Wem CONTINUE to keep the pressure up on Quatt at the top of the Shropshire County Cricket League Premier Division after swatting Madeley away on Saturday.

Sam Peate’s men remain nine points behind Quatt – as they have done for a number of weeks now – as they opened up a 32-point gap on Madeley, who are fourth after starting the day in third.

And for once, a solid home win did not rely on the brilliance of opener Rishav Das, who will have to wait to pass the milestone of 1,000 league runs after he was dismissed for 40 but from just 29 balls.

Peate placed himself back at number three but was dismissed for 17 and it fell to top-order batsman Matthew Cohen to build a platform for the Wem bowlers.

Cohen scored a brilliant 74 from just 83 balls included eight fours and two sixes as and Steve Blenkinsopp shared a partnership of 149.

Cohen was eventually dismissed by Martin Boyle, who also accounted for Blenkinsop a few runs later as he finished with 61 from 78 balls.

The rest of the the Wem innings petered out from there as they ended up 283-8 from their 50 overs.

Boyle, Jonathan Prince and Callum Hodson all finished with two wickets apiece for the visitors.

In reply, the Wem bowlers were all over the Madeley batting, stifling them and restricting runs to pick up wickets along the way.

Prince, batting at number five, was the first to reach double figures as Danny Cohen snaffled two of the top four, with James and Tom Astley grabbing one each as Madeley were left in disarray.

Das removed Prince as Josh Gough joined the party by trapping Shaun Welch for 18, but visiting wicketkeeper Joe Buttery launched a too little, too late fightback, scoring 40 before Gough picked him up.

Madeley were dismissed for 121 with Gough’s 4-31 from 5.5 overs the pick of the home bowling.

Meanwhile, the second XI were not able to make it a double winning weekend when they were beaten by their counterparts at Shelton.

The hosts gave Wem first use of the facilities but might have regretted the decision when Paul Mitchell fire an outstanding 101 not out in a total of 280-3.

Wem dominated the home bowlers as Mitchell’s superb ton was supported firstly by opener Russell Melling’s 60 and then by Alex Ollenrenshaw’s 64 not out as the visitors used up their allocated 45 overs.

However, Wem could not stop their hosts from reaching their target, despite taking seven wickets as Richard Walker’s 80, before he was caught and bowled by Tom Blenkinsop, set the platform for a home win.

On Sunday, Wem’s third XI beat Knockin in a high-scoring contest at the Nursery Ground.