The warmest week of the season so far witnessed just fifteen cancellations which meant just over 83% of matches reached conclusions across the divisions, the highest yet.

In the Premier Division Last year's champions Stourport-on-Severn 1st XI cruised past Chaddesley Corbett 1st XI to maintain top spot, level on points with Old Elizabethans 1st XI who continued their excellent start to the season with a seven wicket win at Bromsgrove Road against Redditch 1st XI.

Elsewhere, Charlie Williams (5-54) helped bowl Brockhampton 1st XI to a seven run victory against a Pershore 1st XI that will be disappointed to have lost their last six wickets for just 18 runs when at 157-4 with just twenty six runs required, the visitors would have thought themselves to be in the pound seats.

Tom Harris (4-23) returned excellent first innings figures for Astwood Bank 1st XI which helped secure a two wicket win against Bromyard 1st XI at Flagonners Green. Jujhar Johal (64) top scored for Stourbridge 1st XI in a forty run win against Droitwich Spa 1st XI at St. Peters Field and Bilal Hassan (100* & 6-21) led from the front to help Old Hill 1st XI dismantle visiting Worcester Nomads and record their first win of the season.  

Pedmore 1st XI beat Coombs Wood 1st XI by eight wickets to remain at the top of Division One fifteen points clear of Ombersley 2nd XI who sit less than a win behind following a win by the same margin at Hagley 1st XI in a low scoring match.

Burghill, Tillington & Weobley 1st XI moved in to third place just two points further back after Benjamin Hawkes (7-29) returned excellent first innings figures to set up a five wicket win over Barnt Green 2nd XI at Brick House Farm. Chris Jones (72*) led Worcester 1st XI to their second win of the season against Halesowen 2nd XI at Norton Barracks despite a second innings half century from Sam Preece (72) for the visitors a result that saw them leap-frog their opponents in to fourth place.

In other matches Richard Kimberlin (4-15) helped Bromsgrove CC 2nd XI to a comfortable victory against Bewdley 1st XI at Lower Park and Ghulum Abbas (65*) and Zeeshan Ahmed (57*) posted first innings half centuries to help Lye 1st XI post a first innings total that proved too many for visiting Colwall 1st XI to chase.

In Division Two, Chad Brandrick (79*) and Spencer Grove (69) helped Himley 2nd XI retain their fifteen point lead at the top with a nine wicket win against Oldswinford 1st XI at Stourbridge Road. Netherton 1st XI moved in to second place with a comprehensive win at Highbridge Road against Bartestree & Lugwardine 1st XI which saw Zaheer Suliman (81) and Matt Lowe (69) make healthy first innings contributions.  

In other matches, Astwood Bank 2nd XI burst Enville 1st XI's bubble by inflicting the first defeat of the season by way of a thirty seven run win at Sambourne Lane. Matt Hayward (68) and Mark James (62) posted first innings half centuries in Alvechurch & Hopwood 1st XIs forty eight run win against Kidderminster 2nd XI. Joel Cox (95) fell just five runs short of a deserved century for Bredon 1st XI who returned to winning ways by beating Redditch 2nd XI for whom Marlon Lokenath (82) finished unbeaten and Cookley 1st XI git off the mark for the season by beating Harborne 3rd XI by three wickets at the Knotts Ground.   

Barnards Green 2nd XI retained their unbeaten record at the summit of Division Three by beating Himbleton 1st XI by twenty-eight runs at North End Lane. Netherton 2nd XI stay second after beating Martley 1st XI by five runs in a rip roaring match at the Jewry field that saw Alexander Basford (88) and Christian Mulvihill (77) post half centuries for the home side only to fall a few runs short at the end. Belbroughton 1st XI are third after grabbing their second win of the season at the War Memorial Ground against Stourbridge 2nd XI. Old Elizabethans 2nd XI sit a further six points adrift in fourth after Sebastian Wilkins (60) and Angus Rees (54) fired first innings half centuries in their win against Old Vigornians 1st XI, whilst in the other matches in the division Avoncroft 1st XI beat visiting Brockhampton 2nd XI in a reduced over affair at Hanbury Road and Lye 2nd XI beat Feckenham 1st XI by five wickets to gain their first success of the season.

Jack Harris (98) helped Romsley & Hunnington 1st XI to victory against Division Four leaders Stourport-on-Severn 2nd XI, a result that helped Five Ways Old Edwardians CC 1st XI move to within fifteen points in second after they beat Harborne 4th XI by seven wickets at the Masshouse. Matty Ingram (150) powered Rushwick 1st XI in to third after his first innings century set up a comprehensive win against Coombs Wood 2nd XI. Six points further back in fourth sit Claverley 1st XI for whom Tom Grainger (151*) carried his bat in a comfortable win against Chaddesley Corbett 2nd XI.

