South Staffs League: Title race heading to wire after Milford close gap on leaders

With five matches remaining, the Premier Division title race could barely be tighter, with next month’s meeting between the rivals on the penultimate weekend of the season increasingly shaping up to be the decisive fixture.

Hammerwich remain at the top after taking 16 points from a winning draw with Pelsall but their advantage was trimmed by Milford’s victory.

McHale hit 110 from just 78 balls, including six sixes, to help his team post 273-8 from their 50 overs after choosing to bat, Tamworth’s Tom Kinson earning late rewards for his persistence by claiming a five-wicket haul.

But he and every other bowler was outdone by Milford’s Aaron Afford, who promptly ripped through the middle and lower of the visitors as they were dismissed for 169 in reply.

Hammerwich also piled on the runs to post 290-7 from their 50 overs, skipper Callum Broderick (69) one of four players to score half centuries.

But after then making the perfect start with the ball, when Sajid Ahmadzai dismissed Pelsall opener Thomas Peace for an eight-ball duck, the visitors proved too stubborn to shift. Just four further wickets fell with Pelsall finishing on 167-5.

At the opposite end of the table, bottom club Lichfield kept alive their hopes of survival with a vital 31-run win at Wolverhampton seconds.

It was just their third victory of the season and moved them within 14 points of the hosts.

Put into bat, Lichfield reached 228 thanks in large part to a patient 77 from Preston Lee, son of former Australian fast bowler Brett. Daniel Caddick also scored 50, with Imran Jamshed taking five wickets for the home side.

Wolves knew a win would go a long way to securing survival and with Hassan Quami (61) at the crease, they remained very much in contention. 

But his dismissal with the score on 151 sparked a collapse, which saw the final five wickets fall for just 46 runs and the hosts bowled out for 197. Isaac Rowley finished with best bowling figures of 4-53.

Cannock remain in deep trouble after going down by five wickets at home to Beacon.

After choosing to bat, the match could hardly have started worse as both openers departed without scoring and no-one in the top six reached double figures.

Ryan Elliott’s 48 at least saw them recover from 21-6 to post 136 but it proved some way short as a fine, unbeaten 63 from just 42 balls from Tom Elwell saw Beacon home in relative ease.

A third-placed finish remains within their radar after Fordhouses were beaten by three wickets at Penkridge in a low-scoring thriller.

Batting proved tough all day and Michael Gallear’s 31 helped Fordhouses reach 139 after they had won the toss and chosen to have first use of the pitch.

Ross Parker then played the innings of the game with a well-paced 61 to help see the home side home despite the best efforts of Sachin Jayawardena, who took 4-37.

Walsall moved comfortably into mid-table with a nail-biting two-wicket win at home to Wombourne.

After Zachary Smith had scored 80 to help Wombourne reach 218, the hosts survived a late scare which included two run outs to edge over the line.