Cannock and Rugeley teenager Adam Birch claimed a ‘magnificent seven’ – but the weather put a dampener on his best ever bowling figures.

Rain forced the clash with Penkridge to be abandoned with just two more overs needed for a result to be declared.

But opening bowler Birch had already claimed 7-53, as Penkridge made 166.

Cannock and Rugeley reached 68-3 in 18 overs, before a heavy storm put paid to any more action with Aquil Ahmed’s side eyeing a winning draw.

Each side must face 20 overs for a result to be declared and 11 runs off the next two overs would have put C&R ahead on run rates.

Captain Ahmed said: “Adam bowled very well. He got his best figures so far and he fully deserved his wickets.

“He is developing all the time and is already on the books at Warwickshire and playing for Staffordshire under-20s.

“We had a couple of showers during the game but the final shower was too heavy to play through. There was a layer of sleet across the pitch.”

Spinner Troy Griffin followed up his five-wicket haul a week earlier with another two wickets for C&R.