Division One

The tragic and untimely passing of Worcestershire and Kenilworth Wardens’ Josh Baker on Thursday cast a huge shadow over this season’s rescheduled opening weekend.

His club bravely decided to go ahead with their game at Himley – where a number of their opponents also had close ties to the left-arm spinner – and fittingly it was Wardens who emerged with an emotional six-wicket win.

In tough batting conditions all of the home side’s top five got to 20 but none were able to go beyond James Clark’s 87-ball 50 which contained only a single boundary. Gamindu Kanishka added some late momentum with an even-time 45 to leave the visitors chasing 196.

New signings Freddie Fowler and Alex Wilkinson shared four wickets for Wardens whose top-order then found batting equally challenging.

The contest’s defining moment came when another new signing Eitan Litvin joined acting captain Harry Johnson at 61 for three and the pair went on to build a match-winning alliance of 113 which saw Wardens most of the way to a target which they reached in the 49^th over.

The match of the day pitched defending champions Moseley against their predecessors Smethwick at Broomfield and it was Rawait Khan’s 2022 title winners who emerged victorious from a contest reduced to 37 overs per side.

After being inserted Asim Shoaib’s 42 took the visitors to the relative prosperity of 77 for two before former Warwickshire paceman Manraj Johal (3-31) made inroads.

But there was no clue of what followed as Smethwick’s newly-signed Indian pro Deepak Khatri grabbed 5-22 to bundle Moseley out for 116.

With Kadeer Ali making an unbeaten 44 the home side then duly eased over the line in the 21^st over with seven wickets remaining.

Having been pipped by Moseley on the final day of 2023, Knowle & Dorridge got their quest to go one better off to a convincing start with a five wicket home win over Barnards Green.

Kiwi signing Jakob Bhula caught the eye with a fluent 39 before Ben Cooke chipped in a useful 37 to take the Malvern-based visitors to 179 all out in 47.3 overs.

Warwickshire’s Hamza Shaikh took 4-29 for K&D and he then went on to anchor their chase with a well-constructed 90-ball 76. George Baines had an unbeaten 38 when the hosts completed the job in the 45^th over.

Newly-promoted West Bromwich Dartmouth finished on the wrong end of an 81-run Black Country derby defeat at Halesowen.

Alexei Kervezee led the way with 67 while skipper Wes Griffiths, former Berkswell batter Chris Whittock and ex-Kidderminster opener Matt Pardoe all passed 30 for the hosts who closed on a best-of-the-day 277 all out.

Shozair Ali took 3-38 for Dartmouth whose top order then all got starts without going on to a meaningful score against a Halesowen attack in which Ed Bragg (4-25) and Ciaran Baker-Smith (3-31) stood out.

The match between Barnt Green and Wolverhampton and Berkswell versus Ombersley were abandoned without a ball bowled.

Division Two

Warwickshire all-rounder Craig Miles played a starring role in Leamington’s emphatic 162-run win over newly-promoted Wellington.

After Spa skipper Jon Wigley (44) and Harry Smith (33) added an opening stand of 76 Miles took centre stage with a fine 76-ball 67.

Although Matt Simmonds claimed 4-44 Wellington were left to chase 255 and the visitors were quickly in deep trouble at 42 for six against Zayn Hussian (3-15) and Oscar Reynolds (2-13).

Miles then returned to mop up the tail and ensure Leamington began the new season in the same positive vein in which they finished 2023.

Harborne got their season away to the best possible start with a thumping ten wicket win at Bridgnorth.

Perhaps surprisingly following this wettest of Springs it was spin that did the damage for the Birmingham-based visitors with Ben Langdell grabbing 4-22 and Swapnil Gugale 2-12 from ten frugal overs.

Chasing 111 acting captain Jamie Harris then joined the prolific Gugale to take Harborne to the finish line in 32 overs. Harris finished with 57 not out while his Indian pro had an unbeaten 51.

Division Two’s other Bridgnorth-based club had an altogether happier opening day as Worfield edged a tight contest with Coventry & North Warwickshire by a three-wicket margin.

The returning Gagandeep Singh wasted no time in reminding his teammates of his skills by claiming 4-12 from seven immaculate overs. With Shakrukh Khan claiming 3-23 CNW were bowled out for 133 in 44.4 overs.

The ball continued to dominate after tea and despite Joe Wright making 32 Worfield were struggling at 114 for seven against Cov’s seven-man attack before Shakrukh eased the nerves with an enterprising unbeaten 25-ball 21.

Runs were in much more plentiful supply elsewhere in Shropshire as Shrewsbury racked up 311 for eight on their way to a 105-run home win over Tamworth.  

The hosts’ Dan Humes became the first centurion of the new BDPCL season with a blazing 64-ball 106 containing ten boundaries and seven sixes. With Will Parton, Lewis Evans and Ed Barnard also all passing 30 the South Staffs side had it all to do at the interval.

And with Tyler Ibbotson and Alex Ollerenshaw then sharing five top-order scalps Tamworth never threatened to get close despite an unbeaten Jason Jakeman half-century.

Old Hill’s return to the Birmingham & District Premier League must wait another seven days after their clash with Kidderminster was abandoned without any play while Shifnal’s trip to Dorridge met with the same fate.