Division One

Title-chasing Knowle & Dorridge recovered from a nightmare start to claim maximum points at Harborne.

Batting first, the visitors were reeling at 20/3 as a combination of Mike Bevan and Andy Sutton ran through their top order.

But Neil Pinner and skipper Ollie Currill then stopped the rot, putting on an 89-run partnership before the former Worcestershire all-rounder went for 51.

Although the captain went on to make 48, K&D were eventually all out for 166 with Bevan taking an impressive 6-35 from 13.4 overs while Sutton finished with 4-45 from 14.

Harborne also struggled against the new ball as Warwickshire’s Ethan Bamber claimed 4-35 while Currill capped an excellent all-round display by bowling seven overs for just four runs.

With Jeet Varaich, Vidhan Iyer and Nick James also taking wickets, the home side were eventually dismissed for 95 in the 34th over.

Barnt Green were convincing winners at Berkswell, running up 300 for the loss of five wickets before sending their hosts packing for just 135.

Big-hitting Henry Cullen smashed 61 off 42 balls with Jacques Banton adding a useful 74. But it was Amrinder Brar’s 108 off 86 deliveries that fired the visitors to their hefty total. Theo Wylie claimed 4-64 on a disappointing day for bottom-of-the-table Berkswell's bowlers.

Their batsmen didn’t fare too well either with just Callum Bennett (45) and skipper Neil Dexter (31) getting a start as the wickets were shared around with Archie Greaves-Hall finishing at the top of the pile with 4-18 from 12.2 overs.

Third-placed Barnards Green won a high-scoring encounter at home to Wolverhampton. Ramanjot Jaswal top- scored for the visitors with 65 and there were also useful contributions from Reeve Evitts (48) and Jack Stanley (43) as Wolves reached 300/9 from their 55 overs.

Worcestershire opener Rehan Edavalath then led the reply, carrying his bat for an excellent 152 from 160 balls as the Malvern-based hosts raced home for the loss of just three wickets.

Ombersley’s Canadian international prospect Olly Cox (pictured) hit 130 off 150 balls but it was only good enough to earn his side a losing draw at second-placed Halesowen for whom Matt Pardoe took four wickets. Ryan Tongue’s team were 194/6 at the end of their 55 overs during which remarkably there were no extras! The hosts earlier posted 242 of which former Kidderminster star Pardoe made a useful 73.

The other two games in the division were also drawn. Himley opener Ollie Walker hit 150 off 148 balls including three sixes to help his side to 264/7 with visitors Moseley hanging on at 138/9 at the end of their 55 overs.

And at London Road, Shrewsbury were also among the runs, totting up 334/5 thanks largely to a brilliant opening stand between Peter Clark (147) and Rhodri Evans (100) who put on 256.

Rain left visitors Smethwick with just 30 overs by which time they had been forced to settle for a losing draw at 130/8 with Will Jenkins taking 4-30.

Division Two

Handsworth finally opened their seasonal tally with an eight-wicket win at Dorridge and in the process latched back on to Kidderminster and Coventry at the foot of the Division Two table.

Half-centuries from West Indian import Jeremy Solozano (66) and Luke Horgan (58) helped Dorridge to 236/7 while Ashish Chakrapani smashed an unbeaten 58 off just 34 balls late on.

Reduced to 25/2 in the fifth over it looked like more of the same for the winless Warwickshire League champions but two more cricketers with strong Caribbean connections had other ideas – as opener Montcin Hodge made a brilliant 145 while a steady 68 from Jaison Peters took them to the finishing line.

Kidderminster are now the only side in Division Two waiting for their first win, but an unbeaten 91 from Dan Lategan was enough to at least ensure they claimed 16 points from a winning draw against Shifnal.

Lategan’s innings helped his side to 241/5 before their visitors responded with 142/8 with Ben Lees’ unbeaten 48 being their top score.

Coventry’s fifth defeat in eight starts was doubly painful given their former all-rounder Jason Jakeman was largely responsible for Tamworth’s dominant 159-run success. 

Put into bat, Tamworth made steady progress with Jacob Flower (59) and Callum Render (30) putting on 81 for the first wicket. Alex Cappelluti (45) and Riley Ward (37) added useful contributions while Jakeman was there at the end unbeaten on 55 as the visitors reached 263/4.

Coventry lost three wickets in five balls and were 22/4 at one stage as opening bowlers James Wilkinson (3-26) and Ed Smith (2-33) enjoyed the conditions.

It was then left to leg-spinner Jakeman to wrap things up, taking 5-15 from five overs as the visitors were sent packing for just 104.

This win takes Tamworth to the top of the table where their closest pursuers are West Bromwich Dartmouth who claimed an exciting three-wicket win over third-placed Kenilworth Wardens in a high-scoring tussle between last season’s relegated clubs.

Harry Johnson hit a fine unbeaten 127 off 125 balls for Wardens and Harry Butler’s 68 helped them to 284/7. With Tommy Rex then taking four wickets it looked as though the home side were on their way to victory but Dartmouth persevered and after exciting prospect Ismail Mohammed hit a fine 81, an eight-wicket partnership between Brinder Phagura (39no) and Shayaan Tahir (47no) steered them over the line.

A 149-run third-wicket partnership between Aman Hussain (76no) and Rishin Patabedige (72no) helped Worfield beat Old Hill by eight wickets at Davenport Park. The visitors had been dismissed for 202 and the Shropshire side reached their target with plenty of overs in hand.

Leamington’s game at home to Stourbridge also finished in a draw on a day of mixed fortunes for Black Country run-maker Mavarick Perry who was run out one run short of his century. Home skipper Jon Wigley took 5-53 but the visitors still managed to reach 292 from their 55 overs.

In reply, opener Harrison Smith’s 93 gave Leamington the perfect start but they slipped behind the run rate and were on 232/8 at the close.