BROTHERS Liam and Chris Ridings guided Pershore to a thrilling one-wicket win over Wombourne at The Bottoms in Birmingham League Division Two.

Set a target of 185 for victory the duo helped steady the ship with opener Liam Ridings hitting nine fours on his way to 51.

Captain Chris Ridings then held firm as he smashed eight boundaries including a six to finish unbeaten on 68 as Pershore clinched victory in the 54th over.

After winning the toss Wombourne elected to bat and reached 60 before losing their first wicket.

Daniel Bassett (52) and Will Cook (52) both hit half centuries but three wickets from Taylor Pugh (3-38) helped reduce Wombourne to 184-7.

Wombourne’s Ben Thomas also starred with the ball as he took 4-49 while Ben Hudson chipped in with three wickets.

Charlie Norton, Stephen Miles and Pugh all fell in quick succession as Pershore found themselves on 157-7. But Chris Ridings stepped up to the plate to fire his side to a narrow victory.

In the Premier Division, a brilliant century from Jacques Banton (101) was not enough for Barnt Green as they lost by five wickets to Berkswell.

Josh Haynes also hit a ton in vein as Omberley were swept aside by West Bromwich Dartmouth who failed to lose a wicket in reply to 249-8.

Leaders Kidderminster are 47 points clear at the top of Division One after cantering to a five-wicket victory over Wellington with Matt Pardoe unbeaten on 93 and skipper Neil Pinner adding 63 in a third wicket partnership of 111.

The Worcestershire duo of George Rhodes (121) and Josh Tongue (42) saw Barnards Green to 210-3 before they fell away to 237 all out against Brockhampton who were dismissed for 136.

Although Bromsgrove lie in seventh, they trail second-placed Shifnal by the slender margin of 11 points.

But they could have been eight points closer if they had bowled Himley out in response to their own total of 232-8.

Jayden Levitt (57) and Ryan Pedley (45) led the way with a second wicket stand of 107 with the veteran seamer Chris Boroughs taking 4 for 64 for Himley, who needed a defiant 43 from 85 balls from Arunveer Bhogal to hold off Bromsgrove.

Worcester side Old Elizabethans remain in the bottom two in Division Three after losing by 113 runs at Rugby.

The hosts’ total of 295 all out was built around a third-wicket partnership of 146 between Matt Ewer (75) and Raj Chohan (68).

Alex Bastable (5-46) and Khalid Baig (3-70) bowled well for OEs but their cause wasn’t helped by the concession of 44 extras.

In reply, OEs folded to 12-4 before Lee Dixon (59) and Bastable (47) put on 114 for the fifth wicket.

Ewer (4-15) took the first four wickets to fall and Lee Golding clinched figures of 4-47 but the match was settled by Henry Wilkins who secured victory with the penultimate ball.