Baggeridge win the Social battle

Last season’s Premier Division runners-up saw off reigning champions Townsend Social 4-1 at home to claim pole position. David Hall, Maria Catalano, Eliott Bastable and Justin Donoghue took the first four frames before Darrell Payne’s black-ball success ensured the visitors returned home with a point.

Brandhall Labour’s good start continued with a 4-1 win over visitors West Midlands Police, thanks to Wayne Robbins, Andy Round, Jon Bate and Rob Howen, the only player in the division with four wins out of four.

Pockets SC A, a close third last campaign, won 4-1 away to last year’s First Division champions, Kingswinford Cons C. Adam Coley gave Cons a good start but John Betton, Rich and Tom Pepperall, and Andy Smith, who had a 77 break, took the match for Pockets.

The other promoted team, Bearwood Cons, lost all five frames in their home match against Hotshots SC A. Neil Beckley, with a 47 break, Callum Downing, Roy Stokes, Bal Sembi and Mark Sutton all scored heavily.

Bahia’s SC A edged to the top of the First Division by a single point after beating neighbours, Baggeridge Social B 4-1 at home.

Alistair Baker struck first for the visitors, but Ranjit Bahia, Karl Weaver, Jordan Macdivitt and Reece Bahia, one of only four players yet to taste defeat, swept Bahia’s to the top of the league.

The other unbeaten players all represent Kinver Constitutional Club. Gregg Reece helped their second-placed C team to a 3-2 win at home to Amblecote Institute B, preserving their undefeated start .

Graham Tranter led the A team to a 3-2 victory at Amblecote Institute C, despite Jim Woodhouse losing only his third frame since joining the team over a year ago, on the black to Mitch Skidmore.

The A team now share third place with their B side, three points off the top, after the latter’s 3-2 defeat away to Dudley Ex-Servicemen.

Mark Dowler, who beat Rob Thompson on the black to extend his unbeaten run, and Arnie Tromans won for the B team but Jack Bond, Tom Pearsall & Matt Short secured the match for Dudley.,

Amblecote Institute B won 4-1 in a rearranged match against their D team, with Mark Colbourne setting a new high break target of 47.

But then the D side opened their account for the season, surprising Old Edwardians A 3-2 away from home, with Rich Brookes, Carl Butcher and Adam Kensett on the mark.

Neil Gennard and Simon Dingley gave Moor Pool & Snooker a 2-0 lead at home to Norton Social B, but Tony Brown and Carl Webb levelled for the visitors before Ian Priest won the decider for the hosts.

Gavin Evans and Jamie Shuck, who had to withstand a good recovery by Tim Carter, put Pockets SC B 2-0 ahead at home to Kingswinford Cons A. Tony Kidd then had to take the pink to foil Simon Spittle’s comeback to secure the match for Pockets, with John Cowan and John Rees replying for some deserved consolation points for the visitors.