STOURBRIDGE made the most of a short boundary to win a high-scoring game at Streetly.

The sides combined for more than 520 runs but in the end Richard Bradley’s side recorded a fairly comfortable win to stay in the Birmingham League Division Three promotion race.

Streetly piled up 261-8 in 55 overs, after openers Andrew Lloyd and Neil Curtis had raced to 34 in just six overs.

The introduction of Audy Alexander paid almost instant dividends, as he removed both men when they were on 20.

But the hosts regained their grip on the game thanks a third-wicket partnership of 110 between Craig Moore (88) and Shaun Findlay (66).

Tight bowling from Mikesh Patel eventually accounted for the latter and it gave Stour an end to bowl at as Ben Griffiths (17), Matt Hinton and Sam Bates (10) failed to give Moore much support.

A quickfire 27 from RIchard Slatem helped Streetly past the 250 mark in the closing overs. Alexander finished with figures of 4-66, with Patel taking 3-70.

On a pitch with normal dimensions, the total would have been imposing but after the early loss of Steve Game (19), Matt Bradley and Alexander set about the challenge with vigour.

Their second-wicket partnership of 168 set the visitors up for the win. Bradley was eventually run out for 71 with the score on 187 but Alexander went on to make 109, before Josh Banks chipped in with 36 to maintain momentum Jitesh Patel hit the winning boundary in the 46th over, for a victory which keeps Stour third in the table ahead of Saturday’s trip to Coleshill.

The seconds picked up their first win of the campaign thanks to a resounding eight wicket triumph over a woeful Evesham side.

After putting the visitors in, Junaed Afzal claimed 3-24 while Will Jennings and Kalpesh Patel took two each, as Evesham were bowled out for just 80.

Jennings then top scored with 21 as the hosts comfortably chased down the total.

But it was a different story altogether for the third XI, who couldn’t make the most of Rohit Rahan’s four wicket haul in their 67 run defeat to Old Elizabethans.

Rohan’s efforts had helped Stour restrict Elizabethans’ to just 141 but their own batting performance was a disaster, as they were skittled for just 74 by the Worcester outfit.