South Staffs League: All change at the top after leaders stumble

Sajid Ahmadzai took the last wicket with the first ball of the game’s final over to earn his team a 108-run win and a full haul of 24 points which, coupled with Milford Hall’s defeat at Wombourne, was enough to send them back to the summit of the Premier Division.

The visitors, who had compiled 284-5 from their 50 overs thanks to a superb 129 from Imran Qadir, looked like being frustrated by Tamworth opener George Baker, who dug in as his team tried to cling on for a losing draw after collapsing to 90-6 with the innings not even at the halfway point.

When Jack Smith was the ninth wicket to fall, Baker and No.11 Matthew Rainsford saw out more than four overs before Ahmadzai, who had not taken a wicket in his first spell, trapped the former leg before to snatch victory.

With six matches of the season remaining, Hammerwich now have a 10-point lead at the top after Milford suffered just their second defeat of the season at the hands of Wombourne.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Wombourne posted 251-9 from their 50 overs thanks to centuries from Chad Brandrick (76), Michael Hill (54) and Ben Hudson, the latter of whom smacked six sixes in an unbeaten knock of 64 from just 41 balls.

All-rounder Hudson was then quickly into the action with the ball, removing Dominic Afford as the title challengers lost both openers cheaply.

When Sanjula Bandara was the fourth wicket to fall with the score on 66, Milford were in trouble but a half century from Stuart Phazey (57) and middle order support kept them in the game.

The key moment came with 10 overs remaining when Archie O’Hara, who had shared a seventh-wicket stand of 64 with Phazey, was run out by Brandrick to make the score 184-7. From there the momentum was all Wombourne’s, Charlie Walker finishing the job when he removed Aaron Afford for his fourth wicket to secure a 39-run win.

A brilliant bowling performance from Jamie Bye helped Cannock claim a vital eight-wicket win at Pelsall and boost their chances of staying up.

Bye removed five of the home side’s top six and finished with figures of 5-19 as Pelsall, who had chosen to bat after winning the toss, were bowled out for just 127.

Cannock needed fewer than 23 overs to chase down the target, for the loss of just two wickets, to earn their first outright victory of the campaign.

They now sit just seven points behind Wolverhampton seconds, who claimed a losing draw at third-placed Fordhouses.

Saqib Akbar’s blistering 83 from just 57 balls was the highlight of the home side’s total of 325-8. Matthew Gallear then removed Wolves opener Harmanpreet Singh for a four-ball duck but wickets proved hard to come by, Ravi Kumar just missing out on a century as he finished on 99 not out, from 71 balls, with his team 248-6 off their 50 overs.

Beacon lost ground on the top four as they were beaten by six wickets at home by Penkridge.

A fine team bowling display from the visitors saw the hosts dismissed for just 122 and though Josh Cheshworth made early inroads with the ball as Penkridge began the chase, Mark Pearse’s 74 not out from 41 balls saw them home in relative comfort.

Lichfield are now 32 points adrift of safety after losing by 63 runs at home to Walsall.