Worcestershire League round-up: Duo deliver for Old Hill

Qasim Shah (4-7) and Zahid Khafiat (4-23) delivered when it mattered most for Old Hill 1st XI to help the Haden Hill outfit win a crucial match at the top of Cup Group A against visitors Lye 1st XI after Sultan Afsal (6-21) had restricted the home team to a modest first innings total.

The win helped them create a twenty eight point gap over their opponents who stay in second place, a margin that with four matches remaining in the group makes them comfortable favourites to advance to the knockout stage.

Third placed Stourbridge 1st XI pretty much said good bye to their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage as they were beaten by Pedmore 1st XI at home and the innings of the day came at the Home Ground where Oldswinford & Stourbridge Social 1st XI Captain Tom Blunt (158) scored a brilliant first innings century which ensured his team posted too many for Coombs Wood 1st XI to chase.

Pershore 1st XI just about held on to top spot in Cup Group B as they survived a score at Redditch Entaco where, after a tight contest throughout the South Worcestershire outfit hung on to win by just one run in a thrilling finish, a win that maintained their 100% record at the top of the table and kept them sixteen points clear of second placed Astwood Bank 1st XI who kept up with the pace setters by beating third placed Chaddesley Corbett 1st XI in a rain reduced game to ensure the top two are thirty points clear of the pack.

In the other match in the group Feckenham 1st XI beat Belbroughton 1st XI by nine runs to gain their first win of the season.

Adam Hewlett (5-18) continued his fine form with the ball and Ian Bullock (71) prospered with the bat to lift Brockhampton 1st XI to the top of the Cup Group C table as they beat former table toppers Old Elizabethans 1st XI for the second time in two weeks, this time at the Parks.

The win moved them seven points clear of Old Elizabethans who are now just two points clear of the fast improving Worcester 1st XI who somehow managed to keep up with the pace by grabbing an unlikely one run victory against Worcester Nomads 1st XI at Whitegates Farm after the scores would suggest they were in second position for the majority of the match.

The top three are now thirty points clear of the rest which is led by Colwall 1st XI despite being beaten at Burghill, Tillington & Weobley.

In Cup Group D leaders Stourport-on-Severn 1st XI made light work of their close neighbours Bewdley 1st XI to stay unbeaten and maintain their sixteen point lead over second placed Ombersley 2nd XI who beat Cookley 1st XI to keep up with the pace.

In the other match in the group Martyn Davies (4-21) and Ajay Kumar (81*) helped Droitwich Spa 1st XI keep their knockout stage qualification hopes alive as they beat Hagley 1st XI by ten wickets at Hagley Park.

In the Trophy Competition, second placed Netherton 1st XI suffered a rare defeat at the hands of Himley 2nd XI which allowed leaders Halesowen 2nd XI to extend their lead at the top of Group A to what now looks like an unassailable thirty-six points after they managed to contain Old Hill 2nd XI in the second innings and grab a tight six run victory in a rain reduced affair at Seth Somers Park.

In the other match in the group Harborne 3rd XI leap frogged Enville 1st XI into third position as they managed to win a tight rain affected match at the Knotts Ground.

It was all change at the top pf of Trophy Group B as James Bayliss’ (4-21) second innings bowling effort helped Bromsgrove 2nd XI avenge last weeks defeat at the hands of table toppers Barnt Green 2nd XI.

This win helped propel Astwood Bank 2nd XI to the top of the table thanks to fine undefeated second innings century from Andy Williams (117*) which helped the Bank to chase down Avoncroft 1st XIs excellent first innings total which was inspired by an excellent first innings century from opener Dan Elliott (102).

The top three are now separated by just fifteen points with Himbleton 1st XI the best of the rest in fourth following their four wicket win against Redditch Entaco 2nd XI.

In Trophy Group C, J Mackintosh (4-9) ensured leaders Barnards Green 2nd XI kept their undefeated status at the summit as they overwhelmed Kempsey 1st XI for the second week in a row.

The Green are now thirty two points clear of the fast improving Bredon 1st XI who were able to move into second position following their comfortable victory against Eastnor 1st XI as last weeks second placed team Brockhampton 2nd XI were beaten by twenty-two runs at Bartestree & Lugwardine.

In the big match of the day in Trophy Group D, the return encounter between the top two again saw Sam Beadsworth (97*) take a liking to the Old Vigornians 1st XI attack as his second telling contribution in a row against the alumni ensured Kidderminster 2nd XI were able to win and extend their lead at the top to twenty-six points.

