Staffs Clubs: Leaders march on while rivals lose ground

Fordhouses continued their seemingly unstoppable march toward the South Staffordshire Cricket League title with a thumping 110-run win at Walsall.

The leaders made it 11 wins from 12 matches to open up a 65-point lead at the Premier Division summit as closest challengers Wombourne and Beacon both lost ground.

Walsall had begun the day third in the table but could find no answer despite bowling their visitors out for just 203.

That still proved more than enough for Fordhouses, who skittled the home side for just 93, Keshan Wijerathne finishing with figures of 4-23.

Mubeen Rashid also picked up two wickets to go with his earlier score of 59 with the bat, the highest by any player in the match.

Wombourne remain second but are further behind the leaders after being unable to force an outright win at Cannock.

Michael Hill hit 87 from 100 balls as the visitors compiled 226-7 from their 50 overs.

Adam Benton then top scored with 37 for the hosts but their chase lacked the big score which might have seen them chase down the target.

From 125-3, they slipped to 172-8 and eventually blocked out to claim 10 points and the losing draw.

Beacon climbed to third, above Walsall, after a thrilling tie with Wolverhampton seconds.

Max Walker’s unbeaten 62 helped the home side reach 183-9 from their 50 overs.

It looked like being a winning score when Beacon collapsed from 86 without loss to 159-9.

Skipper Dan Green held his nerve to steer his team toward victory alongside No.11 Matthew Cartwright.

But with the scores level, Ravi Kumar had Green caught behind to leave both sides taking a 14-point haul.

Penkridge kept hold of fifth place after surviving a scare at bottom side Old Wulfrunians Tettenhall.

A five-wicket haul for Aaron Patel gave the hosts a shot at just their second win of the season as the visitors were dismissed for 175.

It was not to be, despite the best efforts of Lovepreet Ganger. Arriving at the crease with the score 108-7, he set about trying to get his team over the line alongside the rest of the tail.

A 59-run partnership with Manpreet Paurh threatened victory before the latter was dismissed having made just two from 39 balls and Old Wulfs 12 short of victory. Ganger finished unbeaten on 46.

Brewood remain in trouble after a 52-run defeat at Tamworth.

Oliver Siviter took four wickets but an excellent 111 from Stuart Burrows saw the home side reach 229.

The target proved beyond Brewood, who were unable to build on opener Royeth Hussain’s quickfire 56 from 54 balls. Well-placed at 153-4, their final six wickets fell for just 22 runs.

Hammerwich halted their bad run with a three-wicket win at home to Pelsall.

Gurshan Singh’s 50 and a 37 from former England international Monty Panesar, who opened the batting, got the visitors off to a strong start.

But from 72 without loss they fell to 172 all out, John Jennings taking four wickets, with Hasnain Nawaz snaring three.

Tom Wright’s 70 then formed the backbone of the chase and though Pelsall kept fighting, with Jamie Holmes claiming figures of 4-31, Hammerwich always looked favourites.