Shrewsbury deny K & D last hoorah

Shrewsbury deprived 2009 Birmingham Midshires Premier League champions Knowle & Dorridge of a 15th and final victory.

But despite holding them to a draw, Shrewsbury watched K & D's title winning margin grow to a massive 83 points after Wolverhampton lost to Moseley.

The result ensured the Birmingham club’s safety and condemned Leamington and Bromsgrove to relegation.

Luke Parker (88), Attiq Chishti (62), David Hemp (47) and Nick James (32 not out) saw the newly-crowned Champions to 288 for six but Shrewsbury proved doughty opponents clinging on to deny K & D a fifteenth victory in this record-breaking season.

Rob Foster (50), Joe Leach (44) and Tom Cox (40 not out) led the resistance as Chris Davidson took 4-43 with his leg-spinners.

The highlight of the innings was a fine wicket-keeping performance from Warwickshire’s number two Richard Johnson, who claimed six victims as Shrewsbury finished on 239 for nine.

The most memorable dismissals were two leg-side stumpings off the bowling of Nick Warren and Parker. Wolverhampton were dismissed for 99 by a Moseley side that was desperate to pick up three points to avoid relegation.

Chris Russell’s 30 helped Wolverhampton to recover from 38 for six then 51 for seven as Fred Eburah (4-41) and Michael Bell (3-34) created havoc but the signs were not good for Moseley as they slipped to 35 for five in reply, before Bell (31 not out) and Usman Shabir (30) saw their side home by four wickets.

Leamington Spa said farewell to Premier Division cricket for at least 12 months with a stunning six wicket victory over Kidderminster Victoria who were boosted to 266 for seven by Neil Pinner (85 not out) and Matt Pardoe (64).

Leamington then raced to a morale-boosting win thanks to 101 from Luke Radford, 59 from Mark Lewis and an unbeaten 47 from Tom Lewis.

Bromsgrove also, put up a brave fight before going down by two wickets to Walmley, a result that lifted the visitors to third place in the final table.

Jayden Levitt’s topsy-turvy season which included six ducks ended on a high note as he plundered an unbeaten 115, to see Bromsgrove to 211 for six but Danny Bromley’s 62 saw Walmley to their highest ever finishing place.

At Glasshouse Park, visitors Walsall scored 229 for eight against Kenilworth Wardens with Richard Rawlinson (52) and Andy Miller (51) registering maiden League half-centuries.

Mo Sheikh chipped in with 40 while Dan Vernon added to his growing reputation as a left-arm spinner, with 4-45. Jason Young’s undefeated 91 helped Wardens to 206 for seven at the close. Himley’s Stuart Wedge took 5-38 as Barnt Green folded to 146 all out before Dan Bassett (56) and Chris Tranter (50) eased the Black Country side to a seven wicket success.