All-rounder Josh stars to keep Beacon in the hunt

One week on from taking eight wickets in a victory over Wolverhampton seconds, Chesworth played a key role with ball and bat as the Boys from the Bratch survived a scare to beat Whittington by three wickets.

This time he shared the plaudits with Jack Cartwright, with both taking three wickets each to restrict the visitors to a total of just 144.

Brian Mudzinganyama ensured Whittington at least reached three figures, hitting 79 from 82 balls before being the final wicket to fall when he was run out by Beacon skipper Dan Green.

The home side’s reply got off to a nightmare start with Sam Flavell and Mike Brookes both falling to Matt Griffiths before a run had been scored.

Mudzinganyama, who finished with figures of 5-53, then kept his team in the game after James Fildes (32) and Oliver Green (38) had steadied the ship but it was Cartwright and Chesworth who eventually saw the hosts over the line, hitting an unbroken partnership of 29 for the eighth wicket.

Victory kept Beacon clinging to the coat tails of Tamworth, who now sit 20 points clear at the top after a ruthless performance to beat Brewood.

Andrew Calvert’s patient 50 helped the visitors reach 197-7 from 50 overs but the hosts made light work of the chase, despite Dean Lones claiming two early wickets to leave them 23-2. Scott Daly (65) and Jason Jakeman, who finished unbeaten on 83, promptly added 153 for the third wicket to remove any drama as Tamworth got home with seven wickets and more than five overs to spare.

An excellent innings of 81 from skipper Tom Wright helped Pelsall recover from an early collapse to claim a 24-run win over Wolverhampton seconds.

Seamer Kieron Patel’s devastating early spell had Pelsall in big trouble at 41-6 but Wright led the recovery to a respectable total of 181.

It proved defendable thanks to a fine team bowling effort, Dan Vernon and Mark Pearse claiming three wickets each after Todd Henderson (2-25) had made early inroads as Wolves were dismissed for 157.

The win saw Pelsall move level on points with fourth-placed Fordhouses, who were held to a winning draw at Wombourne.

Batting first in a match reduced to 39 overs-a-side, the visitors reached 191-9 thanks to Michael Gallear’s 62 and a brutal knock of 43 off 34 from Adam Peat, who arrived at the crease with the score was 126-8.

It proved pivotal as Wombourne lost wickets regularly with no-one able to support opener Shakeel Richards, who made 65 from just 53 balls. Oliver Siviter (38 not out) eventually dug in with the tail to guide his team to 161-8.

Milford Hall are sixth after a 51-run win over Penkridge. Opener Waqeer Saleem’s 85 provided the backbone for their total of 231.

Penkridge made a steady start to the chase with Amasn Hassan and Sayyam Hassan putting on 61 for the first wicket but wickets fell regularly from then on, Saleem somewhat fittingly claiming the final two as the visitors were dismissed for 180.

Cannock remain in the bottom two after a 52-run defeat at home to Hammerwich. Half centuries from Andy Malkin and Scott Elstone proved key to the visitors reaching 206-8, with Todd Reeves ripping through the middle order and taking 5-30 as Cannock were dismissed for 154.