Tanworth are early leaders with back-to-back wins
TANWORTH & Camp Hill are the early frontrunners in the Cotswold Hills Premier Division, their six-wicket defeat of visitors Alcester & Ragley meaning they are the only unbeaten team after just two games.
Ragley stand-in skipper Tim Foster won the toss, elected to bat and his side made steady progress with Rohan Campbell and Rob Stanley putting on 63 for the first wicket.
But when Jake Wright had the former caught for 34, wickets began to tumble with Toby Magnall (20) and Stanley (13) the only other batsmen to reach double figures on the way to 114 all out.
Wright finished with 4-24 and there were some excellent spells from Andy Turnbull (3-2 off five overs) and Tim Keyte (2-8 off four overs).
In reply, a 76-run third-wicket stand between Martin Perfect (34no) and James Carey (35) guided Tanworth to victory for the loss of just four wickets with nearly 15 overs in hand.
Julian Morris (54) and skipper Sam Smith (75) put on 130 for Exhall & Wixford’s first wicket but it was not enough as their side lost by seven wickets against visitors Shipston.
Batting first, Rob Perry also hit a quickfire 38 off 33 balls as the hosts reached 240/5, Stefan Obermeyer and Alan Horsford taking two wickets apiece.
Richard Layton then snaffled up two wickets as Shipston were reduced to 92/3 before Jamie Shurmer (50no) and Marcus Ireland (95no) guided their side to victory with a stand of 151 with Ireland’s total coming off just 74 balls.
Kineton’s Tom Durnian (4-37) and James Cooper (3-24) proved too hot to handle for Leek Wootton’s batsmen who were all out for 112 with the home side needing just 27 overs to reach their target, opener Peter Dobson leading the way with 34.
Wellesbourne suffered a 35-run defeat at home to Adlestrop in spite of an impressive 80-run contribution from Gary Maynard. But with Sunni Bahi (26) and Tilak Rathod (10) the only others to hit double figures, the hosts were dismissed for 152 after their opponents had posted 187/8.
Tanworth will be hoping to continue their winning start when they entertain Kineton on Saturday while Exhall & Wixford will be keen to open their account at neighbours Alcester & Ragley.
Elmley Castle and Temple Grafton served up a run-fest in Division One with the home side snatching victory with a ball to spare.
Grafton opted to bat and suffered early on with opener Nate Blundell and Lewis Bilbrough falling cheaply.
But that brought Simon Kirk and Matthew Denton-Cooke to the crease and they put on 154 for the next wicket before the latter fell for 66.
Kirk batted on though on his way to 123 not out off 108 balls with Dan McAdam (22no) also there at the close as they reached 278/6.
With Ishaan Shinde taking 3-54 and wickets falling at regular intervals, Grafton looked on course for victory until Will Bailey came in at nine and smashed an unbeaten 86 including a six off the penultimate ball to wrestle victory away from their visitors.
Southam are the early league leaders after they edged out Rowington in another close-run contest.
Batting first, they posted 183/9 with Ollie MacVarish top scoring with 32 not out and Lewis Dodds scoring 31 off 22 deliveries. Pete Rigney’s brilliant figures of 3-14 off ten overs had Rowington in trouble but the match went to the final over before the home side were dismissed for 177.
Louis Glover took 4-30 and Prashanth Prabhakaran 3-8 to help FISSC overcome neighbours Stratford 3rds by two wickets, limiting their visitors to 141 before reaching 143/8 helped by skipper Glover’s 35.
Ashton & Moreton Morrell suffered a 168-run defeat at Ashton-under-Hill, Dan Howells being the star turn on a disappointing afternoon as he hit an unbeaten 37.
In Division Two, some tidy bowling and an impressive opening partnership guided Moreton-in-Marsh to a six-wicket win at Leek Wootton 2nds to make it back-to-back victories.
With the ball, Harry Mercer took 4-12 from his ten overs with Mason Salvage adding 2-37 as the home side were restricted to 169/9.
In reply, David Williams (45) and Greg Stotesbury (44) then put on 95 for the opening wicket as Moreton eased to victory for the loss of just four wickets.
Elsewhere in Division Two, Mickleton lost by five wickets at home to Woodbourne while Henley beat Shipston 2nds by six wickets helped by a fine fourth-wicket stand between Noorul Hussein (64no) and Keith Rostill (40no).
Welford stormed to a nine-wicket win at home to Norton Lindsey & Wolverton in Division Three where the visitors were skittled out for a paltry 76, Mark Weston taking 3-4 in 4.4 overs. There were also two wickets apiece for Will Gough, Charlie Tyler and Max Hutchings with Sean Eckersley taking the other.
In reply, unbeaten knocks from Hugh Allen (29no) and Weston (26no) eased Welford home.
Bidford were crushed by Overbury, scoring just 51 in reply to their opponents’ 325/8 while Claverdon lost by five wickets at Hunningham where Will Lawton scored 62.
There was a thrilling finale at Great Alne where visitors Broadway won a high-scoring contest in the final over.
Batting first, Jack Lawrence scored 120 not out for the hosts with Will Pethick (41) and Joe Walters (39) also in form as they posted 278/4 at The Alne.
But this was not quite enough as Broadway’s opener Gary Evans also hit a century to help his side over the line with two balls remaining. Pethick took three wickets.
Snitterfield are still seeking their first win since joining Division Five. Balaji Jagadeesan hit 79 at Warks County Council Staff but his side suffered a 22-run defeat.
Also in the division, Blockley beat Overbury 2nds by two wickets with Charinda Nanayakkara taking 6-42. Krister Nobes was the man with the runs. Top-scoring with 76.
