Stourport stay top of cricket's Worcestershire premier league

Pershore 1st XI took the opportunity to climb back in to second place and sit fourteen points adrift after they held off a fighting Worcester Nomads 1st XI to win by ten runs at Whitegates Farm after posting what would have been seen as a slightly under par score.

Elsewhere, Stourbridge 1st XI beat Redditch 1st XI at the War Memorial Ground to move in to fourth, Old Hill 1st XI made it two wins in two and retain fifth just one pint behind and Astwood Bank 1st XI make up the top six despite losing at home to Droitwich Spa, whilst in the other match played Adil Mirza (4-35 & 53*) helped Chaddesley Corbett 1st XI grab their first win of the season with a tight one wicket win against Brockhampton 1st XI at Longmore.

In Division One, early season pace setters Pedmore 1st XI slipped two places to third as they were beaten by ten wickets at home by Hagley 1st XI.

This result helped Ombersley 2nd XI climb into top spot after David Brazier (92) helped them to an eight wicket victory against Worcester 1st XI and Burghill, Tillington & Webley 1st to move in to second place after Mohammed Hassan (108*) scored a first innings century to help post too many for visiting Colwall 1st XI to chase at Stowe Lane.

In other matches, Charlie Greening (5-54) returned excellent second innings figures in Halesowen 2nd XIs win against Bewdley 1st XI, Lye 1st XI beat Bromsgrove 2nd XI to go fifth and Charlie Davies (7-22) ensured Barnt Green 2nd XI walked away with maximum points against Coombs Wood 1st XI who find themselves in the bottom two in need of a win.                                                                                    

Top dogs Himley 2nd XI made it five wins from six matches by beating Kidderminster 2nd XI by five wickets in Division Two.

Netherton 1st XI beat Cookley 1st XI to stay second, fifteen points behind the leaders level on points with Alvechurch & Hopwood 1st XI who beat Bredon 1st in a high scoring match at home.

In other matches in the division Oldswinford 1st XI posted a high score at Albemarle Road in the first innings which proved too many for Enville 1st XI to chase despite a century from Matt Branch (103).

Adam Davies (72) first innings half century helped Bartestree & Lugwardine 1st XI to victory against Astwood Bank 2nd XI and finally, Michael Keogh (6-14) ensured Redditch 2nd XI got nowhere near the target set by Harborne 3rd XI in the first innings.

Elliot Hennessy (53*) helped Barnards Green 2nd XI retain top spot in Division Three as his undefeated second innings half century helped secure a three wicket win against Feckenham 1st at Mill Lane.

Netherton 2nd XI made it three wins out of six by beating Himbleton 1st XI by four wickets at Highbridge Road to retain second, four points clear of Belbroughton 1st XI who chased down Lye 1st XIs impressive first innings total (304) thanks to an unbroken 3rd wicket partnership of two hundred and eleven runs that saw Thomas Lawson (134* off 90 balls) and Pete Hawk (83*) both finish undefeated at Hackmans Gate Lane.

Elsewhere, Old Elizabethans 2nd XI managed to restrict Brockhampton 2nd XI just enough in the second innings to win a tight match by just three runs at the Parks.

Avoncroft 1st XI beat Martley 1st XI by eight wickets and Ali Rashid (138*) first innings century helped Stourbridge 2nd XI to their first win if the season against Old Vigornians 1st XI at the Kings School.

Stourport-on-Severn 2nd XI remain top of Division Four after beating Old Hill 2nd XI by six wickets at Walshes Farm Meadows.

They sit sixteen points ahead of Rushwick 1st XI who snatched an unlikely two wicket victory from the jaws of defeat against Harborne 4th XI for whom Mark Whitsey (103) scored a first innings century at the Knotts Ground and a further six points ahead of. Claverley 1st XI in third place after recording their second win of the season against Five Ways Old Edwardians 1st XI at Sandford Park.

In other matches in the division, Romsley & Hunnington 1st XI made it back to back wins when they inflicted a seven wicket defeat on Chaddesley Corbett 2nd XI.

West Malvern 1st XI picked up their first win of the season when they beat Bromsgrove 4th XI by 8 wickets at Mahon Court and finally, Ben Beazley (92) and Ben Mathews (77) helped Worcester Nomads 2nd XI move into mid division as their first innings contributions helped set up victory against Coombs Wood 2nd XI by a healthy margin at Stewarts Road.

Next week sees the return of the Win/Lose/Draw format in the top five divisions. The next eleven matches will be played using this formula.

