‘OUR feet are firmly on the ground’ was the message from Himley skipper Greg Wright after their perfect start to the Birmingham Premier League season.

The Stourbridge Road side beat Knowle and Dorridge by 13 runs in a rain affected game. The hosts posted 193 all out in 49.3 overs before reducing K&D to 156-6 off 36 chasing a revised 169 for victory.

Wright said: “We have been notoriously slow starters over the years so to get the win was really pleasing. “We’re not getting carried away but it was an excellent start. “I felt we had the worst of the conditions batting first, it’s never easy against the new ball and with three or four rain breaks, it makes it difficult.

“I wasn’t happy with how a few of us got out, including myself, but I felt 193 was a competitive total under the circumstances.

“When we bowled we were right on the money straight away. “With the new rules you haven’t got to bowl teams out and though we dropped a couple of difficult catches we fielded well and were always in control of the game.

“We haven’t had a massive amount of cricket with only one proper warm-up game then a Twenty20.

“But our young lads did a good job, stuck to the task and it is definitely something to build on.”

This Saturday Himley go to a Walmley side that features England Women’s wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor and Wright is sure his side will face another stern examination of their early season mettle. Ashfak Hussein should be in contention to return from injury to further bolster the bowling attack. “It will be tough, they came up this year, and we know a bit about them” said Wright. “But for us it’s about improving all the time — a work in progress. “We’re not getting carried away though as things in all sports can change very quickly.”

Himley were further buoyed by victory over Fordhouses in the National Knockout on Sunday. Chasing 195 for the win opener Jamie Harris made 70 and Sandeep Dhillon weighed in with 86 as the Stourbridge Road side cruised home comfortably by six wickets with more than eight overs to spare.