Handsworth and Stourbridge hold an early advantage after claiming wins under Duckworth Lewis on a rain-hit opening day of the 2024 county league play-offs.

Handsworth were 91 for three from 10.5 overs in response to Whitchurch's 218 for three from 45.1 overs when an electrical storm halted play on safety grounds.

This was the third stoppage of the day at West Bromwich Dartmouth and it eventually proved terminal for the contest but with the Warwickshire League champions 17 runs ahead of their target and their innings having passed the 10-over cut-off point for an abandonment they claimed the 20 available win points.

At 186 for one from 40 overs the Shropshire League champions seemed likely to set Handsworth a sizeable target until Recardo Gordon's dismissal of Iftikhar Khan for a 98-ball 80 containing ten fours and a six checked their progress.

Maisam Jaffri went on to complete a fine hundred shortly after his 167-run second-wicket partnership with Iftikhar was ended and he had an unbeaten 104 from 143 balls with 14 boundaries when a downpour ended the Whitchurch innings prematurely.

Gordon (2-35) was Handsworth's most successful bowler while Jamaican off-spinner Peat Salmon bowled seven tight overs for just 16.

Chasing a revised 196 from 30 overs, opening pair Montcin Hodge (36) and Demari Prince (26) plus a generous contribution of extras saw the Warwickshire outfit race to 80 without loss in eight overs.

However, either side of another short stoppage they then lost both well-set batters plus Renrick Hooper for seven runs in 12 deliveries as Shabbir Khan claimed 2-13 before the thunderstorm arrived.

More play was possible at Moseley where Mavarick Perry's aggressive 80 plus half-centuries from opener JS Johal and Dominic O'Reilly saw Stourbridge set Fordhouses 247.

Johal's steady 54 from 111 balls laid a base from which wicket-keeper Perry was able to lash nine fours and three sixes in his excellent 70-ball knock.

And better followed from a Stourbridge perspective as O'Reilly, who raced to 52 from just 31 deliveries, enabled them to add 85 runs in the closing ten overs.

Lewis Peat claimed 4-50 for Whitchurch whose response then got off to a slow start against some tight bowling from the Worcestershire League champions.

Michael Gallear made a fluent 64-ball 50 before the loss of two quick wickets to Johal plus a rain interruption saw the Shropshire club given a revised target of 236 from 44 overs when play resumed.

From 125 for six from 33.3 overs this looked challenging, however with Saqib Akbar (42no) striking the ball cleanly 28 came from the two overs that were possible before heavy rain left Stourbridge victorious by 30 runs under DLS.

Whitchurch and Fordhouses took five and seven bonus points respectively from their defeats.