Elsewhere in the division, Worcester Nomads 2nd XI beat West Malvern 1st XI by thirty-six runs at Whitegates Farm to grab their first win of the season and the match between Bromsgrove 3rd XI and Old Hill 2nd XI was cancelled due to a waterlogged Hedges Ground.

In the mid table Divisions where the format is Win/Lose throughout the season Hagley 2nd XI top Division Five after James Elson (6-22) helped dismiss Stourbridge 3rd XI cheaply in the first innings. Colwall 2nd XI are fifteen points behind in second after beating Eastnor 1st XI (for who Raheel Lone took 5-13) by one wicket. Droitwich Spa 2nd X are next after their match against Pedmore was cancelled along with the game scheduled between Barnt Green 3RD XI and Astwood Bank 3rd XI and finally, there were wins for Malvern 1st XI for who Matt Vickers (105) hit a first century against Bewdley 2nd XI and Pershore 2nd XI who beat visitors Worcester 2nd XI by twenty-two runs at the Bottoms.

In Division Six Lloyd Lewis 110*, Rory Mathews (106) and Alex Woods (82) scored heavily for to dogs Hanley Castle & Upton 1st XI to help them post a huge first innings total which proved too many for Old Vigornians 2nd XI to chase at the Glebe. Claverley 2nd XI beat Kempsey CC 1st XI to move in to second. Andrew Adams (77) and Ed Kemp (70) set up a big win for third placed Tenbury Wells 1st XI against Belbroughton 2nd XI.

Elsewhere, Shoukat Ali (85) and Faisal Khalid (82) helped Cutnall Green 1st XI to victory against Enville CC 2nd XI. Francis Jones (63) and Freddie Taylor (5-15) were the main protagonists in Halesowen 3rd XIs win against Bromyard 2nd XI and finally Kidderminster 3rd XI chased down Alveley 1st Xis first innings total to win by five wickets at Chester Road North.

In the Regional Divisions we moved into Week 3 as matches started on Saturday 29th April.

In Division Seven (North) there were wins for Himley 3rd XI for whom Daniel Thomas (105) posted a first innings century against Five Ways Old Edwardians, Halesowen 4TH XI beat Harborne 5th XI who are second which allowed Cookhill 1st XI to close the gap to one point in third place after they beat Stone 1st XI by seven wickets at home.

In other matches in the division, Oldswinford 2nd XI beat Kidderminster CC 4th XI by eight wickets and Thomas Liversidge (100*) and Joey Bilbrough (5-22) stole the show for Bromsgrove 4th XI in their win against Feckenham 2nd XI.                                 Harvington 1st XI sit at the top of Division Severn (South) after bowling Rushwick 2nd XI out to win a low scoring match at Anchor Lane. Birlingham 1st XI lie second after beating Martley 2nd XI at home. Callum Morris (5-8) took his second five wicket haul in as many matches to help Barnards Green 3rd XI win against Bartestree & Lugwardine 2nd XI, whilst in other matches Kevin Gwynne (5-0) took five wickets in 7 balls to secure the win for Old Elizabethans 3rd XI against Worcester 3rd XI at Neel Park, Stourport-on-Severn 3rd XI enjoyed a free week and the match between Ombersley 3rd XI and Burghill, Tillington & Weobley 2nd XI was cancelled due to a waterlogged outfield..

In Division Eight (North) after three matches Halesowen 5th XI sit at the summit after Matthew Faulkner (130*) scored a second innings undefeated century in their win against Netherton 3rd XI. Pedmore 3rd XI beat Stourbridge 4th XI to go in to second, Avoncroft 3rd XI recorded their first win of the season against Enville 3rd XI to go third whilst there were other wins for Oldswinford 3rd XI who beat Harborne 6th XI by 5 wickets and the match between Lye 3rd XI and Himley 4th XI was cancelled.

Pershore 3rd XI top Division Eight (East) after gaining their second win of the season against Inkberrow 1st XI. Chris Pitt (126*) scored a second innings century for Avoncroft 2nd XI in their win against Belbroughton 3rd XI who must have thought they had done enough to win after Rick Wrigley (148*) had helped them set a challenging second innings total. Harry Williams (74*) helped Astwood Bank 4th XI home to an eight wicket win against Old Halesonians 1st XI whilst in other matches Himbleton 2nd XI beat Redditch Entaco 3rd XI by eight wickets and Droitwich Spa 4th XI beat Hagley 3rd XI.

