PREMIER DIVISION
They may have looked doomed on Saturday morning, but by evening West Bromwich Dartmouth had pulled off the shock of the season to earn themselves a premier division lifeline.
Bottom-of-the-table Dartmouth registered their first victory of the season after defeating Wolverhampton, who went into the game as the top of the table side, in a low-scoring encounter at Danescourt that beautifully illustrated the unpredictable nature of cricket.
Victory looked unlikely after Dartmouth’s innings. Missing their club captain, Harshad Patel, they were dismissed for just 143 despite an innings of 41 from Rawlston Tappin. In reply, however, Dartmouth could only crawl to 124 in 59.4 overs, with man of the match Naheem Sajjad taking four for 35, as Dartmouth clinched the win by 19 runs. It was Wolverhampton’s first loss of the season.
Dartmouth may remain bottom but, after a miserable start to the season, they have finally given themselves some hope of better things over the next few months.
Wolverhampton’s defeat allowed Barnt Green to move back to the top of the table after a brilliantly engineered victory over Leamington Spa.
Central to victory was some aggressive batting and a perfectly timed declaration. After Richard Hall (54), Nathan Newport (48) and Stuart Shephard (46) had supplied a sound base for the innings, Paul Bedford thrashed 43 not out from just 14 balls to allow captain, Dougie Brown, to declare after 54 overs. Bedford was particularly harsh on Luke Radford who was smashed for 30 from the final over of the innings by Bedford: four sixes, a four and a two.
How important that declaration might prove at the end of the season remains to be seen, but Barnt Green clinched a 60-run victory as Brown yorked Jack Hawkes off what would have been the final ball of the game come what may. Phil Mann claimed four for 48 while man of the match Hall took three for 28.
Walsall sustained their own title hopes after a 12-run victory over Shifnal. The champions of 2006 and 2007 are now the only unbeaten side in the top division and are just 19 points off the top after Andy Miller turned a game that looked to going to Shifnal’s way.
Man of the match Miller claimed five for 35, including three wickets in his final two overs, as Shifnal’s lower-order subsided weakly. Earlier New Zealand overseas player Brad Wilson sustained his superb season – he is the division’s leading run scorer – with an innings of 55 as Walsall posted a modest total of 187 for nine. Guy Bulpitt took six for 59 with his accurate left-arm spin.
Knowle and Dorridge, meanwhile, had the best of their game against Kenilworth Wardens but were unable to clinch the outright win that might have ignited their title bid and diminished their growing reputation as perennial under achievers.
Half-centuries from Sam Reddish and Nick James helped K&D post a testing target of 245 but, despite two wickets apiece from Nick Warren, Travis Friend and Nick James, Kenilworth Wardens clung on for a draw with nine wickets down.
The batting highlight of the day came from Moseley’s David Powles. He made 110 to help his side to 250 for seven against Walmley but the visitors hung on, replying with 178 for eight. Bhavik Patel made 43 and Usman Awan took three for 34. Moseley remain the only side in the top division yet to record an outright victory.
A fine all-round performance from TP Singh lead the way as Himley won the mid-table battle against Kidderminster Victoria. Singh (three for 31) and Worcestershire seamer Chris Whelan (three for 46) combined to dismiss Kidderminster for 163, before Singh contributed a swift 98 to secure a seven-wicket victory.
