WHITE Hart’s Sunday B team ended their season with a fine home win over Triplex B but narrowly fell short of achieving promotion from Division Three of the Northfield & District League.
The Redditch club had six winners from the eight ties – Sheila Humphreys 21-17, Gill Croft 21-12, Tim Hollingshead 21-11, Neil Laxton 21-17, Mike Estell 21-9 and Norman Batchelor 21-20 – to win the match 144-128.
Hart’s A team travelled to fellow strugglers Triplex A in Division One and could produce only two winners – Paul Matthews 21-14 and Kirk Wright 21-17 – in a 157-126 defeat.
They end the campaign at the bottom of a very strong, high quality league but will surely be among the favourites to bounce back to the top flight next season.
In Heart of England Over 60s League Division One, White Hart A suffered a heavy 126-42 defeat at leaders College AG A, where only Norman Batchelor managed to reach double figures, losing 21-16.
The B team coped far better at home to Ye Olde Knowle B in Division Two as they produced all six winners from the tie. Roger Broome 21-12, Kirk Wright 21-13, Gill Croft 21-17, Tom Hawkes 21-17, Sue Sugden and Mick Perrins both 21-20 were the winners.
They are now 21 points clear of the drop zone after briefly flirting with relegation recently.
In the Warwick & Worcester Saturday League, White Hart ended the season with an expected defeat at Harborne who remained unbeaten at home throughout the campaign.
Graham Arnott (21-18) was Hart’s only winner but Dave Kings gave unbeaten league averages winner Chris Coakley more than a fright before finally going down 21-18.
In SW Birmingham Over 60s League Division One, White Hart A narrowly won their final home match of the season 107-101 against Moseley A.
They had four winners – Tom Hawkes 21-13, Graham Arnott 21-15, Ray Richards 21-17 and captain Mick Perrins – who gave one of his best performances of the season in beating Eddie Musgrave 21-14.
Hart B were also involved in a close match at Ye Olde Knowle C in Division Four, losing 115-112. They had three winning cards from Gill Croft 21-16, Norman Batchelor 21-17 and Brian Chatterley 21-19, while Roger Broome was only beaten by a single shot.
White Hart have three bowlers – Matt Higgins, Ray Richards and Kirk Wright – in the last eight of the Heart of England Merits to be played on the Hart green on Monday from 6.30pm under floodlights.
Barry Maskell Jnr (Tanworth) will be defending the title he won impressively there last year.
