Oliver Green helps tame Wulfs

Green plundered an unbeaten 72 from just 25 balls, with a strike rate approaching 300, to help his team post a total of 292-6 from 40 overs.

It proved a crucial knock as, after a rain delay, Old Wulfs fell 40 runs short of their revised target of 218 from 25 overs.

Beacon’s innings had been steady if unspectacular before Green arrived at the crease with the score on 192-5 and just under seven overs remaining.

He proceeded to smash five sixes in a partnership of 82 from just 39 balls with Oliver Walker. After the latter was dismissed for 89 in the final over, Green sent the last three balls of the innings over the boundary rope.

Faced with a daunting total, Old Wulfs gave it a good crack with Regan Shergill (51 from 39 balls) providing their innings with early momentum. But wickets fell at regular intervals to hamper the chase, Jake Cartwright finishing with figures of 3-40, while Michael Hartwell also claimed two wickets in five overs which conceded a miserly 19 runs.

Beacon’s win lifted them to second in the table behind Milford Hall, the leaders having made it three wins from three with a 59-run victory over Brewood.

Put into bat, the hosts racked up 259-5 from 40 overs, with Ibbadat Thaman (80 from 62 balls) making the largest contribution.

Set a revised target of 240 from 35 overs, Brewood struggled to keep up with the rate, opener James Clark taking 63 balls to make 34.

Ben Jevons (41 from 34 balls) added some late momentum but the visitors ended up well short on 180-7.

Scott Daly and Jason Jakeman both hit triple figures as third-placed Tamworth recorded an emphatic 104-run win over Hammerwich.

Opener Daly carried his bat for 109 while Jakeman, who came to the crease with the score 32-2, was also unbeaten on 101 as the pair put on 236 for the third wicket.

A rain delay saw Hammerwich set a revised target of 226 from 30 overs and it always looked beyond them.

When they were reduced to 74-5, Alex Groucott (39 from 57 balls) and John Jennings (22 from 33 balls) dug in to ensure the visitors at least picked up some batting points.

Fordhouses are still among the chasing pack after an impressive six-wicket win at Wombourne.

Having chosen to bat, the hosts lost their way after opener Jack Lewis was bowled by Alex McChristie for 38. McChristie was one of three visiting bowlers to claim two wickets, while Surinder Sharma took 3-11 in polishing off the tail as Wombourne were bowled out for 153.

Fordhouses were set a revised target of 129 in 30 overs but needed only 20 to reach it, Parminder Singh top scoring with 34.

Elsewhere, Wolverhampton picked up their first win of the season with an emphatic 91-run victory at Lichfield.

Asked to bat, the visitors made 213-9 from 40 overs, Ramanjot Jaswal top scoring with 56. Nikul Lal then took 3-23 as the hosts were restricted to 122-8.