HOTSHOTS SC B have made the best ever start to a Stourbridge and District Premier Division snooker season.

Their latest 5-0 win against Netherton Sports and Social opened up a four point lead, and they’ve lost only one frame in four matches.

Luke Higginbotham, Jon Bate, Richard Haney, Callum Downing and Luke Garland, who ended Steve Howell’s hitherto unbeaten start, all won.

Dave Green made a break of 75, the highest to date, for champions Hotshots SC A away to Norton Social A but Rob Pitt, Adam Ness and Ashley Aston ensured Norton extended their unbeaten start, before Roy Stokes took another frame for the visitors.

Brandhall Labour also made it four from four with a black ball finish by Alan Hooper at home against Pockets SC B’s Danny Rees in a frame of fluctuating fortunes; earlier Jason Hickman and Chris Southall had played well to win for the home team while Bob Moran and Gavin Evans fought back for Pockets.

Amblecote Institute A’s Mike Richards handed West Midland Police’s Gavin Sloan his first defeat, while Ash Sidaway pipped Kev Franklin on the black to open up a 2-0 lead. Karl Ashmore and Maria Catalano levelled the match, but Rick Wooldridge took the honours for the Institute in the decider.

In contrast, there’s still no joy for the Institute’s B team, who suffered another 5-0 defeat, this time away to Pockets SC A, for whom Andy Smith maintained his 100 per cent record and 13 year old Taylor Fish underlined his talent with a break of 50, with young Tom Pepperall weighing in with a 31, while Moor Pool and Snooker A won a closely-fought affair 3-2 against their B team thanks to Chris Price, Paul Dunkey and Richard Brookes in the deciding frame.

First Division leaders, Hotshots SC C, had a bye which enabled Kinver Constitutional B to draw level with them thanks to a 4-1 win at Stourbridge Institute A.

Dean Banks, Paul Churchman, with a 31 break, Keith Rollinson and Rob Jeffries, with a 37, all won with Paul Bates taking a consolation frame for the hosts.

Kinver’s A team, like Hotshots, are the only other unbeaten side and their 4-1 success at home to Kingswinford Cons A was achieved through Arthur Hartland, Arnie Tromans, Chris Randle and Jon Perry leaving them just one point behind the two leaders; Wayne Whitmore won decisively for the Cons.

Ben Wakeman and Dennis Pickett gave Moor P & S C a fine start away to Kinver C but Adam Sprague and Steve Nicholls made it 2-2 before Darren Corbett lifted Moor P & S into 4th position, one which is shared with Baggeridge Social.

In another close game, Martin Collingridge and Matt and Luke Whale edged Baggeridge to victory against Norton Social B for whom Luke Grosvenor retained his unbeaten record with Paul Hipkiss adding another frame.

Gary Male and John Cowan put Kingswinford Cons B on top against Kingswinford RBL A, but Dave and Gregg Reece and Tony Davies turned the match around for a 3-2 win for the Legion.

There are now only two unbeaten teams and they occupy the first two places in the Second Division.

Stourbridge Inst B beat Kingswinford Cons D 4-1, with Nick Aston, Harry Jones and Simon Tyler all making it four wins for themselves, while Matt Surmacz enjoyed good fortune on the final black for the Cons’ frame.

The Institute lead their neighbours, Stourbridge Old Edwardians, who also enjoyed a 4-1 win by a point. Ed Bishop had given the young Kinver Const D team a good start, but Gavin Dunn, Harry Hall, Ed Davies and Chris Cowley turned the match firmly in Old Eds’ favour.

With honours even after four very tight frames at Wombourne, Paul Tristram played extremely well to take the decider against Amblecote Institute C’s Mark Colbourne. It was Mark’s first defeat, his team’s first reverse, to leave them in third place, four points off the top, with Wombourne a further point away in fourth, a position shared with Amblecote RBL who inflicted the first defeat on Kingswinford RBL B.

Brother and sister Stephen and Louise Taylor gave Stourbridge Inst C a fine start away to Kingswinford Cons C but Sam Porter and Leigh Bennett levelled the scores and Lee Wragg had even more cause to toast his birthday by taking the deciding frame to complete the Cons’ revival.

Amblecote Inst D won their first match, 4-1 at home to Stourbridge Inst D, thanks to Sajid Latif, Mark Daniels, Steven Butcher and Mark Robson, while young Jordan Taylor played well on his debut, but lost on the black against Ron Peplow.