Division One
FORMER Worcestershire ace Alexei Kervezee stole the show as Halesowen stormed to a seven-wicket victory over Shrewsbury to replace their opponents at the top of the table.
But the visitors also had bowlers Ciaran Baker-Smith and Hasan Mahmood in top form, taking four wickets apiece.
Shrewsbury skipper Lewis Evans won the toss and his decision to bat looked to have been a good one as they reached 90/2 with openers Peter Clark (30) and George Hargrave (32) both scoring well.
Will Parton added 24 but others struggled to deal with Halesowen’s bowling attack with Baker-Smith finishing on 4-31 while Mahmood claimed 4-24 as the home side were skittled out for 150 in the 45th over.
Opener Matt Pardoe fell before his side had scored but Mahmood and Chris Whittock each scored 32 before Simon Gregory and Kervezee guided them to victory. Gregory was 26 not out while the former New Road favourite smashed 50 off 28 balls including seven fours and three sixes.
Wolverhampton managed to edge out Harborne by just six runs in a tense contest at Tettenhall.
Batting first, Wolverhampton were all out for 210, Reeve Evitts leading the way with a 42-run knock off 46 balls. Tejas Wagle was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4-26.
In reply, Harborne were reeling at 29/3 before all-rounder Wagle entered the fray and hit an unbeaten 96 to get his side back on course only for them to be stranded six runs shy when William Jones took the final two wickets.
Barnt Green beat hosts Barnards Green by four wickets in the shadow of the Malvern Hills, helped by a stoical 62 not out off 120 balls from Ben Chapman-Lilley. Worcestershire’s Henry Cullen added 44 and Robbie Shurmer was 22 not out as the visitors reached their match-winning 181/6 with seven overs to spare.
Barnards Green had previously posted 179/9 led by Rehaan Edavalath (84) and Ben Sutton (35) with Shurmer taking 4-23.
Oliver Currill hit a swashbuckling 100 off 96 balls that included seven 6s as Knowle and Dorridge beat Smethwick by 29 runs. Haris Khan scored 41 with Deepak Khatri taking 3-33.
Chasing a total of 221, the home side lost opener Isaac Mohammed to the very first ball but were kept on track by Viken Kedariya’s 83 only to finish 29 runs short. There were three wickets apiece for Nick James (3-26) and Ruthvik Morajkar (3-53).
Runs proved hard to come by in Ombersley’s match at Moseley. The visitors were put into bat and reached just 120 having recovered from 30/6. Henry Hawes top scored with 35 and there were four wickets for Hishaam Khan (4-25)
Moseley’s response could not have got off to a shakier start as they slumped to 7/3 and were finally dismissed for 109. Hawes took 3-28 and Nathan Bowley (3-13) mopped up the tail.
Himley’s match with Berkswell was abandoned with the hosts on 89/4.
Division Two
Dorridge and Kenilworth Wardens are three from three at the top of Division Two.
Dorridge beat visitors Shifnal by three wickets helped by a fine knock from Imaad Mahmood and three wickets
from experienced Warwickshire quickie Chris Rushworth.
Batting first, Aussie Sam Scrimgeour scored 59 for Shifnal with opener Rahul Kaishal (40) and Charlie Home (42) adding useful runs to help their side to 242/8. Rushworth (3-30) was the star bowler.
Such a total looked well out of reach for the home side as they slumped to 88/5 but Adnaan Riaz (54) and Mahmood (94no) then put on 118 for the sixth wicket with the latter hitting ten 4s and six 6s to help guide Dorridge to victory.
Wardens were put into bat by hosts Leamington and reached 254 helped by Harry Johnson’s 50, Ben Rex’s 39 and Alex Wilkinson’s 30 off 17 balls.
Captain Jonathan Wigley dug in to score 73 for the home side and there was a half-century from Rashawn Worrell (54) but they fell short, being dismissed for 237 with Amun Bal taking 3-51.
Tamworth were the day’s big hitters at Handsworth and particularly Alex Cappelluti (92) and Callum Render (61) who put on 149 for the second wicket. Riley Ward then added a rapid 56 off 35 balls to help his side along to 315/7.
Sayf Hosein (74) and Rohel Peters (71no) scored well but others struggled as they were dismissed for 239, Tom Smith being the pick of the bowlers with 4-55.
Worfield picked up their first win of the campaign, beating visitors Kidderminster by six wickets.
Daniel Lategan (96) and Nathan Jukes (71) put on 141 for the Worcestershire side’s third wicket with Ben Griffin adding an unbeaten 38 as they posted a challenging 280/4.
Not that Worfield were fazed by such a target, securing victory in the 44th over helped by opener Will Cook’s 96 and Ross Aucott’s 65 as the pair put on 117 for the first wicket.
Excellent bowling from Nick Behrendt saw him take 4-28 off his ten overs as Coventry & North Warwickshire were dismissed for just 93 at Stourbridge, a total that would have been much lower had Kuldeep Diwan not hit a vital 43 off 36 balls. Jaspreet Singh took 3-29 and Dominic O’Reilly 2-11.
With bat in hand, the hosts eased to 94/3 after just 17 overs with opener JS Johal leading the way with an unbeaten 54.
The day’s other match involving Old Hill and West Bromwich Dartmouth was abandoned with the home side on 138/3.
