Words – Paul Smith (Stumped4Words) – Birmingham Mail insert here

Unbeaten Harborne head the Birmingham Premier League Division Two table after three rounds thanks to an emphatic Jasper Davidson inspired 131-run home win over Wem.

The young all-rounder first made a fluent 68 in support of centurion Tejas Wagle as the hosts recovered from 47 for three to post a challenging 294.

And after Mike Bevan and George Land made early inroads with the ball, Davidson then claimed five wickets in ten excellent overs as Wem were bowled out for 163 despite a defiant tenth wicket stand of 68.

With Harborne now the only unbeaten side in Division Two, captain Tom Arnold was understandably delighted with their latest success.

“It’s going very well at the moment,” he said, “we are in a very good place as a club.

“We finished last season well and the three players who joined us over the winter have all really added something.

“Jasper batted really well and along with James Hunt and Tejas he dug us out of a bit of a hole.

“At Harborne you can really go big in the closing ten overs and Tejas did that superbly to take the game away from Wem a bit and get us to 290.

“We were then on top with the ball after George kept it tight early on. Jasper bowled stump-to-stump and always looked threatening and despite their late rally we were in control.”

Three early wickets for the visiting seamers included the prize scalp of Swapnil Gugale and the in-form Karan Bharaj and as a result the hosts’ batting was under pressure at 47 for three.

Hunt’s 26 steadied the ship, but it was two Wagle-led partnerships which enabled Harborne to take control of the contest on a typically good Church Road surface.

Wagle added 74 with fifth-wicket partner Davidson, whose 78-ball 68 contained 12 boundaries before he fell to former Warwickshire and Glamorgan all-rounder Graham Wagg.

Wicket-keeper Matt James then made a violent 36 from only 18 balls to help Wagle up the tempo significantly during an eighth-wicket alliance which realised 66 runs in only six overs.

Wagle’s brilliant knock eventually ended in the penultimate over at 111 which was made from only 92 balls with nine boundaries and five sixes.

Andrew Harrison and Alex Ollerenshaw took three wickets apiece for Wem whose response slumped to 57 for seven against Bevan (2-28) and the in-form Land who continued his fine start to the season by claiming 3-17 from nine excellent overs.

With James, who claimed four dismissals, providing good support behind the stumps Davidson dominated the closing stages of the match to grab 5-37 from nine overs.

Wem seemed dead and buried at 95 for nine, but they managed to salvage some pride and a batting point thanks to Ollerenshaw’s clean hitting. The visitors’ no.10 reached the rope ten times and cleared it twice in an entertaining 45-ball 61 before his dismissal by the returning Bevan ended the response in the 38th over at 163.