Premier Division Two Review – 1st May

Written by Nick Archer at the Birmingham League, whose original article you can find here.

For the second week running Pelsall fell, agonisingly, short of their first victory of the season, going down to a one run defeat to, still, unbeaten Kenilworth Wardens. Last Saturday, the Walsall Road outfit were pipped by two runs at Dorridge but having, already, played three of the leading teams, they are due a change in fortune. Wardens were invited to bat first after losing the toss and it took a composed century from skipper Harry Johnson (107) to take them to 240 all out in 48.4 overs with Todd Henderson returning figures of 3 for 32 for Pelsall. With Andrew Bentley (51) and Tom Wright (48) to the fore, Pelsall lost their eighth wicket off the last ball of the innings on 239 when Wright was run out.

Bromsgrove’s Jayden Levitt hit a century for the second week running as the Worcestershire side closed on 243 for seven against Dorridge. Levitt’s 110 from 122 balls was well supported by 36 from Connor Smith, 35 from Alex Milton and 32 from Richard Kimberlin with Jack Mills taking 3 for 50 for Dorridge. Their response was reduced to 40 overs after rain interruptions with an adjusted DLS target of 203 but they fell short by 38 runs when they were dismissed for 165 with eight balls remaining. Roshan Venkataraman top scored with 44 while Bromsgrove captain Mark Evenson stepped up to take 4 for 29 from five overs.

Halesowen join Kenilworth Wardens and Bromsgrove at the top of Premier Division Two with three wins from three games after a crushing victory over winless Harborne who slip to the foot of the table after this latest defeat. A superb third wicket stand of 191 by Jamie Harris (169) and Alex Hinkley (80) saw Halesowen to 332 for six in 50 overs against a toothless Harborne attack. Harris faced 144 balls and struck 25 fours and 4 sixes while Hinkley matched that scoring rate by hitting nine fours and two sixes from 71 balls. After slumping to 19 for four, there was no way back for Harborne and it took 32 from number 10 batsman George Land to take them to 76 all out after he came in at 41 for eight. Eddie Rhodes (6 for 30) and James Rudge (3 for 42) bowled unchanged throughout the Harborne innings that was completed in 19 overs.

Wem travelled to Bridgnorth for the second time in three days after the two Shropshire clubs had met in Round One of the (Twenty20) Challenge Cup competition on Thursday night. Wem were comfortable winners on that occasion, and they must have fancied their chances, again, after reducing the home side to 60 for seven before an eighth wicket stand of 102 by Tom Weaver (65) and Tom Weston (50) saw them recover to 192 all out in 48.5 overs. Wem’s Tom Astley took the final three Bridgnorth wickets for 48 but, apart, from Harry Chandler (47), the North Shropshire side’s top order was found wanting. Charlie Walker took 3 for 42 for Bridgnorth but Astley (35), Martyn Davies (30) and Andrew Harrison (30 not out) staged a middle-order recovery to take Wem to 190 for eight. They, then, lost their final two wickets for the addition of two runs to leave the match tied.

Without a win between them, before the game started, Barnards Green and Wolverhampton met at North End Lane where Oliver Rogoff (94) inspired the home side to 264 for eight in 50 overs. Zahid Kafiat added 54 with left arm seamers Aaron Patel (3 for 42) and Atif Sheikh (3 for 85) sharing six of the wickets to fall. Wolverhampton, then, collapsed to 7 for three, then 62 for five before a sixth wicket stand of 129 between Charlie Home (94) and Joe Stanley (70) added some respectability. Their final total of 197 for seven in 50 overs left Barnards Green the winners by 67 runs. Josh Coleridge (52) and Alex Huxley (44) scored more than half of the Oswestry total of 171 all out at Himley, a score which proved no match for the home side who cruised to an eight wicket win with 46 from Bilal Hussein and an unbeaten 43 from Callum Lea. Dan Vernon, with 4 for 22, took the crucial wickets of Coleridge and Huxley to leave Himley with a comfortable target.