BRANDHALL Labour overwhelmed Pockets SC B 5-0 to take over the leadership of the Premier Division by a single point from Norton Social A, the defending champions who had a bye.

Darren Oakes, with a break of 36 and Alan Hooper who opened with 24 and 53, quickly put them 2-0 up and only Danny Rees, whose attempted clearance faltered on a jawed blue against Bal Sembi, looked likely to deny Brandhall their third maximum points haul this season.

Amblecote Institute A looked likely to complete the double over fellow championship contenders, West Midlands Police when Ashley Sidaway & Mike Richards took the first two frames, but Maria Catalano & Kev Franklin levelled the scores before Eliott Bastable’s black ball finish against the luckless Rick Wooldridge, pipped on the deciding black for the second week in succession, kept the Police in touch with the leaders, just 4 points away: the Institute are now 5th, 5 points further away.

The 2014 champions, Hotshots SC A still have a chance in this season’s title race, lying 4th after a 4-1 win at Baggeridge Social, their team having been strengthened by the inclusion of 76th world-ranked professional, Mitchell Mann, who demonstrated his prowess with a break of 107 against Mark Jeffries, the first century in this year’s event. Martin Collingridge earned Baggeridge a consolation point with his first win in the top-flight a cause for celebration.

Unfortunately, Moor Pool & Snooker A couldn’t raise a team and conceded their match at Pockets A.

First Division report: Kinver Constitutional B recovered from the loss of only their second match by beating one of their closest rivals for the First Division championship, Kingswinford Cons A 3-2. Dean Banks & Graham Tranter gave them a fine start, but John Byng & Sam Mattocks levelled the match, before the reliable Keith Rollinson, who’s lost only twice all season, took the deciding frame.

Kinver’s advantage at the top was trimmed to six points as Kingswinford Cons B beat Kinver’s A team 4-1, with Stephen Small making a break of 43, to add to last week’s 47; their only casualty was Tony Davies, who lost for only the third time this season against Chris Randle, his team’s most prolific winner.

Moor Pool & Snooker B moved into 4th place with a 4-1 win against fellow promotion candidates Kinver Const C, with Simon Dingley doing particularly well to beat Adam Sprague, ending a run of 12 consecutive wins for the Kinver player. Moor P & S are 5 points off 2nd place, while Kinver C were joined in 5th place by Wombourne for whom Stuart Taylor, Mark Bastable and Bob Mason won three closely-fought frames to prevail 3-2 away to Moor Pool & Snooker C. Little has gone right for Moor P & S C, who are resting at the foot of the table after suffering their 8th 3-2 defeat, with Ben Wakeman & Dennis Pickett taking two consolation frames this week.

Stourbridge Institute B ended a damaging run of four defeats with a 3-2 win at home to Amblecote Inst B, Harry Jones, Nick Aston & Tom Hamilton winning narrowly before Mark Colbourne and Sam Harrison fought back, and Stourbridge Institute A won their 4th match in a row after winning only one of their opening ten. Paul Bates, Richard Rudge & Paul Garbett combined to effect a 3-2 win at Norton Social B, which leaves the home team ten points off a promotion place.

Second Division report: Stourbridge Old Edwardians held on to their five point lead at the top of the Second Division with a hard-fought 3-2 win at home to Kingswinford Snooker Centre. Harry Hall, Gavin Dunn & Dave Woodall secured the points, although Chris Cowley’s 12 match unbeaten sequence was ended by Paul Curry, who established a handsome lead, saw his opponent obtain a snooker on the pink, but then foul the final black. Steve Ballinger also did well to beat Ed Davies for the visitors’ other frame.

There’s nothing to choose between the two Amblecote British Legion teams vying for second place. Both won again, with Geoff Foster, Martin Ball & Steve Ball just doing enough in a 3-2 win, in which they were pressed very hard at Amblecote Inst D, while the A team won 4-1 at home to the Institute’s C team thanks to Barry Young, Richard Skelding, Paul Botfield & Paul Goldrick, although Rob Boylin lost on the black to Mitch Skidmore. Once again, the frame scores were very close.

Kingswinford Cons C maintained the pressure on the top three with a 3-2 home success against the bottom team, Stourbridge Institute D. The vistors’ two new players, Steve Howell & Sean Hassett, both happy to help out, won on their debuts before Sam Porter, with a break of 33, Lee Wragg & Leigh Bennett secured the win for the Cons.

Stourbridge Inst C went one better than their colleagues with a 3-2 win at home to Kingswinford Cons D, with Stephen Metcalfe-Taylor, his sister, Louise Taylor & James Tivendale, whose frame was conceded through illness, just doing enough to win with John Cartwright and Simon Spittle replying for the Cons.