Top two pull clear of title rivals in race for the Premier Division

Amblecote won away to Pockets SC B thanks to Rob Clark, Ash Sidaway and Mark Ganderton, who took the decider after Rich Pepperall and Andy Smith had levelled the scores.

Hotshots beat West Midlands Police, courtesy of wins for Neil Beckley, Mark Sutton and Jamie Brown, who did well to beat Gavin Sloan, despite his opponent making a 53 break. Bal Sembi lost only his second frame, on the black against the Police’s Mark Sheehan.

Kingswinford Cons C were finally able to celebrate their first league win, 4-1 at home to Hotshots B. Wayne Whitmore, Leigh Bennett, Sam Porter and John Cartwright were their winners.

Norton Social B beat Kingswinford Cons A 4-1 to make it seven wins on the spin and move six points clear at the top of the First Division. Luke Grosvenor, Paul Bowen, and Tony and Andrew Brown took the first four frames before Tim Carter struck for the visitors.

There is a three-way tie for second place. Bahia’s lost 3-2 at Old Edwardians A, for whom Gavin Dunn, Harry Hall and Jat Chager secured the win. Mark Jeffries and Reece Bahia at least earned the visitors a share of second place.

They were joined by Kinver Constitutional A – who took the first four frames on the tables of Amblecote Institute B, including another success for Graham Tranter – and Pockets SC B, who beat Kinver C 4-1.

Dudley Ex-Servicemen exacted a little revenge on Moor Pool & Snooker for the narrowest of defeats in the previous week’s cup tie, by beating them 3-2 on their own tables. Matt Johnson and Tom Pearsall won quite comfortably but Rob Thompson had to go to the final black.

Amblecote Institute’s C and D teams, having earned promotion from the Second Division, have struggled for consistency but both achieved their best results so far this campaign.

Adam Kensett, Carl Butcher and Richard Brookes combined for the D team to register a 3-2 win against Kinver B team. The C team went one better as Ray Vanes, Cary Homer, Roger McManus and Mitch Skidmore secured a 4-1 win against Baggeridge Social B.

There were mixed fortunes for the top two in the Second Division. Leaders Kingswinford SC came out on top in a home match against Wombourne, but their closest pursuers, Amblecote RBL A, lost to third-placed Old Edwardians B.

Paul Curry, and the unbeaten pair of John Salisbury and Steve Ballinger just did enough for Kingswinford, while Old Edwardians closed to within a point of Amblecote RBL A after defeating them 4-1 – Stewart Barclay, Jack Ball, Brett Ball and Sam Ball on the mark.

Amblecote RBL B took full advantage of the teams above them dropping points by beating Kinver D 5-0, courtesy of Bill Crowther, Richard Conway, Mark Lees, and Steve and Alex Bull.

Stourbridge Institute D took all five frames on the tables of Amblecote Institute E through Tom Game, Dino Bacciocchi, Chris Crumpton, Paul Robinson and Steve Donoghue. Stourbridge’s B team beat Bahia’s SC B 3-2 with the experienced pair of Mark Daniels and Harry Jones combining with Lee Ward.