BIRMINGHAM AND DISTRICT PREMIER LEAGUE

SKITTLED wickets provided despair, hope and then defeat for Pershore at league leaders Penkridge on Saturday.

The Plums lost by seven wickets in Birmingham & District Premier League Division Two, predominantly because of a dismal start with the bat.

Opener Liam Ridings mustered 36 from 78 deliveries, including five fours, but had no back up with Pershore lurching to 34 for four.

Stephen Miles joined Ridings and contributed 41 with six fours and a six to drag the visitors to 65 for five but there was little to shout about from there as the innings ended at 110 all out.

Undeterred, Pershore went on the attack with the ball as Miles dismissed Mohammed Ishtiaq for a second-ball duck before Laeq Chishti followed suit from his first delivery by Charlie Cross.

It proved a false dawn, though, as Rana Hassan (64*), Attiq Chishti (30) and Waseem Shah (16*) brought up a winning total of 111 for three. Pershore host Sutton Coldfield on Saturday (1pm).

WORCESTERSHIRE COUNTY LEAGUE

EVESHAM became the first to lower the colours of early Worcestershire County League leaders Stourport-on-Severn thanks to a mesmerising batting display.

A whopping 310 for five laid the foundations for a 109-run triumph on the road with captain Mohammed Fahim Mann again setting a shining example.

A strong start was offered by Muhammad Saqib (23) and Sadam Khan (27*) in spite of the latter retiring not out.

Ali Shan’s 68 and Johnson Lourdhusamy’s 31 ensured the score remained healthy when Fahim Mann came in to rattle off the top score of 94.

After that the flow of runs slowed but the task for Stourport had already become a monumental one.

The response began brightly enough as openers Andrew Siwicki (45) and Greg Massingham (24) set about putting up a fight until Wajahat Chohan (3-31) stifled the momentum.

And although Stephen Yarsley (37) and Craig Siwicki (27) briefly halted Evesham’s progress, the result was wrapped up when Adnan Sagheer (3-26) tidied up the tail with two maiden overs and a pair of his wickets arriving for ducks.

Back at basecamp, a top-end collapse conspired against Evesham’s seconds in a three-wicket defeat to their Lye counterparts.

Khizar Khan (36) and Amjad Mehmood (55) had to salvage a total of 204 for nine declared after 49 overs but it was not enough.

Awais Arshad (4-42) made his mark with the ball but Lye totalled 205 for seven with 12 overs to spare.

Evesham’s senior team return to home territory on Saturday when Worcester Nomads visit in Division One (1pm).

Martin Hill smashed an unbeaten 137 to inspire Bredon's 93-run victory over Enville on Saturday.

Hill was the hero of a 262 for eight total after the hosts had been put in to bat at Westmancote.

In truth, there was a dearth of support on offer as opener Martyn Draper (17), Jamie Munro (38) and Cormach Papirnik (15) were the only colleagues to register double figures.

Opener Robert Miller (25) and Greg Tomkins (56) offered some early fight in response for Enville but it was short lived and Hill's three wickets for just 15 runs, including one maiden over, capped a fine afternoon.

The win saw Bredon leapfrog their opponents in the Worcestershire County League Division Two standings ahead of Saturday's away day at second-bottom Himbleton (1pm).

James Layton-Hill's unbeaten 50 helped Bredon's seconds to a six-wicket success at Five Ways Old Edwardians.

Bredon's 90 for five bettered the home side's 89 all out.

COTSWOLD HILLS LEAGUE

NEIL Wilson was the star of the show with 83 runs and six wickets in Shipston-on-Stour's Premier Division success over winless Tanworth & Camp Hill.

Julian Morris (34) kicked things off well enough but an top-end wobble made Wilson's contribution vital once Jack Murphy departed at 64 for three.

Jamie Shurmer (31) entered the fray and put on 81 for the fourth wicket with an unbeaten 20 for captain Tom Cox further arresting Shipston's early slump.

At 216 for seven, there was still plenty to be done but the response was soon stifled in spite of the best efforts of Tanworth & Camp Hill opener Andy Turnbull (57).

Brandon Kelso (2-36) got the ball rolling with Wilson (6-39) regularly on target to quickly whittle away any resistance.

Shipston host fourth-placed Lapworth on Saturday (1pm).

In the Division Two, Badsey whitewashed Moreton-in-Marsh by 10 wickets.

David Williams (39) started well enough for Moreton but no one else got into double figures as Rob Andrew (4-34) and Tom Attwood (5-12) got to work, the latter mustering no fewer than seven maidens in 10 overs.

The meagre 106 total was surpassed in style with a minimum of fuss by captain Michael Powell and opening partner Ben Phillimore.

Powell plundered nine fours and a pair of sixes in a 73-run haul achieved from only 59 deliveries. Phillimore rattled off 29 in support, twice crossing the boundary.

It marked the third time Badsey had won by batting second out of five outings so far this season.

Next up is a trip to The Lenches, the current backmarkers who have yet to register a victory with four draws and an abandonment to show for their efforts so far.

A late flurry from the hosts saw Stanway on the wrong end of a narrow defeat in Division Three.

Stanway's alarming collapse to 105 for nine off 45 overs was so nearly enough to edge out Adlestrop on their own patch only for the total to be surpassed four balls from the end of the response.

Pete Green (28) and Andy Powell (16) were the top scorers for Stanway whose bottom six mustered a paltry six runs between them as Dan Parker (4-20) and Sam Keen (3-6) ran riot with the ball.

Adrian Vale (19), Charlie Elliot (15) and Sam Rawlings (15) struggled to keep Adlestrop in contention and it looked all over bar the shouting with the scoreboard showing 62 for eight.

Up stepped tail-enders Jack Bisson (20*) and Parker (19*) to scupper any hopes of an away win, though, as Stanway suffered a fourth loss out of five to date.

Next up Saturday's home clash with Shipston's seconds (1pm), who lost by three wickets at Ashorne & Moreton Morrell at the weekend.

Max Morris (30) top scored in Shipston's 153 for nine in response to 156 for six.