WHITE HART’S two Thursday teams both progressed to the second round of the Heart of England Consolation Cup last week.
The A team had to give 24 shots in the handicap format to Ye Olde Knowle B, being two divisions higher than their opponents in the league and they had just one shot to spare in the final reckoning, winning the tie by an aggregate score of 164-163.
White Hart had two winners from the four away legs – Tim Hollingshead was impressive in a 21-9 win over Paul Gardner, and Kirk Wright recovered from a slow start to beat Emily Niven 21-16.
White Hart had three home successes. Paul Matthews ran out an easy 21-5 winner while Ian Humphreys and Stephen Turner had tougher games but came through 21-18 and 21-16 respectively.
White Hart B were up against Alcester B in the same competition and had to give their local rivals 12 shots on the handicap, but managed to produce three winners from each of the home and away legs.
Norman Batchelor (21-5) and Sheila Humphreys (21-6) were comfortable winners on the Headless Cross green while Dave Kings continues to improve following a serious ankle injury, winning his tie 21-17.
At Alcester, Dave Edwards played well to win 21-15, while Ged Dooner (21-20) and Tony Buckley (21-19) fought hard to gain narrow victories giving Hart a 191-172 first-round victory.
The only other match for White Hart in a rain-affected week was a comfortable home victory for the Wednesday A team over Woodbourne B in the Yardley Wood Superleague Division Three.
Seven winning cards gave the Redditch team a 156-92 victory and lifted them to second place in the table
Tim Hollingshead (21-5) and captain Kirk Wright (21-7) gave Hart a flying start and this was followed by two more single-figure victories from Neil Laxton (21-7) and Gill Croft (21-9).
Ray Richards (21-17), Dave Kings (21-14) and Mick Perrins (21-12) all prevailed against tough opposition.
The team now lies 21 points behind leaders British Oak B but hold a promotion position, seven points clear of third-placed Alcester B.
