Walsall made slight inroads on West Bromwich Dartmouth's lead at the top as rain had the final say in four of the day's six top flight matches.

Dave Middleton's men were also affected by the weather in their meeting with third-placed Kenilworth Wardens. But, chasing a Wardens total of 235 chiefly engineered by an unbeaten 76 from Birmingham Midshires man of the match Richard Whitehall, they were set a rain-reduced target of 107 in 25 overs. And, after a productive opening partnership between Richard Mills and Paul Baker, they reached it in the final over, despite visiting captain James Jordan and Shitansu Kotak both claiming three wickets.

With Dartmouth only securing six points from their rained-off home clash with Knowle and Dorridge, Walsall's 12-point haul took them six points closer to the leaders, who are now just 17 points clear.

"They've probably got to mess up to lose it now," said Walsall captain Middleton. "All we can do is just hang in there, win as many games as we can and see where that gets us.

"All we can really ask is to still be in there with a chance after the Bank Holiday weekend, when there's three games left. But, with such a big gap back to third, you have to think it must be just between the two of us now."

Getting the lion's share of the points from their head-to-head with the third-placed Wardens means that Walsall are now 41 clear in the runners-up slot.

It might have been a different story had Moseley claimed maximum points, as expected, at Shrewsbury. But, in the Premier Division's only game of the day totally unaffected by the weather, Shrewsbury themselves claimed 24 points by pulling off only their second win of the season.

Antonio Mullins and Rob Foster both claimed three wickets as Moseley were limited to 193 for nine, MacLeod helping to rescue a mid-innings collapse to top score with an unbeaten 38. But, although the Foster brothers both went when well set, Ed for 41, Rob for 32, former Shropshire captain Mark Davies (36) and Mark Lascelles (26) were not parted, seeing their side comfortably home to a four-wicket win with four overs to spare.

That improves Shrewsbury's chances of avoiding the drop. But they still have a long way to go. Although now just six points adrift of Shropshire neighbours Wellington, last season's Division One champions are still 28 points adrift of surprise relegation contenders K&D. The latter might have done their own chances of survival some good had they too not been denied by the weather, in the most crucial of all the four games abandoned as a draw.

After bowling out Dartmouth for just 155 at Sandwell Park, thanks to five wickets from Travis Friend, even allowing for the poor form that has brought them just one in 13 games in the absence of injured skipper Chris Howell, K&D might have fancied their chances of getting them.

Next to bottom Wellington too were frustrated at not getting the chance to chase down a Himley total of 192 for nine at Orleton Park, inspired by Lachlan Eldridge's 71 and 42 from Stuart Lampitt. They were on 20 without loss after eight overs when the rain came to end the afternoon's entertainment.

It was over very rapidly at Binley Road, where they managed just 22 overs, Coventry having reached 92 for four against Old Hill, with Greg Smith going well on 40.

Most frustrated, though, had to be Kidderminster Victoria, who had the day's only top flight centurions in Will Gifford and Craig Wood.

Young Worcestershire hopeful Gifford smashed 138 in helping compile a double century fourth-wicket part-nership with Wood (110) as Kidder piled up 286 for five at Chester Road. But, when the rain came, they too had to settle for the draw.