Report submitted by Worcestershire County League

WORCESTER Nomads continue to set the pace in Division One 1st XI as they chalked up their third win of the season against lowly Pedmore at Whitegates Farm.

West Worcestershire clubs Stourport and Bewdley are in second and third respectively as they kept pace with the leaders by gaining maximum point wins. Jack Mills and Martyn Carr shared eight wickets between them for Bewdley as they rolled Evesham for 144 in the second innings to seal victory by a comfortable margin whilst at Stourport a brilliant all round man-of-the-match performance by Ryan Derrick against Colwall (6-61 & 102 not out) eased Stourport to a seven wicket win.

In the other matches in the division Cookley gained a welcome first win of the season in a nail biter at Feckenham, Worcester couldn’t quite bowl bottom of the table Burghill out and had to settle for a winning draw and Chaddesley sipped from the same glass as they too gained a winning draw against Hagley who were nine wickets down at the close.

It’s tight at the top of Division Two 1st XI with the top four teams just separated by fourteen points.

In the matches concerning teams at the top Belbroughton snatched top spot after Jamie Woodhouse returned figures of 6-26 to ensure a comfortable victory on the road at Wormelow.

Zahid Saeed continued his impressive start to the season with an undefeated 118 to help Bromyard gain maximum points against Bredon and move into second, Enville jumped into third position following their second win in as many matches thanks largely to 81 from James Willis against bottom club Old Vigornians and last week's table toppers Coombs Wood slipped up at home against Oldswinford where Tom Slater's first innings 70 helped the visitors post a total that proved too many for the home side to chase as they eventually had to settle for a losing draw which leaves them fourth.

Elsewhere in the division, Sam O’Neill returned with a bang as he blasted an undefeated 118 which included eleven maximums to help Kempsey to their first victory of the season in the battle of the promoted teams at Himbleton and last week's basement team Bartestree won a cliff hanger at St. Peters Field against Droitwich Spa by four runs to move out of the relegation zone.

It is status quo at the summit of Division Three 1st XI as a match winning forty run ninth wicket partnership between teenagers Tom Davies and Liam Probert kept Rushwick at the top of the table as they snatched an unlikely third victory of the season from what looked like the jaws of defeat at 115-8 against Harborne.

High scoring form team Alvechurch & Hopwood remain in second as they posted three hundred in the first innings of the match for the second week running thanks to 92 from M Hayward, a score that proved too many for the home side Eastnor as John Pinsent (5-35) ensured the journey home was an enjoyable one for the visitors.

Bromsgrove remain in third position as their first innings 278-5 gained them a winning draw against Hanley Castle & Upton, Avoncroft climbed into fourth spot after easing home against Malvern at home thanks to Jonathan Hunter and Paul Athey who shared nine of the ten wickets to fall in the first innings and Lye proved the biggest climbers of the day after winning a tight Black Country derby against Netherton by two wickets thanks to what must have been a cool undefeated 97 from Kamran Mehram under pressure in the second innings.

In the other match in the division, Martley would have felt that they have eventually got their season started after a couple of washouts and a loss as a brilliant undefeated 136 from Thomas Vale help them post an excellent first innings 318-5 away at Five Ways OEs Masshouse ground, a square that looks like it must have recovered well following the troubles caused by the March and early April deluge of rain as the home side batted out for a losing draw finishing just short of maximum batting points thanks largely to Sukhraj Gill who scored 87.

In Division Four 1st XI Shaz Gill took 4-8 against Romsley & Hunnington at Earls High School to set up a comfortable win for Halesowen who stay top,

Will Lloyd finished on 98 not out, just two short of a deserved century as he helped West Malvern lay the foundations for a tight, eight run maximum point win at home after being inserted by visitors Kidderminster, the win moves them up in to second in the table. Meanwhile, Stourbridge find themselves back in third position following a routine eighty two run victory after batting first at Hallow Taverners.

In the divisions other matches Tenbury beat Alveley at Penlu by six wickets which eased them in to joint fourth alongside Astwood Bank who could only muster a winning draw against Claverley after posting an impressive 248-7 thanks largely to Andrew Alexanders 66 and Himley overcame Stourport at Wolverhampton Road to stay in mid table thanks to half centuries from captain Jack Lewis and Jacob Smith.

It’s very much still all to play for in all divisions as the cricket season at last feels that it has finally found its feet