In the mid table Divisions where the format is Win/Lose throughout the season Hagley 2nd XI continue to set the pace in Division Five after recording their fourth victory of the season against Pedmore 2nd XI at Hagley Park.

Droitwich Spa 2nd XI are next, fifteen points behind after beating Barnt Green 3rd XI who took to the field for the first time on Saturday after having their first five matches cancelled due to the poor early season weather.

Worcester 2nd XI are third a further eleven points adrift after they secured a six wicket win against Colwall 2nd XI at Norton Barracks.

Elsewhere, Pershore 2nd XI climbed into mid division after Stephen Meers (87*), Imran Wahid (69) and Chris Miles (63) all posted first innings half centuries that helped post over three hundred which proved far too many for Malvern 1st XI to chase.

Astwood Bank 3rd XI beat visiting Eastnor by forty one runs at Hanbury and despite a first innings century from V Patel (120), Stourbridge 3rd XI could not stop Bewdley 2nd XI chasing down their first innings total for the loss of just five wickets at Lower Park.

In Division Six the top two both suffered defeats as Halesowen 3rd XI inflicted the first defeat of the season on leaders Hanley Castle & Upton and Bromyard 2nd XI beat last week’s second placed team Claverley 2nd XI at Flagonners Green, results that allowed Tenbury Wells 1st XI to move in to second place, four points of top spot after beating Old Vigornians 2nd XI by a wide margin.

Elsewhere, Rahul Vinayak (6-21) helped Cutnall Green 1st XI beat Kempsey 1st XI by one wicket in a low scoring match at Addis Lane. Rick Wrigley (83) top scored in the first innings for Belbroughton 2nd XI in their win against Alveley 1st XI and Enville 2nd XI beat Kidderminster 3rd XI by seven wickets at Enville Hall.

As the Regional Divisions moved into Week 4;

In Division Seven (North) Himley 3rd XI kept on setting the pace with a seven wicket win against Stone 1st XI.

Harborne 5th XI sit in second place after beating Feckenham 2nd XI at Richmond Hill. Cookhill 1st XI grabbed their third win of the season by comfortably outclassing Bromsgrove 4th XI at the Hedges Ground and elsewhere, Luke Millar (96*) finished undefeated just four runs short of a deserved century in Romsley & Hunnington 2nd XIs win against Halesowen 4th XI at Earls High School and finally, the match between Kidderminster 4th XI and Alvechurch & Hopwood 2nd XI was cancelled without a ball bowled

Joe Burford (6-15) ensured Harvington 1st XI continue to enjoy a fourteen point lead at the summit of Division Seven (South) after his second innings return helped seal a comfortable win against Barnards Green 3rd XI who dropped to fourth place as firstly, Birlingham 1st XI moved in to second place after winning on the road against Burghill, Tillington & Weobley 2nd XI thanks largely to Martin Downes (89*) second innings contribution and secondly, Rushwick 2nd XI beat Stourport-on-Severn 3rd XI by fifty runs at the Alf Tolley Memorial Ground to go in to third place.

In Division Eight (North) Finn Allen (123) ensured Halesowen 5th XI remained the only undefeated team in the division as his first innings contribution helped his team to their third win of the season against Oldswinford 3rd XI. Enville 3rd XI beat second placed Pedmore 3rd XI by four wickets. Netherton 3rd XI beat Stourbridge 4th XI to move into third place. Himley 4th XI are next in fourth place just a further four points behind after beating Harborne 6th XI by six wickets and in the other match Lye 3rd XI beat Avoncroft 3rd XI by 8 wickets in a low scoring match.

Pershore 3rd XI and Avoncroft 2nd XI continue to be the pace setters in Division Eight (East) after both secured their third victories of the season against Redditch Entaco 3rd XI and Inkberrow 1st XI respectively.

Elsewhere, Droitwich Spa 4th XI moved into third place by beating Old Halesonians 1st XI by five wickets, Himbleton 2nd XI beat Astwood Bank 4th XI to remain in fourth place and Richard Sydenham (83*) and Russell Field (58*) built an unbroken one hundred and fifty five run first innings partnership to guide Hagley 3rd XI to victory against Belbroughton 3rd XI

In Division Eight (South) Ledbury 1st XI were the beneficiaries of a concession win at the hands of Bredon 2nd XI who failed to raise a team, this result gave the Herefordshire based outfit a seventeen point lead at the top over Bosbury 1st XI who beat Malvern 2nd XI by five wickets.

