Brierley Hill SC A visited third-placed Harts Hill Social and came away with a 5-0 maximum thanks to Richard Lampitt, David Oakes, Mark Ganderton, Maria Catalano and Eliott Bastable.

Their nearest Premier Division rivals, Baggeridge Social A slipped to a 3-2 defeat at Stourbridge Institute A. 

Only Mark Jeffries and Ryan Evans could win as Tom Johnson, Chris Cowley and Gordon Edwards, in the decider, secured the Institute’s win which leaves Baggeridge seven points off the top of the league.

Hot Shots and Bearwood Cons continued their progress towards the top, winning 4-1 at Norton Social A and Pockets respectively, and Amblecote Institute A achieved their best result with a 3-2 success at Kinver thanks to John Sloper, Rob Clarke on the black, and a great clearance of the last five reds by David Grainger.

Kingswinford Cons A won 4-1 at Wombourne to open up a three point lead at the top of the First Division. John Hawker, Roy Blewitt, Ivor Jones and Paul Marsh all won but Robin Hall was pipped on the black by hardy veteran John Wooldridge.

Stourbridge Institute B had been joint leaders but they slipped to a 3-2 defeat at Amblecote RBL A. Harry Jones and Nick Aston won but Barry Young, Jason Oakes and Andrew Round took the honours for Amblecote and they share third place just two points behind the Institute.

Kinver B winning sequence ended at Amblecote Institute B, who won 4-1, by far their best result of the season, while Netherton Liberals’ improved form continued – Andy Barnett, Carl Webb and Paul Bowen combined to beat Norton B 3-2.

The last unbeaten record finally perished at Dibdale SC B, where Second Division leaders, Amblecote Institute D lost 4-1. Only Mike Richards could win for the team which has enjoyed a wonderful run of form, as Dibdale, through Wayne Harris, Andy Seddon, John Bradley and Ty Bradley, making a come-back 18 years since winning the Premier Division Individual Championship took the match for Dibdale.

Stourbridge Institute C took full advantage, winning 5-0 at Pensnett Libs A, although two of the frames went to the black, and they trail by five points in second place.

Amblecote’s C team won again, 4-1 against Wombourne B to keep them in touch with the top, just four points further away, and Kingswinford Cons B beat Amblecote’s F team by the same score, but, after eight successive wins David Hickinbottom lost on  the black against Adrian Butcher.

Kingswinford Cons C won for the first team, in some style, too as Sean Joshua, Sam Smith, Bob Randle and Trevor Bagley completed a 4-1 victory at Stourbridge Institute D, but Stourbridge’s E team upset Kinver C 3-2 thanks to a great performance by Roy Clewes, Jim Price and, making his debut for the team, Dan Harbach.

Premier Division: Brandhall Lab 5 (J Williams, T Pearson, R Howen, D Payne, I Cresswell), B Hill SC B 0; Harts Hill Soc 0, B Hill SC A 5 (E Bastable 44, M Catalano, R Lampitt, D Oakes, M Ganderton); Kinver A 2 (D Timmington, A Highfield 55), Amb Inst A 3 (R Clarke, J Sloper, D Grainger 49); Pockets SC 1 (P Rouse), Bearwood Cons 4 (J Anderson, C Downing, D Green, M Cash); Stour Inst A 3 (T Johnson, C Cowley, G Edwards), Baggeridge Soc A 2 (M Jeffries, Ryan Evans); West Mids Police 4 (P Gibbons, S Mason, G Sloan, S Wakefield 30, 30), Dibdale SC A 1 (R Skidmore); Norton Soc A 1 (R Pitt), Hot Shots SC 4 (W Robbins, R Stokes, L Higginbotham, B Hall).

Division 1: Amb Inst B 4 (R Pargeter, G Holdnall, S Ball, G Hill), Kinver B 1 (C Stevens-Wood); Amb RBL A 3 (B Young, J Oakes, A Round), Stour Inst B 2 (N Aston, H Jones); Baggeridge Soc B 2 (J & N Fellows), Langley BC 3 (D Dowse, M Nemedi, A Hadley); B Hill SC C 1 (D Garland), K’ford RBL 4 (G & D Reece, S Small, A Davies); K’ford SC 4 (T Male, T Carter, K Bytheway, G Male 34), Amb RBL B 1 (C Price); Netherton Libs 3 (A Barnett, C Webb, P Bowen), Norton Soc B 2 (P Cairns, D Allen); Wombourne A 1 (J Wooldridge), K’ford Cons A 4 (J Hawker, P Marsh, R Blewitt, I Jones).

Division 2: Amb Inst C 4 (R McManus, M Skidmore, W Biggs, S Harrison), Wombourne B 1 (J Cumisky); Amb Inst E 3 (A Checketts, P Brookes, M Robson), Pensnett Libs B 2 (R Burley, A Fisher); K’ford Cons B 4 (G Lewis, A Jeffries, M Daniels, F Dent), Amb Inst F 1 (A Butcher); Pensnett Libs A 0, Stour Inst C 5 (M Harris, J Saunders, C Tromans, P Fitzpatrick, P Garbett); Stour Inst D 1 (D Oliver), K’ford Cons C 4 (S Joshua, S Smith, T Bagley, R Randle); Stour Inst E 3 (J Price, R Clewes, D Harbach), Kinver C 2 (S Jones, S Nicholls); Dibdale SC B 4 (J & T Bradley, A Seddon, W Harris), Amb Inst D 1 (M Richards).