The Black Country have guaranteed they will move up into Division Two next season having claimed top spot on debut following their 25-11 win over Pembrokeshire, who still have a game left to play.
The match was level after the Women’s B drew 3-3, but the strength and depth of The Black Country’s Men’s squad, which sees both the Men’s A and Men’s B finish top of their respective league tables, saw them move into an 11-7 lead moving into Sunday’s A matches.
The Black Country’s Women’s A won 5-1, followed up by a 9-3 win for their Men’s A to seal victory both for the weekend and the entire division.
Gloucestershire are now sat in second place following a comprehensive 22-14 win over close rivals Salopian. The home side moved into a strong 5-1 lead, which included Women’s B performance of the Division for Gloucestershire’s Sharon McNulty. The Men’s B further stretched their lead with an 8-4 win over the visitors; a match which once again produced the highest Divisional average throughout the Men’s B, with Mark Turley registering a 30.06 for Gloucestershire.
Salopian’s Women’s A haven’t lost a match this season, and a 3-3 draw was enough to ensure they will finish top of the Women’s A section, with Evonne Taylor (pictured) producing the highest Women’s A average in Division Three.
The Men’s A finished in a six-all draw, with Terry Nash’s 31.31 average the highest in the Division for Salopian. The result leaves the team in a good position for promotion, but if Northumberland can win their outstanding match against Pembrokeshire by 29 points or more, they will leapfrog the competition and move into second place.
A mid-table clash between The Wirral and Shropshire ended in an 18-all draw. Shrophire’s Women’s B took the advantage early on with a 4-2 win, before Shropshire’s Men’s B won their encounter 7-5.
The Women’s A match finished 3-3, but The Wirral’s Men’s A dug deep to win 8-4 and hold out for the draw.
The final match saw Breconshire head south to the Isle of Wight, with the home side still seeking their first with of the season.
Just two points separated the teams at the halfway stage, with the Men’s B ending in a six-all draw, and Breconshire’s Women’s B just edging it for the visitors with a 4-2 win.
Isle of Wight felt the pressure after the Women’s A went down 5-1, their lone win coming from stalwart Brenda Dyer who recently celebrated her 300th appearance for the county. The Men’s A, despite celebrating their first team win of the season 7-5, couldn’t quite make up the deficit and Breconshire won 20-16 overall.