IN Division One 1st XI Worcester were bowled out for 69 at Pedmore thanks to Paul Taylor’s impressive 5-16 and an abandoned game between Cookley and Bewdley allowed leaders Redditch to race clear at the top of the table as they sealed a comfortable home win against Feckenham.

Redditch are now 31 points clear at the top thanks to a fine 78 from Olly Mason which helped them post an excellent first innings total of 264, which proved too many for Feckenham in a rain affected match.

Elsewhere, Stourport pushed Droitwich closer to mathematical relegation after a solid batting performance ensured victory in another rain affected game, Colwall won a crucial relegation battle at Eastnor which pulled them 34 points clear of the drop zone and, Burghill thanks to Jack Myers (61), won at Hagley whose title aspirations now look remote.

Next for Redditch is a home match with Pedmore who are one of the form sides in recent weeks. Cookley travel to Burghill and Worcester receive Eastnor. In Division Two 1st XI leaders Bredon were knocked from top spot after their second defeat in a row. Dan Boswell (63) and in-form Carl Whyte (58) ensured visitors Coombs Wood compiled a first innings total of 275-4 which made the long journey worthwhile for the Black Countrymen as they bowled the leaders out in the second innings to seal a comfortable win in a rain reduced game.

This allowed title chasers Evesham and Chaddesley to take full advantage as they both leapfrogged Bredon with comfortable home wins. Evesham dismissed visitors Belbroughton for 102 thanks to Adnan Sagheer’s 4-17 and then went on to reach a rain reduced total to win by five wickets to go top.

Chaddesley’s Ikram Mussadaq produced a destructive opening spell, taking 5-3 in eight overs and five maidens, to ensure his side’s total was well out of reach of visitors Bromyard who were dismissed for just 45.

In other matches Will Howells (4-12) helped Enville dismiss Old Vigornians for 50 to secure victory by well over 100 runs, Oldswinford won at Harborne and Tom Cutler (4-18) ensured the road trip to Lye for Wormelow was enjoyable as they leapt three places to sixth. The new leaders travel to Coombs Wood next week, whilst Chaddesley travel to Wormelow and Bredon, now in third are at Bromyard.

In Division Three 1st XI, after falling foul of the weather again this time at home to Netherton, league leaders Kempsey found themselves relinquishing the lead as last week's second placed Himbleton, inspired by Richard Sugden’s undefeated 96, overcame Astwood Bank at home.

The top two clubs look as though they will be difficult to catch as over 50 points now separates them from the chasing pack led now by Bartestree. After posting an impressive 260-8, Ryan Trattell secured victory for the Herefordshire men against Avoncroft with 6-20 to rise to third place.

In other matches, Five Ways OEs ensured Rushwick remain in a relegation battle as they overcame the visitors by 37 runs in a rain reduced game, Malvern climbed into fifth spot after beating Himley at Regency Road and Alvechurch beat Martley.

Next week the top two have tricky away trips, Kempsey at Rushwick and leaders Himbleton visit Avoncroft.

In Division Four 1st XI Stourport produced the batting performance of the day as Sam Hayes (125) and Ryan Delo (116) inspired them to a huge first innings total of 404-9 which opponents Halesowen found too many as they went down by nearly 250 runs.

Meanwhile, at the top of the table leaders Bromsgrove remain well clear following a five wickets win against West Malvern in a match reduced to 20 overs per side.

Hanley Castle & Upton took full advantage of the abandoned game between Kidderminster and Tenbury as they climbed back into second position following a win on faster scoring rate at Neel Park against Old Elizabethans which demoted their opponents to bottom.

Claverley chased down Alveley’s meagre total of 127 to ensure they stay in the race for promotion whilst in a tight, rain affected match, Worcester climbed off the bottom by narrowly defeating Hallow, who could not quite reach a revised target.

In Division Five 1st XI, leaders Barnt Green could only muster a winning draw against Redditch Entaco in a rain reduced game which allowed second placed Stourbridge to close the gap to less than a win after Shaheel Khawar’s inspired 83 led them to a maximum points victory at home against Harborne.

Elsewhere Jack Rhodes (70*) ensured Oldswinford gained a winning draw against Droitwich and Old Hill beat Enville by eight wickets to stay third.

In Division One 2nd XI the top two fought out a tight tussle which Redditch came out on top in to now stand just five points behind rivals Feckenham.

Worcester achieved a win on faster scoring rate against Pedmore thanks to 5-16 from Joe Tate and they stay one point ahead of Stourport in third. Stourport also had a lower target set for their win in a rain affected game with Harborne.

The other three matches were all rained off with just one innings possible between them as Eastnor batted against Colwall before the washout.

In Division Two seconds, Droitwich beat Oldswinford and now have 19 points lead over Cookley whose match at third place Belbroughton did not start. Chaddesley have closed the gap on these two by winning at Bromyard and Wormelow stayed fifth with a win over a youthful Lye side.

Elsewhere, Burghill beat Bromsgrove and Netherton triumphed over Enville.

In Division Three seconds, Rushwick now have a 54 points lead after Paul Wyatt made the day’s top score of 167 some 52 more than his entire first eleven colleagues, and the total of 324 was far too many for Fiveways even allowing for a reduced target.

Old Vigornians overtook Alvechurch in second place with a win over Kempsey as Alvechurch were watching rain falling in one of two abandoned matches in this division, the other one being at Astwood Bank.

Elsewhere, Bartestree thrashed Avoncroft and Stourport beat Halesowen.

In Division Four 2nd XI leaders Himbleton thrashed West Malvern and now lead Kidderminster by 26 points although the carpetbaggers beat Tenbury by five wickets to leap above Himley who lost to Malvern.

In other games, Martley beat Alveley by just 11 runs, Hallow handed Worcester a concession and Hanley beat Old Elizabethans to close up to 12 points behind them in 11th.

In Division Five 2nd XI, Pershore have won the title with two games left after they drew with Romsley at Spetchley. Oldswinford closed to stand 61 points back in second with the same number of games left after they beat Droitwich and even if third placed Stourbridge win all their last three matches they cannot catch Pershore as yesterday, they had to be content with five abandonment points. In the other match, Redditch beat Barnt Green thanks to Anis Suleman’s 115 and Ali Aktar’s 5-16 Division Six is not quite tied up for Cutnall Green, for despite Jake Payne’s unbeaten 121, they had to settle for a losing draw at Cookhill as the home side made a workmanlike approach to the winning draw target in a rain reduced encounter. So Green have a lead of 23 points over Harvington who are second following a big win over Birlingham and they are nine points ahead of Cookhill who also have a slight chance of the title in their first season in the league.

The other match played resulted in a winning draw for Ombersley at Cutnall Green against Stone.

Division Seven North, leaders Netherton annihilated winless and drawless Pedmore and remain six points in front of Highley who they meet at Chaddesley next week in what will be the title decider. This week Highley beat Chaddesley who were late and forfeited the toss enabling Highley to insert them and still get 24 winning points under rule 2 (a) n.

These were the only two matches started in this division.

In Division Seven South, Bartestree are almost champions after they were conceded to again and the only side who can catch them are Bromyard with an extra game left to play.

Bartestree stand 37 points in front even after Bromyard scored an impressive 400-5 against Feckenham who replied with 110 all out. For Bromyard, George Leighton made 158 and Sam Muirhead 106, both somewhat more than their first XI’s total of 45 all out.