Express & Star

Pinner pleased with Kidder’s opening efforts

Newly-promoted Kidderminster will be aiming to continue an encouraging start to the Birmingham League campaign when they host Shrewsbury tomorrow, writes Matt Maher.

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The Chester Road outfit have won two of their first four Premier One fixtures – the same number they managed across the whole of their last top flight campaign in 2017.

Skipper Neil Pinner said: “I think we are in a much better position than we were the last time we were at this level.

“We have been in every game so far and with a bit more luck could easily have got positive results in the two we lost.

“Overall, we have to be pretty pleased with how things have started.

“We really struggled a couple of years ago. Going down a level gave us the chance to regroup and we are pretty positive about things moving forward.”

Kidderminster will be hoping for another good performance on home turf from winter signing Angus Robson.

The 27-year-old Australian, the brother of former England opener Sam, smashed 90 on debut at Chester Road as the hosts defeated Moseley earlier in the month.

Things went less well last weekend when he was dismissed for a four-ball duck in Kidderminster’s defeat at Shifnal but Pinner said: “It’s been an encouraging start from Angus.

“His first game for the club came when he was barely 48 hours off the plane from Australia.

“He seemed to take to our ground quickly and will be aiming to be in the runs again this Saturday.”

Shrewsbury, in seventh, arrive sitting one place and two points behind the hosts in the early season table.

The visitors are expected to be without Joe Leach for the first time this year, with the Worcestershire captain appearing in each of their opening four games as he continues recovery from injury.

“They are always a strong team,” said Pinner. “We know a lot of their guys and vice-versa. The games between the two clubs are usually pretty entertaining. We will be looking to make the most of home advantage, you can be sure.”

West Bromwich Dartmouth, also among a cluster of teams on two wins, will travel to early-season leaders Berkswell.

Elsewhere in Premier One, Smethwick go to struggling Kenilworth Wardens, while Walsall host Shifnal.

Halesowen skipper Alex Kervezee has vowed to shake-up the batting order ahead of tomorrow’s visit of Himley.

The Seth Somers Park outfit slipped to their third defeat in four Premier Two games at Oswestry last weekend.

Kervezee said: “We can hide behind player availability and all sorts of other things but every club has its issues re players or we can do something about it.

“On Saturday the first teams’ top four didn’t manage to set a base for the innings and its happening weekly plus we dropped catches. Its as simple as that.

“We will need to adjust the batting order for the Himley game as a fair few players have had decent opportunities now and whichever way you look at it its not working for them nor the team.

“Looking across the club plenty of people are getting opportunities but not quite enough are taking them at the moment. It’s a mindset we had in 2018 and its not clicked yet for 2019. It will.”

Wolverhampton, with two wins from four, go to leaders Harborne.