them moved from the second automatic promotion spot. That said, this win moves the Royal Oak into third, four points behind with a game in hand.
A tight battle ensued at the start of this match with the first three games all going to deciding legs. Harry Guthrie hit a 180 while claiming the first of these for Ashton, the Oak’s Ryan Crook made it 1-1 in his decider, before Stephen Orton pinned the deciding double in game three to put Ashton back in front. Royal Oak’s Pete Perry made it 2-2 overall with victory in game four and in doing so commenced a run of four 3-1 wins that would seal a valuable 5-2 victory for the Oak. The final win of those four was a cracking performance from Lee Medd who hit a 180 and a 14 darter while winning his sides fifth game of the night.
Division 3
BHC Aces maintained their 22 point lead at the top of the table with a 6-1 win at bottom placed Old Market Tavern, while The Horseshoe won 4-3 to move into the second automatic promtion position. Its still mega tight in Division 3 though, and remarkably it could be argued that there is still a chance of promotion for any of the sides placed second to eighth.
Broadheath Central Aces 6 vs 1 Old Market Tavern
Martin Johnson and 180 hitting Nigel Beeton put the league leaders into an early 2-0 lead, but Steven Foster pulled one back for the OMT with victory in game 3. Bob Hilton extended the Aces’ lead to 3-1, before the bonus points were secured after Geoff Talbot won game 5 assisted by his fifth 180 of the season. Further wins for Andy McCormack and Darren Wood in the final two games ensured an emphatic 6-1 win for the league leaders, as they canter towards what is looking to be an inevitable Division 3 title.
Bulls Head 2 vs 5 Buck Inn-eers
The opening games were shared as Matt Kershaw put the Buck’s ahead before Steve Hazelhurst brought the Bulls Head level. Game three went to a deciding leg but it was Rick Hindle of the Buck Inn-eers who got the better of Harry Simper to win that one, while also hitting an 18 dart leg and a fantastic 147 finish. Further wins for Declan Law and George Banner secured the win, making it 4-1 to the Buck Inn-eers, and that lead was extended to 5-1 following a win for Joshua Craven in game six. There was still time for a consolation point for the Bulls Head, and it came courtesy of a 2-0 Rob Barber win in the final game of the night.
Sale Excelsior 3 vs 4 Horseshoe
The opening game saw Jimmy Nolan put the Excel in front, but the Horseshoe soon took control after wins for Oscar Coutts, George Moss and Josh McQuillan. Mark Davis pulled it back to 3-2 to give the Excel hope, but a Ben Harrington win in game six was enough to claim victory for the Horseshoe. The final game went the way of the Excel to give a final score of 4-3.
Dog & Partridge 6 vs 1 Stretfordians
Stretfordians went into this one a player down, and it didnt get any better from there, as Graham Beech and Elliot Wynne won the opening two games to effectively put their side 3-0 up on the night. Lindsay Rice pulled a game back for Stretfordians with a win in game three, but The D&P claimed the overall match with a Dave Cook win in game four before captain Tom Spillane and Derek Winess added some gloss to a comprehensive victory with 2-0 wins in the final two games of the evening.
Royal Oak B 5 vs 2 Jolly Butcher
The first two games were shared as The Oak took the lead through Mark Gilmore before Steve Foster brought the Butcher level. From there the Oak took control, as Pete DeCordova and Michael Hayward claimed 2-0 wins over Michael and Tracy Wesemeyer, before Rob Whiteside ensured his side went home with the bonus points after a deciding leg win over Chris O’Keefe in game five. Butcher captain Liz Sweeney pulled another back for her side in game six to make it 4-2, but a 2-0 Jack Bushell win in the final game ensured a solid 5-2 win for the Chorlton side.
Vine 2 vs 5 Bent Brook
The Bent Brook sprinted into a quickfire 3-0 lead after Paul Charnock, Alex Morton and Rob Moore all secured 2-0 wins to put their side on the brink of victory. Charlie Sanders pulled one back for the Vine, but after Sean Dignan won game five, the Brook were 4-1 up and had the win in the bag. Billy Sanders claimed another point for the Vine, but it was the Bent Brooks night and they wrapped up the evening with a 2-0 win for Josh Shaw to give a final score 5-2.
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