Ashley Sidaway stars as Amblecote bag top spot

Sidaway rolled in an impressive break of 80, the highest so far this season, as Amblecote chalked up a 4-1 win at home to Kingswinford Cons C.

Rob Clark, with a run of 48, Rick Wooldridge (41) and Dave Oakes added to Sidaway’s success.

The Cons, still seeking their first win, will be encouraged by Bob Guise’s success against Mark Ganderton.

West Midlands Police and Norton Social A are just a point adrift following their clash, which Norton won 3-2.

Simon Thomas, who nipped in with the last two balls after Gavin Sloan had looked set to win the opener, Steve Mason, with a run of 44, and Ashley Aston took the match for the visitors. Pete Gibbons and Kev Franklin, clearing with 47, earned some consolation for the Police.

Last season’s champions, Townsend Social, were surprised 3-2 at home to Brandhall Labour.

Wayne Robbins, with a 53 break, Paul Caldeira, with 41, and Rob Howen, who edged past Darrell Payne in the decider, took the honours.

Baggeridge Social came away from Hotshots SC B with a 4-1 win, the highlight being a break of 78 by Eliott Bastable.

after Craig Nicholls had taken the opening frame for the hosts. Rich Haney won on his debut but Justin Donoghue and Darren Oakes were taken to the black by Mark Kelly & Dan Hartley respectively.

Pockets SC A took all five frames at home to Bearwood Cons, with a particularly solid performance by Gary Smith, who defeated Joe Anderson, standing in for the incapacitated John Chester.

Four teams share top spot in the First Division, but only one of them, Kinver Constitutional C, can boast an unbeaten record.

This follows their 3-2 win against their A team, Adam Sprague, Steve Nicholls and Gregg Reece, who just did enough in the decider against Keith Rollinson, steering them to victory.

Two of the other leaders, Norton Social B and Bahia’s SC A suffered their first defeats, both on their own tables.

Chris Cowley, Dave Woodall and Gavin Dunn won three closely-contested frames to give Old Edwardians A a 3-2 result at Norton, and Bahia’s went down by the same scoreline as Jack Bond, Rob Thompson and Steve Childs struck for Dudley Ex-Servicemen.

Kinver’s B team joined their club colleagues at the top with a 3-2 home win against Pockets SC B. Steve Hadley, thwarting a good recovery from Gavin Evans, Chris Randle and Mark Dowler, who followed his break of 30 with a clearance of 26 in the decider against Gareth Ward, all played particularly well.

Amblecote Institute D took the first two frames at Baggeridge Social B through Adrian Butcher and Carl Butcher, but Martin Collingridge, Matt Whale and Frankie Bennett, on the final black, turned the match around.

Amblecote’s C team secured their first frame, via Roger McManus, on the tables of Kingswinford Cons A, but the home team took the match 4-1, with Thomas Male still unbeaten, and they are just a point behind the top four teams.

Amblecote’s B team won their first match; Cyril Tromans, Mick Cook, Alan Moore & Sam Harrison opened up a 4-0 lead at home to Moor Pool & Snooker before Ian Priest hit back for the visitors.