Celebrations as sides secure league honours

ALCESTER and Ragley will head to the Cotswold Hills League Premier Division as champions following their victory over nearest challengers FISSC on Saturday.

And there were also celebrations at Shipston after they sealed the Premier Division title with victory over Elmley Castle.

Half-centuries from opener Jack Biddle (62) and Rohan Campbell (65) steered Ragley to 265/6 from their 45 overs with Tim Foster (43no) and skipper Paul Dipple (40) also among the runs.

Their opponents looked all set to spoil the party when openers Oliver Horswill (73) and Mark Best (48) set about the bowlers before a mid-innings collapse swung the game back to Ragley.

Bharath Sampath Kumar then hit 62 to keep FISSC in with a shot but they were all out for 256 with Steven Du Cros and Stephen Capron taking three wickets each.

Shipston eased to an eight-wicket victory over their Worcestershire visitors and Stefan Obermeyer’s bowling was key to them securing the title with a game in hand. He bagged 6-33 from eight overs as the visitors were sent packing with just 106 on the board.

Other wickets fell to Marcus Ireland, Alan Horsfield and Matt Corby who also added a run out with the only batsmen to trouble the scorers being Elmley skipper Will Bailey (29) and tail-ender James Clarkson who finished on 21 not out.

There was an early wobble from Shipston when skipper Ryan Worthington was trapped lbw with the score on 27 but Daniel Knight’s 27 and unbeaten knocks from Jamie Shurmer (36no) and Jack Murphy (17no) eased the home side to victory.

Tanworth and Camp Hill, Bretforton and Kineton are all in the running for second spot going into the final weekend with Tanworth currently holding that position after they won at Wellesbourne by 19 runs in a rain-affected game while Bretforton’s match was abandoned.

For Tanworth, captain Andy Turnbull hit 52 off 56 balls and then took 2-20 to cap an impressive all-round display. Gary Maynard (28) top scored for the home side and other Tanworth bowlers among the wickets were Ben Bryant (3-21), Tim Keyte (2-25) while Jamie Plant and Oscar Newell picked up one apiece.

Kineton lie fourth, six points adrift of Tanworth and three points behind Bretforton. They beat Leek Wootton by nine runs helped by Alastair Loughton taking 5-27.

Exhall and Wixford’s match with Long Itchington was abandoned and they finish their campaign at home to Tanworth while last year’s champions Kineton host Shipston and Bretforton are at home to Leek Wootton.