In Division Eight (South) two matches fell foul of the recent weather as the matches between Brockhampton 3rd XI and Worcester Nomads 3rd XI and West Malvern 2nd XI and Eastnor 2nd XI.

In the three matches that were contested Ledbury 1st XI secured top spot with their second win of the season against Malvern 3rd XI, Bromyard 3rd XI beat Bredon 2nd XI by eight wickets and Alex Tyrer (4-14 & 133*) inspired Bosbury 1st XI to a four wicket win against Colwall 3rd XI for whom Will Brandreth (87) top scored the first innings for the visitors.

Four matches survived in Division Eight (West) with only the match between Alveley 1st XI and Old Elizabethans 4th XI.

In the matches that were played Worcester Amigos 1st XI cemented their place at the top with a comprehensive win against Chaddesley Corbett 3rd XI. Dave Shuck (150*) scored a big first innings hundred and Lee Schuck (5-42) took five second innings wickets in Hallow Taverners 1st XIs win against Tenbury Wells 1st XI at Penlu, Droitwich Spa 3rd XI  beat Cookley 2nd XI and Ramakrishnan Sivanathan (6-29) helped Bewdley 3rd XI dismiss Highley 1st XI cheaply in the first innings which led to a four wicket victory.

In the Marches Division One, Wormelow 1st XI secured their second win of the season against Goodrich 1st XI to move thirteen points clear of Fownhope Strollers 1st XI who beat Garnons 1st XI by twenty-one runs thanks to Ethan Lerego (6-23) second innings efforts. Whilst elsewhere, Builth Wells 1st XI beat Almeley 1st XI by five wickets, Ross-on-Wye 1st XI beat Woolhope 1st XI by a wide margin and the Canon Frome 1st XI v Luctonians 1st X match result has not yet been posted.

In Marches Division Two three matches survived the weather as the matches between Dales 2nd XI and Presteigne 1st XI and Woolhope 2nd XI and Hay-on-Wye 1st XI were cancelled without a ball bowled.

In the matches that were played Kington 1st XI went top after beating Wormelow 2nd XI by three wickets, David Chance (4-13) helped Knighton-on-Teme 1st XI to a comfortable victory against Canon Frome 2nd XI and S Jones (113*) compiled an undefeated first innings century in Almeley 2nd XIs first win of the season against Ross-on-Wye 2nd XI .

Two teams sit at the top of Marches Division Three on thirty points. Burghill, Tillington & Weobley 3rd XI whose match against Luctonians 2nd XI was cancelled and Kington 2nd XI who beat Fownhope Strollers 2nd XI thanks to John Cromer (8-3) in the first innings.

Due to the cancellation of the match between Moccas 1st XI and Dales 2nd XI the only other match to be played in the Division was played on Sunday and won by Bartestree & Lugwardine 3rd XI who bowled out Ross-on-Wye 2nd XI out cheaply thanks to Elliot Gale (7-6) who returned excellent first innings figures.

Unfortunately, due to the recent adverse weather conditions no grounds where matches were planned to be played Division Nine (North) were deemed fit enough to play on so the matches between; Coombs Wood 3rd XI & Cookhill 2nd XI, Pedmore CC 3rd XI & Old Hill CC 3rd XI and Redditch Entaco 4h XI &  Five Ways Old Edwardians 3rd XI were all abandoned without a ball being bowled.

In Division Nine (South) only the match between Rushwick 3rd XI and Droitwich Spa 5th XI was cancelled meaning that four matches went ahead as planned.

Harvington 2nd XI sit at the summit after Dave Snell (108) struck a first innings century to set up a comfortable win against Hanley Castle & Upton 2nd XI at the Glebe. Feckenham 3rd XI are joint on thirty points at the top after John Raxster (5-12) took five second innings wickets to help dismiss Malvern 3rd XI cheaply and set up a comfortable win. George Skerret (55) and Mark Evans (4-17) were the main performers in Brockhampton 4th XIs seventeen run win against Barnards Green 4th XI at Newland and finally, Ledbury 2nd XI moved up the division after bowling Pershore 4th XI out cheaply to seal a comfortable win.

A good week for cricket in the county. However, ball still seems to be dominating bat at present (with few exceptions). Let’s hope the wind continues to blow and the sun shines over the next few days to help our Grounds recover.

Report submitted by Worcestershire County League