Knowle & Dorridge post third win in three games

Early season pace-setters and title favourites Knowle & Dorridge stole a march on their rivals with the only win recorded in the Birmingham Premier Division.

Second and third placed Kidderminster Victoria and Walsall were involved in an abandoned game at Gorway.

Winning the toss against Barnt Green, in a match reduced to 51 overs apiece, K & D took full advantage of helpful bowling conditions aided by two interruptions to the visitors innings.

The first break saw the match reduced to a 77 over contest then six more overs were lost before Will Mottram (5-38) and Ben Coley (4-31) proved too much for Barnt Green, who collapsed to 74 all out.

Apart from Gavin Shephard who was last man out for a masterly 54, the visiting line up was unable to cope with the rookie opening pair.

In reply, batting was never easy particularly against the wily former Warwickshire all-rounder Dougie Brown who finished with the miserly figures of 3-14 from 16 overs but he didn’t have enough runs to play with and lacked sustained support from the other end.

At 43 for five, a close finish was in prospect but a breezy 16 from Chris Kenny, in support of opener David Smith’s unbeaten 27 took K & D to the brink of victory before Kenny fell to Steven Wheeler at 67 for six.

A couple of boundaries from Tom McNeillie settled the game in favour of the home side who clinched their third victory from the first three games.

In a match reduced to 40 overs per side, champions Walsall had joint leaders Kidderminster Victoria reeling at 9 for three, in response to a decent total of 164 for seven.

Mo Sheikh (52) and Paul Baker (40) were the leading scorers for Walsall, who retain third place, seven points behind the Vics who trail K & D by 12 points.

Andy Lloyd (90) and Jayden Levitt (85) eased Bromsgrove to 215 for five in 53 overs at Leamington Spa but the home side secured a winning draw by posting 171 for eight in 42 overs in response, thanks to Lee Hopkins (50) and Alex Phillips (49).

Lyndon Jones was the pick of the Bromsgrove attack with 4-50. The match between Moseley and Walmley was also affected by the rain, Walmley scoring 166 for eight in 55 overs before Moseley replied with 122 for six in 38 overs to earn a winning draw.

Bhavik Patel top scored for Walmley, with 50 and Keith Bell did likewise for Moseley with 33. The match between Kenilworth Wardens and Himley was abandoned with the home side on 43, without loss in 14 overs while the match between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury didn’t start at all.