Worcestershire County League round up

Leaders Stourbridge travelled to Pershore and came away with a five wicket victory to open up a thirty point lead over Bromyard at the top of the Premier Division after the Herefordshire based outfit suffered their first loss of the season when they were well beaten by visitors Old Elizabethans who had Taylor Pugh (63*) and Captain Sam Harn (59*) to thank for posting late first innings half centuries which helped post at total that proved too many for the home side to chase at Flagonners Green.

Old Elizabethans now move in to third place just four points behind Stourport-on-Severn who made the most of Bromyard’s defeat as excellent first innings centuries from Ted Bayliss (130*) and Charlie Foley (113) helped post a big first innings total that proved far too many for struggling Old Hill to chase at Walshes Meadow.

In other matches Astwood Bank moved in to fifth spot after they made the short trip to Redditch and came away with the win in a high scoring match. Oliver Mason (71), Russell Southwick and Mohammed Adeel Sajid (51) all made good contributions for Redditch in the first innings but Astwood Bank replied in second innings with half centuries from Jake Browning (61) and Tom Pedley (53) to as they crossed the line with four wickets remaining. Colwall Captain James Wagstaff (6-20) returned season best figures in the first innings to help Colwall beat Worcester by three wickets at Stowe Lane and Sebastian Allison (100) and Thomas James (77) helped Brockhampton comfortably dispose of basement side Bewdley to move further away from trouble at the bottom.

In Division One Raja Shakeel Nawaz (57*) helped Coombs Wood inflict the first defeat of the season on leaders Droitwich Spa, a result that allowed Feckenham to take over at the top after a second innings half century from in-form Kamran Abbasi (70) helped them to a two wicket victory against visitors Lye at Mill Lane.

Elsewhere, Ombersley 2nd XI sit just seventeen points behind the leaders after beating Oldswinford and Stourbridge Social at Albemarle Road by six wickets. Worcester Nomads returned to winning ways after Guy Davies (56) compiled a second innings half century to steer them to a two wicket victory against visitors Hagley at Whitegates Farm. Ben Taylor (5-35) and Paul Taylor (4-24) shared nine first innings wickets and the reliable Jonathan Smith (65*) struck an undefeated second innings half century to enable Pedmore to climb in to fifth place with an eight wicket win home win against Chaddesley Corbett and Owen Morgan (128) and Oliver Maund (54) helped bottom side Burghill, Tillington and Weobley secure their first win of the season against Belbroughton at Brick House Farm.

Barnt Green 2nd XI continue to set a fierce pace in Division Two after Joe McGovern (59) who backed up last weeks double century and an undefeated half century from Captain Hayden Froggatt (54*) helped the leaders to a comfortable five wicket win against Barnards Green 2nd XI for whom Adam Dovey (71*) scored an undefeated first innings half century. This win helped maintain a six point lead over Cookley for whom Paul Thomas (102) scored a fine first innings century which helped them post a first innings total that proved out of reach for visiting Himbleton.

In other matches, Gomez Vincent (4-18 & 52*) produced an excellent all-round performance to ensure fourth placed Kidderminster 2nd XI had an early finish at Chester Road against basement side Netherton. Alex Robinson (170*) posted the highest individual score of the day to help Astwood Bank 2nd XI beat third placed Himley 2nd XI at Sambourne Lane. Bromsgrove 2nd XI beat Enville by a wide margin at Enville Hall and after an excellent start to the season Bredon slipped in to mid division after suffering an eight wicket defeat at the hands of Halesowen 2nd XI who continue to work hard to keep in touch with the leaders.

Division Three has suddenly become a lot closer as leaders Alvechurch & Hopwood lost their second match of the season, this time a five wicket defeat at the hands of visiting Brockhampton 2nd XI.  The East Worcestershire outfit now sit just three points ahead of Harborne 3rd XI for whom Suyash Poshakwale (6-28) took six first innings wickets in a four wicket victory against Avoncroft at the Knotts Ground. Martley also benefitted from the top teams defeat as they also kept up with the pace by beating Worcester 2nd XI by six wickets at Norton Barracks thanks to an undefeated second innings half century from D Southall (65*)

In other matches in the division, Bartestree & Lugwardine continued their good run by hanging on to win a tight match at the Alf Tolley Memorial Ground by one wicket The evergreen Chris Pearman (117*) scored an undefeated first innings century to help set up what proved to be a comfortable win for Old Elizabethans 2nd XI against Old Vigornians who slipped in to the bottom two and continue to search for form after a good start to the season and finally Redditch 2nd XI beat Old Hill 2nd XI by five wickets at Haden Hill to move out of the bottom two.

Ahtesham Waqar (151) together with the support of Basim Ishaq (71) and Jawad Nazir (52) ensured Netherton 2nd XI’s powerful batting line up fired again to keep them at the summit of Division Four as their first innings total proved far too many for visiting Romsley & Hunnington to chase. The Black Country outfit are now twenty-four points clear at the top after last week's second placed side Stourbridge 2nd XI were beaten by Coombs Wood 2nd XI in a high scoring match at the War Memorial Ground in which the home teams Harshad Patel (91) and Ali Rashid (71) help set up a big first innings total that the visitors surpassed for the loss of seven second innings wickets after Mia Zahidin (65) played the lead role in a solid team batting performance in the second innings.

Elsewhere in the division, Five Ways Old Edwardians got back to winning ways by beating fourth placed Stourport-on-Severn 2nd XI to close the gap to just one point in fifth. Bewdley 2nd XI beat Bromsgrove 3rd XI by just two runs in a tight contest at Lower Park. Christopher Walder (57 & 5-21) produced a fine all-round performance for Chaddesley Corbett 2nd XI in their win against Eastnor at Longmore which helped them to climb out of the bottom two and despite first innings half centuries from Muhammad Zubair (87) and Adnan Wahid (75) basement side Pershore 2nd XI’ were unable to thwart Lye 2nd XI in the second innings as Asim Raza (114*) and Saud Ahmed (59) made telling contributions in a comfortable seven wicket victory which leaves them in ninth place but just seven points away from Stourport-on-Severn 2nd XI in fourth place in what is proving to be a very competitive mid division.