Express & Star

Wolverhampton move up to second place

Wolverhampton moved up to second in the Birmingham & District League Premier Division after maintaining their unbeaten start.

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Almost relegated last season, Wolves are experiencing somewhat of a resurgence this campaign.

It comes after earning four wins and a winning draw from their five completed matches and trail Ombersley by just four points.

Despite a century from Wasim Jaffer (107 not out in 91 balls) and 56 from Adam Lawley, Wolves were forced to settle for that winning draw against Walmley.

The match was abandoned with the strugglers on 98-6 from 24.2 overs. Kidderminster moved above Walmley out of the bottom two with a comfortable eight-wicket win over Barnt Green.

An excellent opening spell from Connor Smith (5-21) and an injury to batsman Matt Lamb saw Barnt Green slip to 66-8.

Skipper Andy Sutton (24) found an ally in Adam Hines (19), but they could still only take the score to 101.

Richard Kimberlin supported Smith with 3-21 before Craig Wood (38) and Neil Pinner (36no) eased Kidderminster home despite losing two early wickets to Sutton.

The match between Shrewsbury and Walsall was abandoned, after 46.2 overs with the home side on 131-7. Left-arm spinner Paul Byrne finished with 5-23.

Bottom club Leamington Spa clung on for a losing draw against West Bromwich Dartmouth, finishing on 144-9 in reply to Dartmouth's total of 207-8.

Ateeq Javid (78) and Dan Bassett (57) put together a stand of 106 for the third Dartmouth wicket after Kadeer Ali had opened with 30.

But Leamington just held on against the off-spin of former England seamer Kabir Ali (5-42).

Smethwick's six-wicket victory over Wellington in a rain-reduced match of 20 overs per side saw the Broomfield outfit take over at the top of the Division One table.

Sukhjit Singh outlined his promise with 5-20 but, at 2-2 in reply, Smethwick were in trouble. However, a brisk 78 from Amitoze Singh eased them to victory.

Himley are three points back in second after bundling Attock out for 86, courtesy of Jamie Turner (4-31) and Elliot Hopkin (3-9).

Junaid Khan (4-27) reduced Himley to 45-5, before Ben Smith hit 27 not out to take his side up to second.

The match between Sutton Coldfield and Old Hill was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

In Division Two, Wombourne crushed Stratford-upon-Avon by 10 wickets after Kuldeep Diwan (5-6) and Adam Quiney (5-33) bowled them out for 39.

The match between Cannock & Rugeley Hawks and Stourbridge was abandoned, leaving Stour bottom.

There were defeats for Halesowen and second-bottom Penkridge, despite the best efforts of Laeq Chishti (79) for the latter.

Streetly top Division Three after defeating Lichfield thanks to Imran Qadir (49), David Yeend (45), Matt Hinton (4-26) and Michael Dinneny (3-22).

Fordhouses – courtesy of Chris Guest (5-49), Ruan Pretorius (77no) and Niall Cooper (69) – are fourth after beating Pershore by eight wickets.

Brewood lost by three wickets after being bowled out for 88, but Robbie Byrne (4-30) and Jamie Lunn (3-36) reduced opponents Worfield to 51-7 before they edged home.

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