Birmingham League cricket round-up: Shrewsbury warm up for top-of-the-table clash with a big victory at Wolverhampton

The leading two in Birmingham & District League Premier Division One are separated by 19 points, and victory either way will go a long way towards deciding the outcome of the title - though two bonus points in defeat would be enough to keep Smethwick on top for now.

After Saturday's clash, just two more matches will remain for each - and both sides are in excellent form.

Leaders Smethwick racked up 426-6 during their 155-run victory over Himley on Bank Holiday Monday, while Shrewsbury posted 337-6 to win by 207 runs at Wolverhampton.

Openers Peter Clark (61) and George Hargrave (41) put on 79 for the first wicket, before the latter was trapped lbw by Reece Evitts (3-49).

Rhodri Evans (8) and Seb Scott (18) both fell relatively cheaply before Dan Humes came in and underpinned the innings with a superb 129 not out from just 94 balls, featuring nine fours and seven sixes.

Humes put on 157 for the sixth wicket with Fin Jones (51) and remained to the end of the innings alongside Matt Swift (4no).

Shrewsbury were straight into the Wolverhampton batting line-up with the ball, Harry Darley (2-17) removing Shropshire's Tom Fell (1) with just the seventh ball of the innings.

Another Darley wicket as well as two from Dustin Melton (2-34) had the hosts reeling at 32-4, but another Shropshire player in Joe Stanley (67) finally stopped the rot for Wolves.

However, nobody could stay with him as long as Will Nield (14) Rhodri Evans (4-45) and Sam Whitney (2-31) cleaned up the middle and lower order.

Stanley finally fell as the penultimate man out before Evans bowled Jones to secure a huge victory for Shrews.

Meanwhile, Worfield took a giant step towards survival in Premier Division Two as they also piled on the runs in victory at Stourbridge.

The Shropshire visitors won the toss and elected to bat, putting on 331-4 - with four of the six batsmen reaching their half-century.

Opener Greg Wright (18) posted the lowest individual score for Worfield, but the rest of the top order made hay.

Joe Wright (68) and Aman Hussain (72) put on 131 for the second wicket before both falling in quick succession to Dan Wale (3-47).

Rishin Patabedige (58) and Ross Aucott (54no) put on another 99 for the fourth wicket, before Joe Arnold finished the innings with a flourish, scoring 46no off 21 balls.

Stourbridge threatened to chase that down in reply when they reached 98-0, 192-4 and then 280-6 - but a clatter of wickets on each occasion ended their hopes as Shahrukh Khan (1-53), Arfan Khan (2-58), James Ralph (3-50), Arthur Smallman (2-24) and Patabedige (2-31) shared the work between them.

Ninth-placed Worfield are now only six points behind eighth-placed county rivals Shifnal, who lost at home to leaders Kenilworth Wardens.

Shifnal were skittled for 121 - with Usman Bari (41no) top-scoring for the hosts and Ali Zaryab taking 5-14 for Kenilworth - but then had the leaders were in trouble at 24-4 and 60-6.

However, Harry Johnson (33) and Ben Blakemore (20no) scrambled Kenilworth over the line with just three wickets in hand, despite the best efforts of Cameron Jones (2-24) and Jack Twigger (2-23).