BARNT Green CC skipper Dougie Brown believes the Birmingham and District League Premier Division title is a realistic target for his side, after making what he describes as their "best ever start".

The Cherry Hill Road are still sitting pretty at the top of the table at the half-way point of the campaign, despite only taking four points from Saturday's losing draw at Knowle and Dorridge.

Warwickshire ace Brown has galvanised the team since taking over the captaincy, with Green suffering only one defeat from their opening 11 games.

As the bandwagon roles on with this weekend's trip to struggling Shifnal, Brown reckons his team's work ethic could see them to the title.

He said: "Halfway through we are top of the league and this is the best start we have had, even when we won the Premier Division a couple of years ago.

"Hopefully we don't have any more injuries.

"We are sitting where we want to be and everyone is having to look at us.

"Challenging for the title was a realistic aim but that needs 11 players going out and performing every week and that is what we have done.

"I have eluded to this a lot this season, but it has not been just one person performing, it has been the whole team week in, week out."

Having gone into Saturday's game with only three fit bowlers, Green's task was made even harder when Gavin Shephard picked up an injury.

The home side went on to make a testing total of 253-6.

Green managed in reply 115-4 before rain stopped play.

However, Brown believes the scorecard did not tell the whole story of the match.

He added: "It was a very flat wicket and there was a 40-yard boundary on the one side.

"So to put it into that context we did well to restrict them to that many.

"We went into the game with only three bowlers anyway, but there is not a lot you can do when you are faced with issues like that.

"We lost a few wickets towards the end but that wasn't really reflective of what was going on."

Brown is awaiting news on Shephard's fitness, while all-rounder Paul Coverdale is expected to be back in the frame.

The first blip in a whirlwind start to Bromsgrove CC's Division One campaign came with a defeat to Old Hill on Saturday.

Mark Evenson hailed the efforts of his players, despite seeing the visitors leap-frog them at the top of the table.

The Boars were bowled out for 167, before Old Hill comfortably wrapped up a six-wicket victory.

Evenson refused to be downbeat after the team's unbeaten run came to an end.

He said: "It is the first little blip this season but it is inevitable that you aren't going to score 230 or 240 every week.

"The boys have had the best half (season) of cricket we've had in the last 10 to 15 years.

"Nothing changes after one game of cricket. We are still the same team and the same players."

The Boars have been dealt a hammer blow ahead of this weekend's clash with Dorridge at St Godwald's Park, after learning Alexei Kervezee will miss up to six weeks with a hamstring injury.