Smethwick's advantage cut at the top of the Birmingham League

Birmingham & District Premier League leaders Smethwick saw their advantage at the top cut to eight points on Saturday.

The Division One table-toppers were forced to settle for a losing draw at mid-table Ombersley - failing to win a completed match for the first time this season.

Smethwick won the toss and elected to field, but Ombersley started well as openers Sinel Gunarathne (48) and Seth Essenhigh (23) put on a half-century partnership.

The rest of the innings was held together by a century from Nick Hammond (109) as Smethwick eventually bowled the hosts out for 259 in 55 overs.

Wickets were shared between the bowlers, with Manraj Johal (3-40) leading the way.

Knowle & Dorridge are now eight points back in second after beating Shrewsbury, with third-placed Himley - four points further back - also taking advantage by seeing off Barnards Green by five wickets.

Himley captain Ollie Westbury's decision to field proved wise as his side ripped through the visitors' top order, reducing them to 25-6.

Cameron Jones took 4-9 in just five overs, while Ollie Walker finished with figures of 3-28.

Ollie Rogoff (80) and Josh Dickenson (57) steadied the ship with a crucial partnership of 130 runs, but Barnards Green feel a fair way short of a par score.

Himley made steady progress towards their target - eventually getting there in the 47th over, thanks mainly to Westbury (52no), Walker (39) and Jones (26no).

Halesowen are fifth after thrashing struggling Dorridge by 107 runs on the road.

Joe Porter (89), Luke Tulacz (59) and Edward Bragg (31) led them to 222 all out off the final ball of their innings.

In reply, wickets at first fell at a steady rate, before the floodgates opened as Masihullah Qazkhill (5-31), Ciaran Baker-Smith (3-37) and Bragg (2-18) rattled through the Dorridge batters for 115 all out.

Kidderminster clawed their way off the bottom of Division Two with a quickfire victory at home to Worfield.

Liam Weston took 6-29 as Worfield were bowled out for just 61 - ably supported by Ben Clements (2-5) and Ben Jones (2-20).

Mateen Khan (50no) and Harry Sockett (16no) saw Kidderminster a 10-wicket success - Khan hitting the winning runs with a six.

West Bromwich Dartmouth replaced them at the bottom after losing at home to Milford Hall.

Yohan Liyanage (70), Jordan Bulpitt (64) and Ibbadat Thaman (42) helped Milford to 260-8 - despite the best efforts of Ateeq Javid (4-63) and Tim Maxfield (4-72).

The Dartmouth batters had little response in reply as Theo Wylie (5-30) and Will Davis (4-22) bowled them out for 116.

Elsewhere, Stourbridge (159) lost at Berkswell (217-9) by 58 runs, despite Rohan Patel taking 4-77 with the ball and Vriitya Aravind scoring 46 with the bat, while Old Hill won at Shifnal by six wickets.

Aamir Manzoor led the way for the Old Hill bowlers by taking 5-29 in bowling the Shropshire side out for 124.

Saad Naseem (34no), Bilal Hassan (33), Hasan Ahmed (24) and Suraj Chauhan (21no) saw them over the line.

And Wolverhampton (120-8) had to settle for a losing draw at Tamworth (282-7) as they slipped off the pace of the promotion-chasers.