Elsewhere, Nick Pullen (61) first innings half century set up the win for West Malvern 2nd XI at The Stables against Brockhampton 3rd XI. Reuben Graff (83*) lead Eastnor 2nd XI to an eight wicket victory against Bromyard 3rd XI and Charlie Cresswell (4-13) helped Colwall 3rd XI to victory by bowling Worcester Nomads 3rd XI out cheaply in the second innings to win by a fifteen run margin.by 8 wickets

In Division Eight (West) Ben Ratcliffe (103) & Lee Shuck (7-21) helped Hallow Taverners 1st XI maintain their lead at the summit as their contributions helped set up a comprehensive victory against Alveley 2nd XI.  Worcester Amigos 1st XI sit on level points at the top after beating Bewdley 3rd XI at Plovers Rise.

The top two are fourteen points clear of third placed Droitwich Spa 3rd XI who beat Tenbury Wells 2nd XI by 5 wickets, whilst in other matches Phillip Cook (108) hit a first innings century for Highley 1st XI only to end up on the losing side as Mark Bennett (88*) finished unbeaten in the second innings after guiding Cookley 2nd XI home to a five wicket win and the match between Chaddesley Corbett 3rd XI and  Old Elizabethans 4th XI was conceded by Old Elizabethans as they could not raise a team.

In the Marches Division One, Charles Melly (112), Archie Langford (83) and Tom Cutler 72 & 4-8) were the main protagonists in Wormelow 1st XIs win against visiting Ross-on-Wye 1st XI, a result that keeps them fourteen points clear of Goodrich 1st XI who are sitting in second place after Andrew Brown (94) helped them compile a first innings total that proved too many for visiting Garnons 1st XI to chase.

Builth Wells 1st XI retained third place in a high scoring match at Canon Frome that saw over 650 runs scored in the day that included Builth Wells 1st XI chasing down the three hundred and twenty five first innings target set by Canon Frome 1st XI (Sarvesh Kotian 161, Mohammed Serfraz (65) to win by nine wickets (Sam Williams 163, Dylan McPhee 72, Richard Galton 62).

Elsewhere, Fownhope Strollers 1st Xi are fourth despite losing to Luctonians 1st XI and Almeley 1st XI beat Woolhope 1st XI who presently hold the wooden spoon.

In Marches Division Two Henry Powell (104) helped Kington 1st XI to maintain their unbeaten record when his first innings effort helped to set a total that proved too many for visitors Dales 1st XI to chase. Wormelow 2nd XI occupy second after beating Hay-on-Wye 1st XI by two wickets.

Knighton-on-Teme 1st XI are currently in third despite losing to Presteigne 1st XI who gained their first win of the season. Canon Frome 2nd XI are fourth after comprehensively beating Builth Wells 2nd XI and finally Nick Black (5-31) took five first innings wickets for Woolhope 2nd XI in their four wicket win against Almeley 2nd XI which se them climb to mid division.

Sam Charles (143) compiled a first innings century to help Moccas 1st XI beat Ross-on-Wye 1st XI comprehensively to stay top of the Marches Division Three table on fifty points level with Kington 2nd XI who beat Dales 2nd XI by a tight four run margin.  Fownhope Strollers 2nd XI are a further eighteen points back after Andrew Gardner (83) top scored in the first innings to help see off Luctonians s 2nd XI and finally Herefordians 1st XI bowled Burghill, Tillington & Weobley 3rd XI cheaply to grab their first win of the season by ten wickets.

Division Nine (North) finally got underway on Saturday with a win for Five Ways Old Edwardians 3rd XI for whom Lauren Hill (83*) top scored in the first innings and Megan Hancock-Nolan (5-53) returned excellent second innings figures in an eight wicket win against Pedmore 4th XI and Cookhill 2nd XI and Redditch Entaco 4th XI played out a tie in an exciting match that swung either way throughout day.

In Division Nine (South) Harvington . XI are top after beating Rushwick 3rd XI by three wickets. They sit one point ahead of Hanley Castle & Upton 2nd XI who enjoyed a fourteen run win against Malvern 3rd XI. Ledbury 2nd XI sit in third place two points further back after receiving a match win by concession against Brockhampton 4th XI who failed to raise a team. Pershore 4th XI are next after Andrew Thorner took (4-12) to set up a six wicket win against Feckenham 3rd XI and Droitwich Spa 5th XI are mid division after beating Barnards Green 4th XI by thirty five runs.

Report submitted by Worcestershire County League