KIDDERMINSTER slipped to the bottom of the Birmingham League Premier after suffering a six-wicket loss to Wolverhampton.

The home side won the toss and decided to bowl first and their decision paid odd as Kidderminster were kept to 235-7.

Johannes Bothma bowled Tom Kimberlin for a duck. His cousin Andrew was joined by Mike Hill and the score rose to 44 when he fell lbw before to Ben Twohig having scored 10.

Skipper Neil Pinner and Mike Hill took the total up to 110 before Pinner (33) was out caught and bowled by Zen Malik, having hit five fours.

Only four more runs were added when Hill (64) gave Malik a second wicket with a catch by Tom Fell. Hill’s runs came from 65 balls and included eight 4s and two 6s.

Connor Smith (4) became Malik’s third victim, leaving the total at 123-5.

Liam Weston and Richard Kimberlin had added 31 runs when the later (22) was caught by Wasim Jaffer off the bowling of Imran Tariq.

Kimberlin and Weston had batted well together, but a partnership between Weston and Jonathan Wright produced a very useful 42 runs, which ended when Weston (30) was out caught and bowled by Usman Arif.

The score went from 196-7 up to 235 when the innings ended at the 50th over. Wright (35) and Charlie Stainforth (15) had batted superbly to give Kidderminster a reasonable platform to fight from.

Malik was the pick of the bowlers with 3-38.

Wolverhampton opener’s Tom fell and Dan Bowyer opened with a century partnership of 106. It ended when Bowyer (48) was caught by keeper Tom Kimberlin bowled Charlie Stainforth.

They immediately lost a second wicket without adding another run.

Fell had reached 50when he was bowled by Neil Pinner. Malik and Jaffer built a good recovery with a stand of 44 which ended when Stainforth took a second with a catch by Pinner to dismiss Malik who had scored 12.

A match-winning stand of 82 came from Jaffer and Ben Twohig. Former Wolverhampton bowler Chris Russell ended it by bowling Twohig (12).

The home side still required eight runs, and got them with only two balls to spare.

James Hammond had scored one run, but the major contribution came from Jaffer with a solid knock of 91 from75 balls with eleven 4s and a six.

A good recovery by Kidderminster, who might well have won the match.

Good bowling by Stainforth with 2-27 from 10 overs, while Weston conceded 19 runs from five overs in taking one wicket, and Russell bowled well, taking one wicket for 31 from his ten overs.

Kidderminster are at home to Berkswell next Saturday (noon start).