KIRK Wright claimed his first White Hart Club Championship title to cap off an excellent week for the club with three of their teams achieving promotion.
Wright took on county bowler Pete Davenport in the final and led 19-15 only for the latter to draw level over the course of the next two ends.
And both bowlers produced excellent shots on the next end, with Wright’s turnover bowl settling inches from the jack, as Davenport conceded to hand the title to the former for the first time.
White Hart legend Norman Batchelor generously sponsored the tournament and presented prizes after the final.
Hart’s annual Club Championship saw 21 members take part with Wright beating former winner Neil Laxton 21-9 to reach his second final in as many years whilst Davenport saw off Mike Estell 21-13.
And Hart added to their Yardley Wood Superleague promotion with the Heart of England Division Two title and Northfield and District League Division Two title.
The Redditch club’s A team needed six wins against Marston Green A to win the HofE title and were more than equal to the task as Laxton (21-4), Paul Matthews (21-12), Cameron Cutler (21-10), Davenport (21-10), Steve Jones (21-18), David Mahaffey (21-12) and Wright (21-13) all won their respective matches.
This secured the Division Two title by four points from Wythall A to achieve promotion to the top flight next term with Davenport claiming the division averages by a 41-shot margin.
And Hart also won the Northfield and District League title at home to Black Horse A as Laxton (21-16), Cutler (21-11) and Estell (21-17) secured the three wins necessary to clinch promotion.
However, further victories for Wright (21-12) and captain Graham Arnott (21-18) helped them to a 157-129 success and saw them win the Division Two title by five points from Wythall after the latter were beaten in their final fixture whilst Paul Matthews won the division averages by a 20-shot margin.
White Hart B ended their Division Three campaign with a 148-128 home defeat to Weoley Castle WMC despite wins for Malcolm Bird (21-12), John Meredith (21-15), Jack Livigstone (21-18) and Roger Broome (21-19) as Hart finished the season in a respectable fourth place.
In the Heart of England Over 60’s League Division One, White Hart A suffered a narrow 107-100 defeat at home to College A despite three winning cards from Wright (21-19), Norman Batchelor (21-14) and captain Estell (21-11).
And White Hart B had to visit champions Colebrook A with Meredith (21-20) their only winner
In the S.W.Birmingham and District League, White Hart B secured their Division Three status next season with a 105-92 win at Solihull RBL.
There were wins for Arnott (21-0), Sheila Humphreys (21-20), Laxton (21-18) and captain Mike Hancock (21-12) as they finished seventh in the final table.
The club will be renamed The Hart from next season to align with the pub’s new identity.