 A gap that will prove difficult to close with just four matches remaining. Worcester 2nd XI are now third as Dan Keyte (103) posted a fine first innings century for the home team in their win against visiting Rushwick 1st XI for who Phil Hamilton (90) starred with the bat and Martley 1st XI remain in fourth despite losing to Old Elizabethans 2nd XI who were inspired by Josh Nott (95) and Kevin Gwynne (6-22) at the Memorial Ground.

In the Vase Competition Netherton 2nd XI made it two wins in two against Romsley & Hunnington 1st XI as they won a tight rain affected game by four runs to move twenty eight points clear at the summit of Group A,. Zukky Shabbir (61) and Nafees Hussain (5-23) ensured Lye 2nd XI kept themselves in the race for qualification by beating Harborne 3rd XI at home.

In the other match in the group Jonathan Preece (52 & 5-24) produced an excellent all round performance to keep Halesowen 3rd XIs hopes alive as they beat Coombs Wood 2nd XI by eight runs.

In Vase Group B bottom of the table Astwood Bank 3rd XI produced the shock of the day as they inflicted the first defeat of the season on table toppers Alvechurch & Hopwood 1st XI when the visitors fell just one short of their target at Hanbury.

The damage to the leaders was limited however as Hagley 2nd XI strolled to their second win of the season when they beat last weeks second placed Droitwich Spa 2nd XI by eight wickets and Josh Searle (5-10) second innings five wicket haul helped Bromsgrove 3rd beat last week's third placed Five Ways Old Edwardians 1st XI who fell further off the pace after a solid start to the season.

Charles Bevan (4-31 & 82*) delivered an excellent all round performance against Malvern 1st XI to help West Malvern 1st XI maintain their undefeated status and top of the table position In Vase Group C .

The Herefordshire based outfit are sixteen points clear of Hanley Castle & Upton 1st XI for whom Joe Clive (80*) and William St. Leger-Chambers (56) scored first innings half centuries in their nineteen run victory against Colwall 2nd XI at the Glebe.

In the other match in the group Nick Jones (69) and Ben Beazley (67) posted first innings half centuries for Worcester Nomads 2nd XI who kept their hopes of qualification alive with a victory against Pershore 2nd XI at the Bottoms.

Claverley 1st XI beat Stourbridge 2nd XI at home to maintain their 100% record at the top of Vase Group D.

The Shropshire outfit are now thirty one points clear of Stourport-on-Severn 2nd XI who took advantage of Stourbridge 2nd XIs defeat to move into second position after gaining a comfortable win against local rivals Bewdley 2nd XI.

Whilst in the other match in the group Mohammed Ramzan (4-30) helped Alveley 1st XI beat Chaddesley Corbett 2nd XI by six wickets at home after Arslan Mehmood (4-13) had helped the visitors restrict the home team in the first innings.

In the Shield Competition Group A is unquestionably the closest group in all competitions with every team still in with a chance of knockout stage qualification as all teams continue to beat each other.

Himley 3rd XI remain at the summit despite losing to Pedmore 2nd XI for whom Toby Holt (68) compiled a match winning first innings half century and Chris Leavers (4-21) backed it up with a fine second innings bowling performance of his own.

Oldswinford & Stourbridge Social leaped back into third position as they beat Belbroughton 2nd XI by seven wickets at Albemarle Road and Vikesh Patel (4-11 & 64) ensured the whole group became a tight knit affair as his all-round heroics inspired Stourbridge 3rd XI to a win against one time leaders Kidderminster 3rd XI who are now fourth but still in the hunt.

Stuart Mason (55) and a fine all-round contribution from club stalwart Martin Downes ensured Birlingham 1st XI beat Feckenham 2nd XI to extend their lead at the top of Shield Group B to eighteen points as second placed Barnt Green 3rd XI were beaten at home by third placed Cutnall Green 1st XI.

In the other match in the group Craig Witheford (109*) helped Harvington 1st XI to an eight wicket victory against bottom of the table Bromsgrove 4th XI.

In Shield Group C Gregory Ambler (81) ensured Burghill, Tillington & Weobley 2nd XI maintained their 100% record with their second win against fellow HerefordIans Bartestree & Lugwardine 2nd XI.

Old Vigornians 2nd XI kept in contention with a comfortable win against Bredon 2nd XI and Bromyard 2nd XI beat Rushwick 2nd XI to keep themselves in with an outside chance of making the knockout stage.

After last weeks defeat at the hands of Cleobury Mortimer 1st XI, Claverley 2nd XI exacted revenge on Saturday when they travelled to their rivals and walked away with a four wicket win in a low scoring match to extend their lead at the top of the Shield Group D table to twenty three points.

