Division One

Relegation battlers Kenilworth Wardens and West Bromwich Dartmouth emerged with the most points from a rain-hit round 13 in which four contests were abandoned and two ended as rain-shortened draws.

Reeve Evitts led the way for Wardens who battled their way to a competitive 188-8 from 55 overs against Himley.

The all-rounder made 64 from 94 balls while Tommy Rex (33no) and Oli Dandy (30) chipped in useful runs against a visiting attack in which Ben Robinson (3-39) stood out.

After a break for rain mid-table Himley were left with 48 overs in which to secure a fifth win of the season but they were unable to develop opener Connor Smith’s 32 into a meaningful chase.

Rugby School slow left-armer Jack Pidgeon (3-44) enjoyed another impressive afternoon for the hosts and with Freddie Fowler also taking three wickets Himley’s last pair were grateful for further rain which ended the contest 14 deliveries ahead of schedule with the board showing 157-9.

Dartmouth remain at the foot of the table but by taking 14 points from their local derby at Halesowen they have closed the gap on 11^th-placed Wolverhampton to 18 points.

Chris Whittock struck 14 boundaries while making an even-time 76 for the hosts adding 76 with third-wicket partner Luke Tulacz (53).

Ed Bragg then added a brisk unbeaten 40 which carried Halesowen to 254-6 when rain ended their innings in the 52^nd over.

Brinder Phagura registered 3-54 for Dartmouth who were left with 20 overs to bat when play resumed.

And with opener Bruce Thomason smashing 14 fours and a six in a violent 37-ball 69 the visitors had little difficulty in taking the majority of the draw points while also limbering up nicely for tomorrow’s T20 Challenge Cup finals day at Smethwick.

The day’s four remaining matches were abandoned at or around the halfway mark which means Smethwick who took nine points from their visit to Moseley remain 30 points clear at the top of the table.

At Streetsbrook Road, Warwickshire prospect Tazeem Ali took 4-47 with his leg spin as the home side were bowled out for 219 from the closing delivery of the 55^th over.

Awais Mohammed made a patient 67 for Moseley while Caribbean import Jamar Ifill contributed a 46-ball 49 and Asim Shoaib made 36 before the rain arrived.

Six batters passed 27 for second-placed Barnt Green who posted 236-7 from their 55 overs at Wolverhampton where Jacques Banton (41) and Archie Hall-Greaves (41no) shared top billing.

Charlie Jackson took 3-47 for Wolves who had reached 29 without loss from 4.2 overs following a rain break when a second deluge ended proceedings for the day.

Rain arrived earliest at Barnards Green where Knowle & Dorridge’s fourth-wicket pair Isaac Maddy and Ollie Currill were looking ominously well set having added 136 unbroken runs to take the visitors to 203-3 from 43 overs.

The former Leamington all-rounder struck eight fours and four sixes in his 95-ball unbeaten 75 while the latest cricketing Maddy was 56 not out. Chris Steele claimed 2-43 for the hosts.

A similar story a few miles up the road at Ombersley saw the home side reach 215-2 from 41 overs before rain ended their clash with Berkswell.

Home skipper Ollie Cox led the way with an even-time 55 containing eight boundaries, but it was his opening partner Sinel Gunarathne that grabbed the headlines by making a superb 101 studded with 14 boundaries.

Division Two

Coventry & North Warwickshire’s Jay Bista passed 1000 league runs for the season in possibly the quickest-ever period of time while making 105 in his club’s rain-hit home draw against Worfield.

The Indian pro’s fourth ton of the season – two of which have seen him go past 190 – came from 86 balls with 14 fours and two sixes.

With opener Will Iles making 81, the Warwickshire club piled up 327-8 from 55 overs against their Shropshire-based visitors.

Warwickshire’s Will Rhodes fell for a duck when the clubs met early in the season but he clearly has a long memory since he responded by lashing the home bowling for a brilliant unbeaten 165 when their paths next crossed.

Rhodes struck 17 boundaries and three sixes in his 143-ball knock as Worfield’s 48-over innings closed on 260-6 from 48 overs with Cov’s Harris Ajaz claiming 3-64.

CNW claimed 14 points from this draw and Old Hill went one better from their rain-affected drawn game at Kidderminster.

The home side made steady batting progress through Amaan Hassan (65) and Nathan Jukes (51no) before the latter was joined by his skipper Liam Weston who blasted an unbeaten 25-ball 38 late in the piece.

This left Old Hill chasing 212, but after a rain stoppage enough time remained for only 20 overs during which they reached 139-4 on the back of half-centuries from Waqas Ahmed and Saad Naseem.

Harborne continue to set the pace in Division Two despite rain halting their charge against visiting Bridgnorth.

Openers Swapnil Gugale (83) and Jamie Harris (95) added 131 in 22 overs for the league leaders before brisk 40’s from Warwickshire’s Kai Smith and Tejas Wagle saw the hosts reach 316-5 from 48 overs before the elements closed in.

Title rivals Shrewsbury also had a useful 136-run opening stand between Peter Clark (57) and the prolific George Hargrave (72) before Tamworth’s spinners got to work.

Jason Jakeman claimed 4-84 from 17 overs while Jacob Flower took 5-47 from three fewer to peg the visitors’ 55-over total back to 234-9.

Tamworth were only two overs into their response when play was abandoned.

Wellington’s hopes of avoiding the drop were also hit by rain when their home game against Leamington was interestingly poised at the end of the home innings.

The foundations of Wellington’s 225-8 were constructed on a useful fifth-wicket partnership of 126 between Dhruv Parashar who made 61 and Luke Goring whose 91-ball 81 contained four sixes.

Just across the M54 Dorridge’s trip to Shifnal was in a very similar situation when the rain arrived with the home side about to defend 226-8.

The star of the show was opener Andre Bradford who carried his bat through 55 overs for an unbeaten 132 while Imaad Mahmood took 5-53 for the visitors.