In the Worcestershire County League, Premier Division second placed Old Hill 1st XI suffered an untimely fifty-two run defeat at the hands of Ombersley 2nd XI which helped their opponents lift themselves out of the relegation zone.
Leaders Stourport-on-Severn 1st XI opened up what now looks like being an unassailable forty seven point lead at the summit after they brushed aside lowly Colwall 1st XI at Stowe Lane, a result that also meant that third placed Stourbridge 1st XIs title challenge is now run as they are now mathematically too far behind the leaders to catch them with just three matches remaining despite recording an excellent win against Astwood Bank 1st XI in which Juhjar Johal (122) confirmed his quality with the bat with a first innings century to take his season tally to an impressive 808 with three matches remaining.
Elsewhere in the division Tobias Van Der Heever (68*) led Brockhampton 1st XI home to victory by posting an unbeaten second innings half century against visiting Redditch 1st XI at the Parks. Khalid Baig (4-17) and Paddy Thompson (4-37) shared eight first innings wickets between them to set up a five wicket win for Pershore 1st XIs against Old Elizabethans 1st XI at the Bottoms and finally Droitwich Spa 1st XI recorded the win that guarantees them Premier Division cricket next season when they beat Bromyard 1st XI by seven wickets at St. Peters Field, a result that now sees Bromyard 1st XI drop in to the relegation zone fifteen points behind Ombersley 2nd XI.
The status quo remained at the top of Division One as the top four teams all recorded victories.
Maxwell Meyer (68*) posted an unbeaten second innings half century against Hagley 1st XI to help leaders Worcester Nomads 1st XI maintain their twenty one point lead over second placed Chaddesley Corbett 1st XI who recorded a five wicket victory of their own against Kidderminster 2nd XI at Chester Road Sports Club, a result that keeps them what looks like being an insurmountable forty six points ahead of Barnt Green 2nd XI for whom Daniel Meredith (112) and Archie Greaves-Hall (75) made healthy first innings contributions in a comprehensive victory against Lye 1st XI and sixty one points clear of Coombs Wood 1st XI who beat Oldswinford 1st XI by a comfortable margin but with three matches remaining are now too far behind to gain automatic promotion.
Elsewhere, Dave Skelding (96*) and Matt Porter (93*) helped Pedmore 1st XI post a first innings total that proved way too many for visiting Halesowen 2nd XI to chase and Worcester 1st XI sealed an important three wicket victory against Bewdley 1st XI at Norton Barracks which gave them further breathing space at the bottom end of the table.
In Division Two Tom Green (109) fired a first innings century to help Bromsgrove 2nd XI beat Bartestree & Lugwardine 1st XI at St. Godwalds Park, a result that meant they now become favourites for the title as second placed Enville 1st XI were beaten by Bredon 1st XI which opened up a twenty two point gap between the top two.
It also ensures the race for promotion remains enthralling as Burghill, Tillington & Weobley 1st XI who hosted third placed Himley 2nd XI at Brick House Farm took full advantage as they were able to jump straight back in to contention and join their opponents in joint third position six points off the pace after Oscar Darke (4-13) helped restrict the visitors to a meagre first innings total which they had no difficulty in chasing down to record an important win, whilst last weeks fourth placed side Alvechurch & Hopwood 1st XI missed the chance to take advantage of the Enville defeat when they were beaten by Harborne 3rd XI in a high scoring match at the Knotts Ground a result which dragged Harborne 3rd XI back in to contention for promotion as positions seven to two are separated by just twenty five points with three matches remaining.
Elsewhere, the bottom two lost ground to the pack as Belbroughton 1st XI lost by three wickets to Cookley 1st XI and Himbleton 1st XI went down by four runs against Astwood Bank 2nd XI at Sambourne Lane, results that now mean both will need an awful lot to go their way to stay up.
In Division Three Zaheer Suliman (107*) posted his second century in two weeks as his unbeaten second innings effort helped Netherton 1st XI beat Redditch 2nd XI for whom Rizwan Chaudhry (102*) had posted a first innings undefeated century, a result that moved the Black Country based outfit based to within thirteen points of the title as they are now forty eight points clear of second placed Avoncroft 1st XI who beat Old Vigornians 1st XI in a very high scoring match at Hanbury Road where nearly eight hundred runs were scored, which included first innings centuries for Daniel Elliott (175*) and William Baker (117) and Joe Sullivan (167) in return for Old Vigornians 1st XI in the second innings.
Elsewhere, Barnards Green 2nd XI kept themselves in the hunt for promotion and remain just eight points behind Avoncroft in third after beating Old Elizabethans 2nd XI by over fifty runs at the Memorial Ground thanks to contributions from Elliott Hennessy (78) in the first innings and Gabriel Mujahiri (5-31) in the second.
Redditch 2nd XI are now twelve points further adrift in fourth after their loss to leaders Netherton 1st XI with Old Elizabethans 2nd XI in fifth still with an outside chance of promotion a further eight points back.
Elsewhere, Faheem Abbas (5-34) helped bowl Coombs Wood 2nd XI out for a gettable total in the first innings which helped Stourbridge 2nd XI seal an eight wicket win at Stewarts Road. Fraser Duggan (151*) carried his bat in Feckenham 1st XI's excellent eight wicket win against Old Hill 2nd XI at Haden Hill and Martley 1st XI secured their position in the division for next season when they beat Brockhampton 2nd XI at the Jewry Field
In Division Four Netherton 2nd XI recorded a comfortable win against fourth placed West Malvern 1st XI at Highbridge Road to stay thirteen points clear of Lye 2nd XI who beat Eastnor 1st XI by just over fifty runs in a high scoring match at Stourbridge Road. Claverley 1st XI maintained their challenge to remain eight points adrift in third after Rupert Grainger (71) scored a second innings half century in an eight wicket win against Five Ways Old Edwardians 1st XI at the Masshouse.
In other matches in the division, Lawrence Neill (151*) scored an undefeated second innings century for Stourport-on-Severn 2nd XI in a nine wicket win against Chaddesley Corbett 2nd XI who are still in danger of the drop at the wrong end of the table. Bromsgrove 3rd XI beat Rushwick 1st XI for whom Jamie Oliver (90*) was left stranded just ten runs short of a deserved century in the second innings and Luke Miley (4-19) took four wickets in the first innings to help Romsley & Hunnington 1st XI beat Worcester 2nd XI who now look doomed for relegation with just three matches remaining
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