AN excellent all-round bowling performance from Old Hill in the second innings earned their first Premier Division win of the season.

Success at Stourport lifts them out of the bottom two and may just prove the catalyst for things to come for the highly-fancied Black Country outfit.

Redditch made the short trip to Astwood Bank and walked away with a win. Ghulam Moyhuddin took 4-38 in the first innings for the visitors to restrict the home team to a gettable first innings total and despite a fine spell from Dan Taylor (5-27) in the second innings Redditch cruised to a four wicket victory to remain second which meant that Pershore leap frogged Astwood Bank in to third place after sweeping aside bottom of the table Feckenham by nine wickets thanks to a fine first innings spell by Stephen Miles (6-35) which reduced the visitors to a low total which proved nowhere near enough to defend.

In other matches Bewdley returned to winning ways as Andy Platt took (6-30) in the first innings at Lower Park against Stourbridge and Richard Gardiner scored a first innings (78) and Daniel Colburn took (5-40) in the second innings as Old Elizabethans swept aside local rivals Worcester at the Memorial Ground.

However, Chaddesley Corbett remain clear and continue to set the standards as Junaid Iqbal took a first innings (4-24) which set up a comfortable nine wicket victory against Evesham.

Colwall continue to set the pace at the top of Division One as they easily overcame Herefordshire rivals Burghill by eight wickets at Stowe Lane, a win that takes them eleven points clear of highly fancied Hagley who returned to winning ways thanks to a second innings haul of (5-39) by Fady Jadayel which sealed an eighty-three run victory at Cookley.

Oldswinford bounced back from defeat last week to overcome Coombs Wood in a low scoring match at Albemarle Road. After being dismissed for ninety-seven in the first innings the home team rallied and led, as ever, by the ever consistent Tom Blunt (4-13) snatched what would have looked like an unlikely victory at the break by twenty three runs.

Elsewhere, there were wins on the road for Pedmore who made it back to back wins by beating Worcester Nomads by five wickets at Whitegates Farm, Bromyard who swept aside Bredon by a ten wicket margin and Droitwich who won a low scoring match against Belbroughton at Hackmans Gate Lane.

Ombersley leaped to the top of Division Two as quality performances from Marcus D’Oliveira (88) and Tom Wilde (7-24) either side of the break against visitors Astwood Bank ensured their third maximum points win in a row and a four point lead over Halesowen who continued their winning ways at Seth Somers Park where Charlie Greening was the hero of the day as his fine all round performance (4-51 & 67) helped the home side to a hard earned three wicket win against Enville.

The destructive batting line up of Lye sit closely in third after Tofiq Anwar (64) led them to a six wicket victory against Bromsgrove at St. Godwalds Park, Barnt Green are fourth after Faraquat Hussain returned (4-13) in the second innings to secure the win at Bartestree by over one hundred runs and Kidderminster are fifth thanks to Phil Pountneys second innings (5-38) which earned the Chester Road men maximum points.

And finally Himbleton will be pleased as they notched their first win of the season and lifted themselves out of the bottom two by beating Brockhampton at home by six wickets thanks to Sean Jenkins undefeated second innings (62).

In the tightest division of all Netherton remain top of Division Three by just one point over Old Hill who thanks to Nadeem Shoaib (68) and the in-form Iftikar Ali (61) beat the table toppers by four wickets at Haden Hill.

Just eleven points separate the top six clubs which bodes well for a healthy, completive division. Redditch are third, one point behind second placed Old Hill after destroying Barnards Green by ten wickets thanks to an outstanding first innings performance from Haleem Basharatt who returned figures of (8-8). Avoncroft are fourth a further four points behind following an eight wicket victory against Old Vigornians who have fallen off the pace, Kempsey remain fifth, two points further back despite being pushed aside by Stourbridge for whom Alex Colman (88) Heran Patel (69) and Aiden Avey (66) all contributed half centuries and Martley are sixth just three point adrift after James Ganderton (75) helped them secure a winning draw at Pershore who fell just three runs short of the second innings chase with Lee Wilks undefeated on 85.

In the other match Rushwick enjoyed their first win of the season by beating Old Elizabethans by two wickets at home.

In Division Four Sarah Sribala-Sundaram (5-31) produced a fine first innings spell of bowling to lead table toppers Harborne to victory in the battle of the top two at Coombs Wood, who in turn slip to fourth behind Bromsgrove who now lie in second after marching to a comfortable six wicket victory against Bewdley and third placed Alvechurch & Hopwood who had to settle for a winning draw against Stourport despite Dan Wolstencrofts brilliant (7-41) in the second innings.

Elsewhere, Romsley & Hunnington posted the score of the day as they amassed a huge 320-5 against Eastnor thanks to half centuries from Jon Webb (70), Imran Wahid (69*) and Adnan Wahid (50) but it was only good enough for a winning draw as the visitors thanks to Scott Roberts (76) dug in during the second innings to lose just six wickets and frustrate the opposition. Usmaan Mahmood (96) couldn’t stop Worcester from gaining their first victory of the season as they chased down Five Ways OE’s first innings 218-7 to win by two wickets and finally, the match between Halesowen and Astwood Bank at Earls High School was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

In Division Five pace setters Claverley beat visitors Colwall by a tight seventeen run margin thanks to J Greenwood who took a second innings (6-32) which proved just enough to out trump Stephen Coffeys fine century (100) for the visitors.

Mohammed Isthtiaq took (6-45) in the second innings to inspire Lye to victory against Hagley by sixty runs at Hagley Park despite a fighting (82*) from Will Hymer for the home team, a win that moves the Black County men in to second in the table and West Malvern are third as Will Lloyd (61*) led them to a comfortable six wicket win at Droitwich Spa.

In other matches Netherton won by concession against Feckenham, Nick Billinge took (5-31) in the first innings to help Chaddesley Corbett to their first win of the season against Hanley Castle & Upton at Longmore and Malvern and Worcester Nomads shared the spoils in a scores equal draw at the Ramblers ground as Malvern failed to cross the line off the final ball of the match to leave the scores level, nine wickets down in what must have been an enthralling finish for all involved