Birmingham & District Premier Cricket League Round-Up: Week Four

Division One

Reigning champions Smethwick maintained their perfect start to the season, albeit after a thrilling match at Kenilworth Wardens went to the final over before the visitors secured a one-wicket win.

Skipper Bilal Shafayat's choice to field first looked to have back-fired as veteran opener Keith Bell and Harry Butler each scored 61 while Ollie Dandy added 52 as the hosts reached 261. There were two wickets apiece for Deepak Khatri and Warwickshire leg-spinner Taz Ali.

In reply, Smethwick faced a revised target of 256 from 48 overs due to a brief rain stoppage and they made the worst possible start when they slumped to 12/2 in the fourth over.

But they rallied through half-centuries from Amir Khan (55) and Khatri (50) before last pair Manraj Johal and Yasir Ali edged them home with four balls remaining. Noble Sebastian was the pick of the bowlers with 3-50 while there were two wickets apiece for Tommy Rex and Alex Wilkinson.

At the other end of the table, Moseley still seek a first victory after their fourth successive defeat came by a 147-run margin at the hands of neighbours Knowle & Dorridge.

Visiting skipper Oliver Currill top-scored with an unbeaten 74 from 60 balls as K&D posted 305/6 from their 50 overs. There were notable contributions from Hamza Shaikh (57) and Neil Pinner (67) while Ali and Usman Awan both claimed two wickets. Early success for the pacy Freddie Fowler then saw the hosts slip to 10/2 before Ali Awan chipped in 56 from 52 balls.

Others struggled with the bat though as the basement boys closed on 158/9. Haris Khan finished with 3-28 and both Fowler and veteran spinner Nick James bagged a brace.

Shrewsbury stormed to an eight-wicket win at Dorridge on the back of an impressive 102-ball 117 from Peter Clark.

George Hargrave (pictured) added 92 as Salop's opening pair put on 179 and with Finn Jones adding 45 the visitors chased their 269/7 target with nearly ten overs in hand. Earlier in the day, tall seamer Gabe Downes (3-53) and Dustin Melton (3-46) had Dorridge on the back foot prior to half-centuries from Daniyal Khan (89) and skipper Joe Dodd (62).

Opener Ben Chapman-Lilley hit 80 for Barnt Green who posted 241/8 at Halesowen - a total that proved too much for the home side who were all out for 165. Home spinner Ciaran Baker-Smith claimed 4-38 but Halesowen’s batsman failed to get going until Ed Bragg top scored with 40.

Jacques Banton finished with 4-40 and Jack Warner 3-28. Barnards Green beat Harborne by 19 runs. The Malvern-based hosts posted 210/4 from 35 overs and then - chasing a DL revised target of 260 - Harborne were restricted to 240/8. Warwickshire keeper Kai Smith led the chase with 64 off 47 balls.

The game between Himley and Ombersley was abandoned after the visitors had reached 197/8 from 45 overs thanks in part to a fine 73 from skipper Nick Hammond.

Division Two

Three games in Division Two were abandoned including the visit of South Staffs champions Milford Hall to leaders Leamington.

Skipper Jordan Bulpitt (64) and Dominic Afford (45) added 110 for Milford's first wicket before Ibbadat Thaman made a breezy 50 to take the BDPCL newcomers to 228/7 from 49.3 overs when the rain arrived. Left-arm spinner Shailan Srikanthan bagged 3-33 for Spa.

Of the games that were completed, Warwickshire League champions Attock suffered a six-wicket home defeat at the hands of league leaders Berkswell.

The hosts were struggling at 18/3 before a fourth-wicket partnership of 94 between former Ombersley pro Rizwan Hussain (50) and Usama Khan (56) steadied the ship. Off-spinner Umar Shaikh finished with 4-34 to leave Berkswell chasing 166 - a target which proved well within their compass thanks to Derbyshire's Amit Basra whose quickfire 50-ball 83 saw them to the finish line in the 25th over.

Shifnal recovered from a nightmare start to see off visitors Kidderminster by 51 runs in a rain-affected contest.

The hosts were reeling on 9/4 as Liam Weston (3-37) ripped through the top order. Although Ben Jones then picked up 4-47, a match-changing contribution of 85 from 86 balls from Imran Tariq left the Carpetmen chasing 247.

Six Shifnal bowlers then took wickets, led by Alex Renton's 3-21, as winless Kidderminster's quest for a DL-revised target of 181 in 26 overs ended at 129.

Tamworth were five-wicket winners at home to Worfield after they successfully reached a revised 45-over target of 235 thanks to Aussie star Alex Cappelluti's unbeaten 63 and recent recruit Alex Price's 80-ball 76.

Worfield's earlier effort had been led by the returning Basit Zaman (88) and in-form keeper JP Peters (63) who helped their side to 242/9. James Rudge finished with 3-37.

Black Country derbies were also abandoned at Old Hill and Wolverhampton where Stourbridge and West Bromwich Dartmouth were the respective visitors.

At Haden Hill skipper Bilal Hassan's excellent 107no and 77 from Hamza Khan helped Old Hill to a healthy-looking 271/5 before the heavens opened.

Wolverhampton opener Hassan Qaumi top-scored with 84 to which Staffordshire all-rounder Reeve Evitts (53) and Sri Lankan pro Rishin Upamal (57) added useful half-centuries before the rain arrived with the hosts seemingly well placed at 246/6 from 48 overs.