Shrewsbury earn points but Shifnal and Worfield edged out before derby - Birmingham League round-up
Shrewsbury stayed clear of the drop zone in the Birmingham League Premier One via a winning draw at home to Barnt Green.
The London Road outfit were indebted to Will Parton and Sam Whitney, who top scored with the bat and claimed the best bowling figures respectively to help Shrewsbury to 16 points in the first round of red ball action this summer.
The Worcestershire visitors put their hosts in to bat and Shrewsbury tallied a respectable 263 all out from their 55 overs.
Central to the scoring was Parton who, batting at three, piled on 93 runs, including 14 fours, from 130 balls in an innings of just shy of three hours.
He had some useful assistance from Seb Scott (35), Llyr Thomas (28) and captain Lewis Evans (25).
In response, Barnt Green were holding on at 161-8 with opener Ben Chapman-Lilley top scoring with 44. Leg-spinner Whitney did most of the damage with impressive figures of 5-54 from 17 overs.
Harry Darley, Rhodri Evans and Lewis Evans also chipped in with a wicket apiece.
Next up for ninth-placed Shrewsbury is a trip to Moseley, who sit directly beneath them, 21 points further back.
In Premier Division Two, eighth-placed Shifnal fell to a narrow two-wicket defeat at Leamington, who are fifth.
Visitors Shifnal elected to bat, but toiled with only Sam Scimgeour, with 68, offering any serious resistance in their total of 176. In Leamington's reply, Charlie Home took with 3-51, but the damage was done by home opener Harrison Smith's 66 as the Warwickshire side achieved their target in the 52nd over.
Shifnal host Worfield in a Shropshire derby in Premier Two next weekend.
And Worfield enter the derby off the back of a home defeat by just four wickets – with seven balls remaining – to visitors West Bromwich Dartmouth.
Worfield posted 240-6 from their 55 overs. Opener Joe Wright made 74, while Rishin Patabedige top scored with 89 from 112 balls, including 11 boundaries, four of which were sixes.
Dartmouth's middle order did the damage in response with Tim Maxfield (60), Ismail Mohammed (46) and former Warwickshire all-rounder Ateeq Javid (56 not out) all in good form to get the visitors over the line in the 54th over with just seven deliveries to spare.
Worfield's Matthew Rees recorded 3-72 from 12.5 overs and Patabedige claimed 2-53 from 17 overs.
