Social start their title defence in stunning fashion

Social entertained last season’s First Division champions Kingswinford Cons C and were in fine form as they took all five frames.

Baggeridge Social A, runners-up in their first season, took the first four frames at home to Brandhall Labour with Maria Catalano making a break of 45. Rob Howen bagged a consolation point for the visitors.

Amblecote Institute A began the season well by defeating the 2017-18 champions, Hotshots SC A 4-1, with a black-ball success for Andy Watts on his debut for the team.

Despite being taken to the final black, both Joe Anderson and Pete Montague gave promoted Bearwood Cons a great start away to West Midlands Police, but the home team countered through Colin Millward and Carl Southwick before Gavin Sloan completed the recovery.

Norton Social A look sure to have a good season and, in his first match for the team away to Hotshots SC B, Simon Thomas struck a break of 69. But it was the home team whoe prevailed 3-2 thanks to Mark Kelly, on his debut, who withstood a comeback from the individual champion Andy Smith to win on the black, Dawid Konior and Dan Hartley.

Two of the likely First Division championship contenders started with convincing 5-0 victories at home.

Bahia’s SC A defeated newly-promoted Amblecote Institute D while

Kinver Constitutional A took all five frames against Old Edwardians A,.

Norton Social B secured the first four frames at home to Baggeridge Social B, with Andrew Brown doing well to beat Luke Whale, but Frankie Bennett salvaged a point for the visitors.

Kinver’s C team edged past their B team 3-2, thanks to another debutant, Gregg Reece, Adam Sprague and Tom Postings, who made a break of 38. Arnie Tromans and Mark Dowler won for their opponents.

Moor Pool and Snooker just missed out on promotion last season and although Simon Dingley and Ian Priest had 30-plus breaks on the tables of Kingswinford Cons A, the home team took the match 3-2 with Thomas Male, Simon Spittle and John Rees in good form.

New-boys Dudley Ex-Servicemen lost their opening match 3-2 away to Pockets SC B. Stuart Parsons and Steve Childs won for Dudley but Simon Preece, Alan Turner and Tony Kidd just edged the match for Pockets.

In the Second Division, Amblecote RBL B registered a 4-1 success against Bahia’s SC B.

Bill Crowther, making a welcome return to the league, Mark Lees, Steve Bull and his son Alex were all on form.

The Legion’s other team also won, shading the match 3-2 away to their neighbours, Amblecote Institute E, thanks to Billy Green, Ben Green and Steve Norton.

Old Edwardians B began with a win, courtesy of the Ball family, Steve and sons Sam and Jack, who combined to defeat Kinver’s D team 3-2, and will hope to do a shade better this time around, having missed out on promotion by only three points last season.