KIDDERMINSTER Victoria made a losing start in the Birmingham and District League Premier as they suffered a four-wicket loss to Walmley on Saturday.

KVCC arrived to find there would be a delayed start after rain water had crept under the covers.

The 55 overs per team match, due to start at 12pm, finally got underway at 3.10pm, with the overs reduced to 26 overs per side.

Walmley won the toss, and elected to field. They had early success, claiming the first two KVCC wickets with just nine runs on the board.

Craig Wood was caught by Andrew Hendry and bowled by Kaiser Shah (8), then Mark Fisher was caught for one by Ollie Hairs.

A good recovery by Michael Hill and Neil Pinner, took the score up to 104 after 17 overs.

Pinner, having scored 37, was caught by Ray Cooper bowled Lewis Harrison.

Hill was looking in great form and, aided by Zac Turley, saw the 150 come up.

However, at 158, KVCC lost their fourth wicket when Turley (26) was caught by Hendry off the bowling of Michael Waugh.

Hill (62) was the sixth batsman to depart as he became Shah’s third victim.

At 160-5, KVCC added 14 more runs at the end of their innings. Connor Smith (7) was caught and bowled by Cooper, while skipper Jon Wright (7) was caught by Chris Whittock to give Shah four wickets as KVCC ended on 176-7.

Smith (4-27) was KVCC’s most effective bowler with a five-wicket haul, which included a hat-trick.

But with a revised target to reach, Walmley recovered from 31-5 to reach 158-6 by the 18th over.

Ray Cooper and Bav Patel soon got into action, hitting12 fours and five maximums between them. It was all over by the 18th over.

Ray Cooper top-scored with 68 runs off 35 balls, an innings which included six boundaries and five sixes.