Shropshire Cricket League Premier Division

WEM maintained their grip on their lead at the top of the Shropshire Cricket League Premier Division as they thrashed Bomere Heath on Saturday.

Sam Peate’s men are now 29 points ahead of Quatt in third place and are just four points ahead of Worfield, with the two repeating their titanic battle of 2018 once more.

Peate once again grabbed the bull by the horns, winning the toss and opting to set his hosts a target to chase.

Raj Biswa once again dropped down the order and Peate opened up with Harry Chandler and the pair started well before the Wem skipper departed for 17 with the score on 25-1.

Harry Astley came and went for eight, bringing Biswa to the crease and he and Chandler put on 114 for the third wicket.

With the weather playing a part, Biswa wasted no time in getting going as he smashed 58 from just 39 balls, including five four and two sixes before he was eventually stumped by Ryan Davies off Harry Bolland’s bowling to bring the partnership to an end.

Ten runs later, Chandler followed as he was dismissed off Dean’s bowling for 66 from 86 balls, with three fours and fours sixes.

Peate obviously fancied his side’s chances of bowling Bomere out so he declared after 29 overs with 180-6 on the board.

Bolland’s 3-36 was the pick of the home bowling.

Bomere were given 33 overs to score 181 but that proved to not be an issue for Wem as they dismissed their hosts for just 63 in the 28th over.

Danny Cohen was the star man for Wem as he ripped through the top order, including taking the first three wickets of Bolland for one, Toby Jones for a golden duck and opener Jonathan Clifton for 16.

Biswa took the fourth wicket with his first of three for the day, removing Davies before Cohen added his own fourth and fifth wickets with the final two victims of the day in Adam Vanner (17) and a third-ball duck for Tom Davison.

In between, Biswa dismissed Darren Nudds and Steve Tomkins while Ben Peel added two, including skipper Dean and Connor Green.

Meanwhile, the second XI also won, beating Beacon by seven wickets, and have a 39-point lead in Division Five.

Wem skipper David Barnett opted to bowl first and Beacon finished their 45 overs on 144-7 with Stuart Raine the pick with 3-25.

Paul Mitchell (60 not out) and Jack Davies (40 not out) saw Wem over the line as they reached their target with 1.4 overs to spare.

On Sunday, the third XI drew with Shrewsbury’s fourth XI, failing to take two more wickets.

Shropshire Cricket League Division One

Ellesmere moved a step closer to relegation from the Shropshire Cricket league Division One after they were beaten at home by Alberbury.

Skipper Tom Davies won the toss and gave his side the chance to chase a score and would have been happy with his bowlers’ work as Alberbury were bowled out for 118 in the 45th over.

Ellesmere made in-roads into the Alberbury innings as George Duncan and Ashley Thomas took the three early wickets of Dominic Zaza, Michael Crawshaw and Mark Jones.

But Jordan Zaza fought back hard for Alberbury as he posted a fine half-century, scoring 54 before he was caught by Matthew Lawrenson off Davies’s bowling.

But Ellesmere continued to chip at away at the Alberbury order as Thomas dismissed Naveen Hari and Sam Morris cheaply in the middle order, as Felix Ashley also took the wicket of Sahim Zaza for one.

James Harrap smashed a counter-attacking 17 before he was caught & bowled by Davies.

Davies and Thomas took three wickets apiece while Duncan finished with 2-15 from 14 overs.

Lawrenson also grabbed a wicket.

In reply, Ellesmere got off to a nightmare start as Davies and Sam Budd were both dismissed for ducks while Jonathan Mitchell was caught by Mark Jones off Sam Morris’s bowling, while Oliver Corbett bowled Graeme Cowey for two.

Lawrenson fought back hard for Ellesmere as he scored 35 while he was supported by Felix Ashley’s 23 as the Meremen came close to chasing down their visitors.

However, Max Smith, Thomas and George Duncan were all dismissed cheaply as Ellesmere were bowled out for 103 in the 41st over.

Meanwhile, the second XI conceded their clash with Division Seven leaders Llanidloes.

On Saturday, the first XI will travel to Cound for a 1pm start.

Shropshire Cricket League Division Four

Calverhall returned to action with defeat in the Shropshire Cricket League Division Four.

The north Shropshire side made the trip to Bridgnorth’s third XI with 10 men and stand-in skipper Akeel Ahmed decided to give the hosts first use of the track.

Bridgnorth’s top order started well, with only number five Jon Garbett and number three Ed Bennett out for single figures – two and four respectively.

Opener Henry Roberts was run out for 19 and in-form Calverhall bowler Oliver Griffiths accounted for Guy Black for 24.

James White added 25 before he was bowled by former skipper David Hares but number six batter Ben Cresswell took the game away from Calverhall with 55 before was eventually dismissed by Rowe.

