Jack Pope and Matt Coles combine to end Milford’s fine run

Pope finished with figures of 5-18 from 3.3 overs and combined with Matt Coles, who also finished with five wickets, to skittle the early season pacesetters for just 96.

Callum Morrell then blasted 83 from just 55 balls as Penkridge, who moved up to fourth in the table, chased down the target without losing a wicket in 16 overs.

Beacon replaced Milford Hall at the Premier Division summit and remain unbeaten after a mammoth 235-run win over West Bromwich Dartmouth seconds. Mike Brookes’ blistering 137 from just 126 balls helped the home side rack up 301-8 and Dartmouth then showed little resistance with the bat. Jake Cartwright took 6-26 as the visitors were bowled out for just 66 in under 27 overs.

Seamer Wahab Shahid took a five-wicket haul to help Walsall finally record their first win of the season.The 60-run victory over Brewood was a much-needed morale boost for the struggling Gorway Road outfit which also lifted them above Darmouth and off the bottom of the table.

Shahid’s efforts were key in a low-scoring contest which saw hosts Walsall dismissed for 168 after opting to bat first, Vissal Shinwari top scoring with an unbeaten 37 from 98 balls and Brewood bowlers Dean Lones and Will Marsh both taking four wickets.

Nico Van Zyl then removed both visiting openers before Shahid tore through the middle order, Brewood losing five wickets for just 13 runs and collapsing to 71-7, a blow from which they never really recovered.

Fordhouses were another team to win big as they thrashed Wombourne to move above their hosts and up to third in the table.

Awais Kurshid claimed 4-10, while Johar Ahmed picked up three wickets as the home side were dismissed for 97 in under 30 overs, opener Nathan Howell (31) the only player to pass 20.

Visiting openers Niall Cooper and Mubeen Rashid needed fewer than 12 overs to chase down the target, the former finishing unbeaten on 63 from just 46 deliveries.

Raul Ram’s 86 helped Pelsall record a 38-run win at Old Wulfrunians Tettenhall.

Ram played the anchor role and shared in a match-defining fifth-wicket partnership of 149 with Peter Stevens (62 not out) as his team recovered from 80-4 to post 231-6 from their 50 overs.

A near run-a-ball from 40 from opener Gurpret Basra then helped build a solid base to the Old Wulfs chase but while several batters got in, no-one was able to go and make the telling contribution which would likely have nudged their team over the line.

Skipper Jack Stanley and Nimanda Madushanka both reached 32 before perishing and from being well in the game at 132-4, Old Wulfs eventually stumbled to 193 all out.

The closest match of the week took place at Cannock, where the hosts fell 13 runs short of victory against Hammerwich.

Andy Malkin top scored with 74, while Varun Bali made 52 as the visitors reached 207-8 from 50 overs.

Opener Muhammed Sultan then thrashed 60 from just 31 balls to help the home side get more than halfway to the target for the loss of just two wickets.

But Cannock’s progress was checked by the bowling of Hasan Ali and John Jennings, who gradually worked their way through the middle and lower order to eventually finish with four wickets apiece.

From 168-9, a 26-run 10th-wicket partnership between Phillip Heighway and Dan Wood briefly rekindled some home hopes before the latter was trapped leg before by Craig Jennings to end the contest.