NORTON Social A won the first of the clashes between the top teams with a hard-fought victory away to Hotshots SC A in the Premier Division of Stourbridge Snooker League.

Roy Stokes and Neil Beckley for the hosts, and Steve Mason and Andy Smith, who followed last week’s 77 with another great effort of 69, shared the first four frames, but when Milan Krstanovic opened with seven blacks to lead 56-0, Hotshots looked sure to win. Gradually, however, Rob Pitt crept back into the frame and secured the match on the pink for the 2015 champions against the team which had finished top the season before.

Brandhall Labour Club lost the first two frames at Pockets SC A but Jon Bate, with a 40 break, and Paul Caldeira with 48 on his debut for the team, levelled the scores before Bal Sembi completed the recovery against his old adversary, John Betton.

Defending champions West Midlands Police enjoyed a fairly routine 4-1 win at home to Pockets SC B although they lost the highest quality frame of the match when Kev Franklin, while clearing up the last two reds and colours, missed an awkward pink, cueing from the cushion, which enabled Lee Page to pot a fine pink and black to take the frame.

Townsend Social, who came close to upsetting Norton the previous week, look set for a good season on their return to the league after a 5-0 victory at home to Hotshots SC B, Steve Childs, Karl Ashmore and the three Thompson brothers, Phil, Rob and Dave all on target.

Amblecote Inst A began their campaign by dropping only one frame away to newly-promoted Kingswinford Cons B, with Dave Oakes in particularly good touch with a break of 48.

First Division report: St John’s Social followed up last week’s maximum points haul with a 4-1 success at home to Amblecote RBL B. Tim Steele had to come from behind after Barry Young’s 31 break and took a good long blue to win, while Simon Thomas was in good form with a 41 break. Sam Ball rescued a point for the visitors edging past Nick Carson on the black.

Neil Gennard & Simon Dingley gave Moor Pool & Snooker a fine start at home to Baggeridge Social, but Luke Whale, with a 34 break, and his brother, Matt levelled the scores. The reliable Ian Priest took the decider in emphatic fashion for the hosts, however to register their first win.

Stoubridge Institute A did well to win 3-2 at Amblecote Institute B, thanks to Paul Bates, Paul Garbett & Darren Legge, who turned back the years with a break of 52, after a long absence from playing the game. Cyril Tromans won his first match for the Institute against the team for whom he played with distinction for many years.

Kinver Constitutional B began their season with a 4-1 win at home to Wombourne after being given a great start by Adam Sprague & Jason Hickman; Dave Simmonds and Les Cross completed the win after Jon Perry, on his return to the club, had taken a frame for Wombourne on the black.

Kingswinford Cons A also enjoyed their first taste of success, just edging past Stourbridge Old Edwardians 3-2, thanks to Thomas Male, Sam Mattocks, who cleared the last red and all the colours, and John Cowan, who also had clear up the colours to win against opponents who hadn’t lost at home for 11 months.

Second Division report: After only two weeks only three teams remain undefeated. Kinver Constitutional C, surprise 5-0 winners last week at Kingswinford SC, had to work much harder to overcome Stourbridge Institute C 3-2. Mitchell Hines, Steve Spruce and Will Spruce just did enough with Steven Metcalfe-Taylor & Alan Jeffries replying for the Institute.

They were joined at the top of the league by Kingswinford Cons C, who took maximum points against their neighbours, Kingswinford Snooker Centre, who are somewhat out of luck at present. The Cons have been strengthened by the addition of Adam Coley and look sure to mount a challenge for honours.

Stourbridge Institute B, narrowly relegated at the end of last season, are only a point adrift following a 4-1 win against their D team, thanks to Harry Jones, Simon Tyler, Carl Green and a back to form Nick Aston, although Sean Hassett did well to take a frame for the D team against Tom Hamilton.

Bahia’s Snooker Club, in their first season, were able to celebrate their first win, 3-2 away to Amblecote RBL A after Alan Woodbine, Alan Checketts & Karl Weaver turned the match around after Wayne Shaw and Shane Lee had given the Legion a perfect start.

Colin Homer gave Amblecote Institute C a good start against their own D team, but Adrian Butcher, Mark Robson, Steven Butcher, on the black, and Richard Brookes, who made a very good break of 61 in the final frame, combined to give the D team a 4-1 win.