KIDDERMINSTER Victoria CC took a huge stride towards survival in the Birmingham and District League Premier Division with a winning draw against West Bromwich Dartmouth on Saturday.

The 13 points earned after a fine bowling display saw the Chester Road side rise to seventh in the table and stretch the gap between themselves and Saturday's opponents to 26 points.

It means that KVCC have their Premier Division fate in their own hands with two games of the season left.

With South African paceman Mario Saliwa returning home to join a representative side playing Sri Lanka A two weeks ago, KVCC were without their most effective wicket-taker.

Despite this Ted Baylis and Arfan Khan turned the screw on their opponents with some strong performances.

West Bromwich won the toss and invited the home team to bat but were quickly punished, as the new opening partnership of captain Jonathan Wright and Andrew Kimberlin got amongst the runs.

After a steady start the duo had guided KVCC to 50-0 by the 15th over. The partnership was broken in the 26th over when Wright was caught by Shafiq Ahmed and bowled by Shaftab Khalid for 57.

The hosts suffered a mini-collapse, losing Kimberlin (37) after he had been caught by Naheem Sajjad off Kaiser Shah's bowling, while Neil Pinner was dismissed for one run.

KVCC progressed to 122-3, when Andrew Siwicki (6) became the first of TP Sudhindra’s four victims, after he was caught by wicketkeeper Paul Swainson.

With only four more runs added, Sudhindra took his second wicket, when Craig Wood was caught by Sajjad for 12.

By the 41st over, KVCC were looking none too confident with only 126 runs to their credit.

Mark Mansell (6) batted patiently, but Sudhindra struck again, having him caught by Swainson to reduce the home team to 139-6.

Matt Layton (2) was stumped by Swainson off Sudhindra's delivery.

Baylis was batting very well and had scored 42, which included three boundaries and two sixes, when he was run out.

But he has been suspended for two matches after disputing the decision.

Baylis batted very well and had scored 42, which included three boundaries and two sixes, when he was run out.

But he has been suspended for two matches after disputing the decision.

With home team on 179, tail-enders Gomez Vincent (2) and David Wardle (1), who made his first team debut because of the absence of keeper Josh Knappett, held on as KVCC made 180-8.

With a slender total to defend, Khan and Baylis always looked in control and tied up their opponents from the Black Country.

Khan bowled Shaun Roberts for 15 and Rawlston Tappin was caught by Wardle off Baylis for two runs, leaving the visitors struggling at 36-2.

It became a real uphill battle as wickets fell regularly - Khan bowled Nickel Vaidya for 21 and then had Sudhindra trapped lbw for a duck.

Ruqi De Silva was also out for a duck, caught by Wardle and bowled by Baylis.

With the score on 44, Baylis took another wicket, having Shafiq Ahmad caught by Neil Pinner for four runs.

Shah (4) was bowled by Khan and West Bromwich started a fight-back at 77-8.

Baylis bowled Khalid for 19 but Sajjad (31) and Shafiq Ahmed (25) lifted the score to 131 at the close.