Birmingham League round-up: Shrewsbury in contention after crushing win
Shrewsbury remain very much in the Birmingham League title hunt after a crushing nine wicket win over Ombersley.
Zimbabwean seamer Dustin Melton claimed 5-40, while Sam Whitney also took four wickets as the visitors were skittled for just 121 in under 40 overs at London Road.
George Hargrave then struck an unbeaten century, as Shrewsbury cruised to a victory which saw them leapfrog the visitors and go fifth in the Division One table, 16 points behind leaders Halesowen who suffered a surprise defeat to Barnards Green.
Barnt Green are now just a point off top spot with Smethwick and Knowle and Dorridge also in contention.
Worfield lost ground on the Division Two pacesetters as they were beaten by six wickets at home by Coventry and North Warwickshire.
Opener Russ Aucott hit 81, while Rishin Patabedige top scored with an unbeaten 88 as the hosts reached 265-6 from their 55 overs.
But the visitors were given a solid platform in the chase when Will Iles and Arun Kalsi put on 87 for the opening wicket.
Iles would go on to score 84 before the arrival of Akshaykumar Patel at the crease added further momentum. Patel hit an unbeaten 88 from 72 balls with Okera Bascome’s blistering 39 from just 20 balls helping propel the visitors over the line with more than four overs to spare. The defeat saw Worfield slip to sixth in the table.
Shifnal, meanwhile, are starting to look a little nervously over their shoulders after losing by two wickets at bottom-placed Handsworth.
The visitors got off to a bad start when opener Rahul Kaushal was one of two victims for former Warwickshire seamer Recordo Gordon.
Skipper Charlie Home went for an eight-ball duck and at 88-7 the Shropshire club were in serious trouble.
An unbeaten knock of 38 from Shaun Lorimer at least saw them rally late on but they could only make 140 before being skittled out in the 53rd over. Dwayne Crossgill finished with figures of 4-45.
Handsworth had won only one of their first 13 matches and an early wicket for Alex Renton, who bowled opener Montcin Hodge, ensured Shifnal remained well in the game.
But Sayf Hosein (39) and Kasjuan Sullivan (37) kept the scoreboard ticking over an though a clatter of four wickets for just 18 runs saw the the hosts slump from 115-4 to 133-8, the 10th wicket pair of Gordon and Zakariah Abbas held their nerve to see them over the line.
Shinal still have a 29-point buffer over the bottom two but will be eager to rediscover winning ways when they host Tamworth this Saturday.
The latter had to settle for a losing draw at 11th placed Kidderminster on Saturday.
