Division One
Powered by centuries from teenager Isaac Mohammed and Indian pro Deepak Khatri, Smethwick continued what increasingly appears a relentless march to the title with an emphatic 212-run local derby win over West Bromwich Dartmouth.
Isaac, who made a fluent 105 from 116 balls from the top of the home order, added 135 with second-wicket partner Chris Benjamin (58).
This set the stage for Khatri to launch a remarkable onslaught during which he found the boundary rope 12 times and cleared it on a further 12 occasions while smashing an unbeaten 64-ball 149.
The Indian ace added 165 with fourth-wicket partner Bilal Shafayat (31no) as Smethwick closed their 50 overs with a colossal 383-3.
The league’s resumption of win-lose cricket for its final seven rounds of action left the visitors without a draw option and their response ended in the 29th over at 171 all out as former Warwickshire quickie Manraj Johal claimed 4-42.
Smethwick are 52 points clear of a chasing pack of six clubs separated by just nine points and following their impressive seven-wicket win at Kenilworth Wardens it is Halesowen who are their nearest challengers.
Former Worcestershire all-rounder Alexei Kervezee, operating in an unusual role as both wicket-keeper and opening bat was the star of the show, steering the visitors home with a superb unbeaten 97-ball 132.
He received good support from fourth-wicket partner Luke Tulacz (50) to take the visitors to their 251-run target with more than 15 overs in hand.
Youthful Wardens had earlier been boosted beyond 250 by wicket-keeper Oli Dandy’s 102 and an unbeaten 55 from Tommy Rex, but now without a win in eight games their situation is becoming increasingly precarious.
Berkswell moved to third and in the process spoiled Knowle & Dorridge legend Kevin Bray’s Australian homecoming party by leaving Station Road with a 26-run win.
Consistent middle-order batting underpinned the visitors’ success with Amit Basra’s 76 and 47 from Nick James giving Callum Bennett the platform from which to thrash six sixes while making 57 from 27 balls during the closing stages.
A late flurry of wickets saw Berkswell bowled out in the 46th over for 264 before their bowlers chipped away at the home batting line-up.
Hamza Shaikh (53) and James Middleton (43) led the way for the hosts but with spinner Kamran Khanna taking 4-72 K&D were bowled out in the 46th over for 238 and as a result slip to seventh.
Barnards Green climbed to fourth with a straightforward seven-wicket win at sixth-placed Barnt Green.
Henry Cullen (42) and Dan Meredith (56) top-scored for the hosts but it was Barnards Green spinner George Rhodes who claimed the plaudits by grabbing 5-25 from 9.3 overs to leave his side chasing 186.
And the former Worcestershire and Leicestershire all-rounder went on to steer his team to victory in the 42nd over with an unbeaten 60 after Ryan Tongue earlier made 53.
Himley lie fifth after claiming a last-over, three-wicket home win over Ombersley who currently occupy the second relegation place.
Chasing 220, opener Navindu Vithanage made a fine 70 and after a number of useful contributions through the card, former Northants spinner Graeme White held his nerve to finish 32no and see Himley home.
George Panayi took 3-46 for Ombersley whose earlier batting effort was built around half-centuries from Ollie Cox and Luke Powell before Ben Robinson halted their progress by claiming 5-32.
Wolverhampton’s Aman Rao grabbed 5-13 as his team saw Moseley off for 104 on their way to securing a convincing 158-run home win in a game reduced to 46 overs per side by a shower.
Joe Stanley and Charles Jackson shared the other five wickets as the visitors were bowled out in the 24th over in response to their hosts’ impressive 262-9.
Tom Fell and Bhargav Patel (pictured) both earlier made 71 for Wolves before tenth-wicket pair Rao and Jackson smashed 50 from the closing 20 deliveries of their innings. Jamar Ifill and Ali Awan shared six wickets for Moseley.
Division Two
Shropshire rivals Worfield, Bridgnorth and Shifnal vied for the best win of the day award following their respective thrilling successes over Shrewsbury, Old Hill and Kidderminster.
When Worfield’s last man Matthew Rees joined Ben Parker his team needed 21 to beat the table-topping Shrews and the tenth-wicket pair proceeded to do it in style in the next 3.1 overs.
Basit Zaman had earlier blazed a characteristically brilliant 71-ball 105 containing seven sixes which seemed to have put the hosts in the box seat before Lewis Evans (6-41) tore through their middle order.
Rees had previously taken 4-16 in ten immaculate overs to restrict Shrewsbury’s powerful batting line-up to 192 all out within which George Hughes top-scored with 36no from no.9.
Basement club Bridgnorth’s second win of the season was delivered by a consistent batting display which enabled them to chase down Old Hill’s 316-1 with three overs and five wickets remaining.
Rahul Kaushal led the way for the visitors with an excellent 120 containing five sixes before Jaspreet Singh finished the job with a quickfire unbeaten 46.
On a forgettable day for both bowling attacks, Old Hill’s Bilal Hassan (139no) and opener Hasan Ahmed (137no) had earlier put together a brilliant unbroken second-wicket partnership worth 262.
Shifnal’s Ethan Jamieson had nine runs to defend as he prepared to deliver the final over against Kidderminster’s fifth-wicket pair and when his second ball went for four the odds were stacked in the visitors’ favour.
However, a run out and a wicket plus a dot ball and a single left the hosts victorious by four runs.
Amaan Hassan marshalled Kiddy’s chase with a fine 82 and Joe Harrison made 58 against some tidy home bowling which prevented the visitors from getting ahead of the asking rate in their quest for 215.
Before tea, Jamieson top-scored for Shifnal with 66 while Shaun Lorimer made a late unbeaten 30.
Harborne took advantage of Shrewsbury’s set-back with an emphatic 147-run win at second-bottom Wellington which took them back to the top of the table.
Warwickshire’s Kai Smith blasted 142 from 121 balls and with Swapnil Gugale adding 77 Tom Arnold’s team reached 304-8.
Wellington quickly settled for batting bonus points and with Hugh Morris making 51 they managed to bank two of them by reaching 157-6.
Ninth-placed Kidderminster remain vulnerable should Wellington find a late season run of form, but Leamington’s situation is worse with just 16 points separating them from the relegation zone after they crashed to a 125-run home defeat against fourth-placed Tamworth.
After skipper Jon Wigley was forced to retire hurt early in their innings, Spa were shot out for 88 in 31 overs by a visiting attack in which leg-spinner Jason Jakeman grabbed 4-16.
Jakeman had earlier starred with the bat by making an unbeaten 86 and with Joe Seager adding a breezy late 40 Tamworth reached 213-6 from their 50 overs.
The mid-table game at Dorridge where Coventry & North Warwickshire were the visitors went the way of the hosts by a 14-run margin.
Danyaal Mahmood made 73 for Dorridge who posted 258-8 before a fine 108-run fourth-wicket partnership between Vik Sodhi (83) and Akshay Patel (58) left CNW needing 73 from 17 overs with seven wickets in hand.
But wickets then fell regularly before Sri Lankan pro Kalana Perera continued his impressive campaign by mopping up the tail to finish with 3-15 from 9.3 overs and in the process clinch a home win.
