Fine win lifts Fishes out of the drop zone

Newport clawed their way out of the second division relegation zone with a 33-run win over Aston Unity.

Rob Furniss set the ball rolling for Newport with 61, Rasika added 25 and Stuart Blount 30 to give the away side 152 from 27 overs.

Then a clinical bowling display by Rasika and Jonty Mountford secured the first victory of the campaign for Newport.

Mountford claimed five victims as lowly Aston, now with nine defeats from nine, stumbled to 119.

St Georges’ match against Penn fell victim to the weather as the Telford club chased a decent target.

The teams persevered through bad conditions to entertain the Mayor of Wolverhampton but eventually it was just too dark to continue.Richard Bradford was unbeaten on 116 as Penn marched to 212-3 from 42 overs on a wet track.

The match was well set with St Georges 116-4 when the game was abandoned.

Penn’s nine points were enough to keep them top of the table.

Only four matches finished in the Third Division. Oswestry’s Shropshire derby against Bridgnorth at Cricket Meadow was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Whitchurch’s game against Coleshill was also called off.

All teams received five points each.