Express & Star

Walsall survive as Kidderminster drop

Kidderminster were relegated from the Birmingham & District League Premier Division as they suffered a 43-run defeat to Dorridge.

Published

It looked as if Kidder would drop to Division One with a whimper as they fell to 64-6, chasing Dorridge’s 283-7 (Connor Smith 3-62), but a stand of 160 for the seventh wicket between Tom Kimberlin (93) and Liam Weston (79) revived their hopes.

They were, finally, dismissed for 240 – although by then the result was irrelevant after Walsall’s game with Berkswell was abandoned with the visitors on 62-8.

Billy-Jo Cox (4-18) and Paul Wicker (3-25) earned Walsall three bowling points to add to the five points they received for the abandonment, which took them to safety, regardless of results elsewhere.

At the other end of the table, three early wickets from Jack Grundy (3-14) earned Knowle & Dorridge the point they required to clinch the 2017 Premier Division title on a day they were, totally, outplayed by a determined Shrewsbury side who, eventually, finished six points behind the newly-crowned champions as runners-up.

Elsewhere, Ombersley romped to a clinical four-wicket win against Wolverhampton after dismissing the visitors for 202 in 43.4 overs.

Matthew Kleinveldt (57) and Adam Lawley (56) were the main contributors for Wolverhampton as Matt Rawnsley picked up 3-48 and Ted Bayliss finished with 3-37.

In reply, Liam Gwynne (54) and Ben Cox (42) saw Ombersley home in the 40th over, a result that confirmed fourth place in the table.

The match between Kenilworth Wardens and West Bromwich Dartmouth was abandoned without a ball being bowled, Wardens finishing ninth in the table, three places behind Dartmouth, who edged into the top half of the table, one point ahead of Dorridge.

The match between Division One champions Smethwick and Barnards Green was abandoned without a ball being bowled, but Himley could not join them in the Premier Division next season. Second-placed Moseley made sure there would be no chance left for Himley, who were beaten by Wellington.