Birmingham League round-up: Smethwick maintain lead at the top
Smethwick maintained their slender lead at the top of the Birmingham League Division One thanks to their six-wicket win at Himley.
The hosts batted first, and other than overseas player Navindu Vithanage, who scored 43 not out, the batsmen struggled against the Smethwick bowlers as they were restricted to 144-8 from their 55 overs.
Ankesh Dansuclal took 2-16 and Yasir Ali took 1-28 from 17 tidy overs.
In reply, opener Viken Kedariya carried his bat on his way to 84 off 87 balls to steer his side to 147-4.
Shrewsbury beat Wolverhampton by three wickets, helped by opener Peter Clark’s 97 and a useful 65 from Will Parton. In the end, both batters fell to the Wolves skipper Joe Stanley (4-66), who toiled away all afternoon. The visitors had earlier posted 226-8, but the Shropshire side replied with 228-7 in 42 overs, winning with plenty of time to spare.
The only drawn game in the league at the weekend was at Halesowen, a side who are still in the hunt for the title. They are chasing down Smethwick and Knowle & Dorridge at the top of the pile.
They had a difficult afternoon though, as the visitors won the toss and elected to bat. Ben Chapman-Lilley, top scored for Barnt Green with 60 off 100 balls, while Edward Bragg (3-62) and James Rudge (3-41) were in the wickets for the hosts.
Most of the Halesowen top order made starts, but left-arm spinner Harpreet Singh Brar bowled economically, taking 4-26 from his 17 overs.
Wes Griffiths' side trudged to 144-8 from their 55 overs to collect a losing draw and pick up six points.
Kidderminster were the biggest winners of the day in Division Two, seeing off visitors Old Hill by 122 runs. Half-centuries from Harry Sockett (50) and Ben Gibbon (70) helped the Chester Road side post 280/7 from their overs, with Bilal Hassan the star bowler with his 4-57.
Old Hill’s reply started badly as Liam Weston rattled through the top order on his way to 3-64. Gibbon then took up the mantle with 3-51 as the visitors were dismissed for 158, Ali Latif top scoring with 57 not out.
Ismail Mohammed’s 100 off 104 balls was the highlight for West Bromwich Dartmouth as they beat Tamworth by five wickets. Opener Bruce Thomason hit 73 to help the Warwickshire side to 278/5 as they overhauled the home side’s 275/6 when Jacob Flower (110) and Riley Ward (95).
Stourbridge's game at Worfield was abandoned not even 20 overs into the first innings due to a bad pitch with the hosts 64-2.
It is the third Birmingham League game of the summer to be called off for a dangerous pitch, with Old Hill and Himley suffering something similar on the same weekend earlier in the season.
The Shropshire side are likely to face a hefty points deduction with the precedent already set by the league earlier in the campaign.
