At the third time of asking, Premier Division One saw a full round of six matches completed, albeit one of them determined by DLS. Two of the sides who had not, yet, taken the field in the first two weeks of this dismal season met at Glasshouse Park where Kenilworth Wardens entertained the 2022 title winners Smethwick and it was the home side who came out on top, chasing down the visitors total of 137 all out in 33.3 overs to win by five wickets. Smethwick were, reasonably, well placed on 85 for three and 112 for five before Worcestershire Academy prospect Reece Evitts took centre stage and finished with 5 wickets for seven runs in 5.3 overs. Earlier in the innings, Tommy Rex pegged Smethwick back with 3 for 23 including the prized wickets of Roshan Venkataraman (33) and Worcestershire’s former Bedfordshire all-rounder Kashif Ali (17). In reply, Wardens slumped to 14 for three before a fourth wicket stand of 63 between Ali Zaryab (46 not out) and Josh Baker, playing as a batter due to injury, repaired the damage. After Baker was dismissed for 45, Zaryab steered Wardens to their first victory of the season. Another side who hadn’t taken the field in the first two weeks was Barnt Green, and their lack of time in the middle was exposed as they were shot out for 47 at Wolverhampton, in response to the home side’s 168 all out in the 49th over. Star performers for Wolverhampton were Warrick Fynn with 78 and Worcestershire seamer Adam Finch with 6 for 11. The best performance for Barnt Green on a torrid afternoon was Herefordshire’s Adam Hines with 3 for 42.

Knowle & Dorridge banked their second win of the season with an emphatic success over Moseley by eight wickets after dismissing the home side for 190 in 48.2 overs. Nottinghamshire and Trent Rockets white ball specialist Samit Patel took 4 for 21 but it was two Warwickshire tyros Ethan Brookes and Hamza Shaikh who provided the real fireworks as K & D raced to victory in 22.1 overs. Brookes struck 90 from 45 balls, while Shaikh was unbeaten on 72 from 61 balls. Barnards Green, also, took the field for the first time, but there was no rustiness in their performance as they piled up 277 for eight against Shrewsbury in their first ever game at this level. Former Leicestershire and Worcestershire all-rounder George Rhodes, now registered for Suffolk, was unbeaten on 102 after New Road new boy Adam Hose hit 77. Rob Foster scored 65 as Shrewsbury were all out for 168 in 34.3 overs with Jack Mackintosh (4 for 37) and Josh Blunt (3 for 61) in the wickets for the home side.

The match between Halesowen and Berkswell was determined by DLS. Berkswell were all out for 170 in 38.1 overs, thanks to 65 from Tom Mousley and 40 from Nick James with Buckinghamshire’s Ed Bragg (4 for 27) and Glamorgan’s Zain Ul-Hassan (3 for 16) the most successful bowlers for Halesowen. Chasing a revised total of 149, in 21 overs, Halesowen finished on 96 for eight and lost by 52 runs (DLS). James took three wickets for 3 runs in a miserly spell for Berkswell. Ombersley won the match against local rivals Kidderminster by five wickets after chasing down a Kidderminster total of 131. Sam Hall hit 48 for Kidderminster, while Ombersley’s Tyler Cornall hit 41 and took 3 for 28 and his skipper, fellow left arm spinner, Liam Gwynne pocketed 3 for 11.