But the visitors gave themselves hope of victory when they dismissed the Bridgnorth tail without any reaching double figures as Ian Millard took two wickets, while Rowe finished the job off.

Rowe finished with figures of 3-33, while Hares and Millard both took two, and there was one apiece for Griffiths and Ryan Wilkinson and one run out.

In reply, Andy Green’s half-century gave Calverhall hope of victory but the rest of his team-mates could not chip in as the home side did.

Green finished with 58 before he was caught by White off the bowling of Alex Thomas.

Hares started well but was out caught & bowled by White for 15 while Rowe was out for two, with White once more the bowler.

Wilkinson provided some assistance to Green as he scored a fine 30 but once he was dismissed, the Calverhall resistance crumbled, save for Millard’s 14, as they were bowled out for 134.

This week, Calverhall have no fixture.

Iscoyd and Fenns Bank’s recent poor fun continued as they could only muster a losing draw at home to Wheaton Aston in the Shropshire Cricket League Division Four on Saturday.

The visitors were inserted by their hosts when skipper Duncan Chaplin, standing in for the absent Duncan Wright, chose to give their hosts a chance to set a target.

Callum Morrell’s fine 89 not out set the platform for Wheaton Aston’s win as they posted a solid total of 205-5 from their 35 overs, with opener and skipper Nathan Whittingham adding a fine 32 before he was trapped lbw by James Nicholson.

Fellow opener William Curtiss scored 20 before he was caught by Nicholson off Tom Lea’s bowling.

Joe Marson and Luke Blakemore both added 20 plus each alongside Morrell as Iscoyd toiled to bowl their visitors out.

Five individual bowlers took wickets for Iscoyd, with Ray Dale, Chaplin and Tom Wynne all getting on the board, while Lea also took two catches.

In reply, Iscoyd limped to 126-7 in their 35 overs, stubbornly refusing to be bowled out and not give their visitors the win, but they relied heavily on three scores of 30-plus to guide them there.

Chaplin, opening up, scored 34, with six fours and one six, before he was bowled by Morrell while Wynne scored a fine 31 before he was dismissed by Ben Marston – with Morrell taking the catch in a fine performance.

Lea then scored 30 with two fours and two sixes, but he was bowled by Whittingham as the innings drew to a close.

Marston finished with 3-29 as the pick of the away bowling.

The second XI lost at Allscott Heath’s third XI by 95 runs.

The visitors chose to field first, and skipper Steve Reece would have been happy with his side’s work as they restricted the hosts to 209-6 from their 40 overs.

The platform for the win was set by opener Gary West as he scored a superb 90 before he was bowled by Reece and the rest of the top order also chipped in with fine 20s.

Athar Ansari scored 42 not out and Reece finished with 3-37 from eight overs as third change bowler.

In reply, Iscoyd’s top order were all dismissed cheaply to all-but-end their hopes of chasing their hosts’ target.

Jamie Dowley top-scored with a fine 29 as Iscoyd finished on 114-9 from 40 overs.

Shropshire Cricket League Division Seven

Coton Hall are refusing to give up on their hopes of promotion from the Shropshire Cricket League Division Seven after they thrashed bottom side Forton second XI.

Alex Cadman’s men are 31 points behind leaders Llanidloes but with games beginning to run out, their hopes of promotion are slipping.

On Saturday, Forton won the toss and decided to set their hosts a target, though it is likely Cadman would have inserted the opposition as well, taking advantage of the recent rains.

None of the visiting batters reached double figures for Forton as Dan Thomas and the ever-reliable Patrick McBennett ripped through the top of the order.

Number nine Graham Mugridge was the top scorer with nine as Coton Hall also kept the extras down, conceding just five.

Thomas finished with 4-7 from eight overs, McBennett with 3-13 and Jack Wilson took 2-5 from 1.4 overs.

Rich Cowley was the only wicketless bowler.

In reply, only Cadman – dismissed for four by Mugridge – was out as McBennett and Gareth Rich knocked the runs off for Coton to win by nine wickets.

However, Coton’s fellow north Shropshire side Ellesmere second XI did them no favours as they conceded their clash with leaders Llanidloes.

While the result may not have been in Ellesmere’s failure, the Mid Wales side have stumbled in recent weeks and Coton would have been looking for a favour from their neighbours.

However, Lilleshall are also in the mix to chase down Llanidloes and are just 19 points behind the leaders in what has been a keenly-contested campaign in the lower reaches of the Shropshire League.

Coton Hall have not got a scheduled fixture next week.

Cheshire Cricket League Division Four

Malpas’ clash with Winsford in the Cheshire Cricket League Division Four on Saturday was called off after heavy rain.

The no result means Malpas pick up seven points against a side where Keith Rickett’s men would have fancied their chances of picking up maximum

On Saturday, they host Glazebury from Warrington.