Cleobury's defeat allowed third placed Kidderminster 4th XI to creep to within two points after Simon Trickett (126*) posted a fine undefeated first innings century and Andy Logan (4-14) put paid to Highley 1st XI who dropped to fourth, whilst in the other match in the group Akeel Aurangzab (4-24) helped fifth placed Enville 2nd XI dismiss bottom side Stourport-on-Severn 3rd XI cheaply to promote an eight wicket win.

in a low scoring fine first innings bowling performance from Sam Evans (6-13) helped Cleobury Mortimer 1st XI breath life in to Shield Group D against top of the table Claverley 1st XI who were threatening to run away with things.

This win moved Cleobury Mortimer to within five points of the leaders and also brought both Highley 1st XI and Kidderminster 4th XI back into the picture after Kidderminster beat the Shropshire outfit at the Highley Recreation Centre by four wickets.

Finally, an undefeated century from Dave Cook (118*) and a half century from Bevan Neil (53) helped Stourport-on-Severn 3rd XI to their first win of the season against Enville 2nd XI and move off the bottom.

In the Plate Competition Halesowen 4th XI grabbed back the initiative at the top after avenging last weeks defeat at the hands of Old Halesonians 1st XI with a nine run victory to move back to the top of Group A by twelve points.

A further six points behind in third position are Romsley & Hunnington 2nd XI who kept up their challenge with an eight wicket win against Himley 4th XI whilst the other match in the group between Harborne 5th XI and Alveley 2nd XI was abandoned.

In Group B Himbleton 2nd XI quickly got back on the winning trail after last weeks defeat by brushing aside Five Ways Old Edwardians 2nd XI to open up a fourteen point gap at the top over Cookhill 1st XI who beat Avoncroft 2nd XI by four wickets, whilst Alvechurch & Hopwood 2nd XI ensured they remained in contention with a forty-one run win against bottom of the table Astwood Bank 4th XI.

Abdul Rahim (5-5) drove Evesham 1st XI to the top of the competitive Group C table as they beat last weeks table toppers Kempsey 2nd XI by seven wickets at Plovers Rise.

The South Worcestershire side are now three points ahead of Old Elizabethans 3rd XI who also moved above Kempsey 2nd XI after Peter Johnson (76*) continued his excellent form to help the City of Worcester based side secure a six wicket win against West Malvern 2nd XI who dropped to fifth.

In the other match in the group Dave Robinson (54*) ensured Worcester 3rd XI stayed in touch with the leaders by helping them to a win against bottom side Hanley Castle & Upton 2nd XI.

Ombersley 3rd XI tightened their grip at the top of Group D with a ten wicket win against Chaddesley Corbett 3rd XI.

They are now thirty two points clear of Tenbury Wells 1st XI who beat Martley 2nd XI at the Jewry Field by three wickets whilst Droitwich Spa 3rd XI climbed into third position after Harry Staley (72) and James King (68) posted first innings half centuries to help them beat Stone 1st XI who drop to fifth.

The knockout stage of the Salver Competition paired Buffalo Barnstormers 1st XI against Harborne 6th XI and Barnards Green 3rd XI with Bosbury 1st XI in the semi-finals.

Barnards Green 3rd XI continued their excellent form this season as Freddie Ammonds (5-0) wrapped up the oppositions first innings with a spectacular five wicket haul to ensure the Green could cruise home to a ten wicket victory and start thinking about the Final on Saturday 5th September.

The result of the semi-final between Buffalo Barnstormers and Harborne 6th XI is still awaited.

The Summer Division Competition reached its conclusion when Worcester Nomads 3rd XI beat Halesowen 5th XI by seven runs in an excellent Final at Birlingham Cricket Club.

Worcester Nomads won the toss and decided to bat on a pitch that had been dampened by the mid-week rain.

Some excellent bowling from the young Halesowen team quickly made in-roads into the Worcester Nomads batting line up and when the young attack led admirably by Mustafa Mumtaz continued to build the pressure throughout the first innings the only batsman to show any real resilience was Captain Sam Jones (64) who compiled a patient half century to help his team reach a total that gave the South Worcestershire based side a total to bowl at.

The Halesowen innings then proceeded to take the same shape as the first innings after some excellent wicket to wicket bowling from the Worcester Nomads opening pair Sam Clark and Dickson Ward backed up by some excellent fielding from the youthful side immediately put pressure on the batsmen which eventually manifested in the loss of four early wickets (which included two run outs)..

However, a solid fifth wicket partnership led by Captain Dean Harris clawed Halesowen back into the match. However, just as the game appeared to be slipping from the grasp of Worcester Nomads the game then took another twist when Captain Dean Harris was excellently caught out in the deep by Sam Clark.

This dismissal gave Worcester Nomads the confidence they needed and after an excellent late spell of bowling from Elliott Flint and James Mathews the Nomads were eventually able to secure the victory in the final over when Harrison Bullock claimed the final wicket with just eight runs required.