South Staffordshire title race is heading down to the wire

Both teams won again to ensure Fordhouses’ lead at the Premier Division summit remained at 14 points with now just four matches remaining, though the contest cannot yet be declared a two-horse race with third-placed Wombourne just seven points further back after racking up their 11th victory of the campaign.

Fordhouses were made to work for their win over relegation-threatened Lichfield with a pair of impressive all-round performances from Muhammad Imran and Johar Ahmed eventually seeing them home.

Imran hit 64 and Ahmed an unbeaten 51 in the home team’s total of 233-9 from 50 overs, opener Niall Cooper top-scoring with 76.

Lichfield, who began the day just two points clear of the bottom two, were then threatening to chase the target down at 151-4 before Lewis Peat dismissed visiting skipper Stuart Fielding for 45.

Imran, who finished with figures of 4-28, then removed the dangerous Callum Heanan as the final five wickets fell for just 23 runs and Lichfield were bowled out for 201. Ahmed mopped up the tail to finish with 3-52.

Things were much more straightforward for Milford Hall, who cruised to a seven-wicket win at Cannock after bowling out the hosts for just 87.

Kasun Abeysinghe took three wickets, while Conor Shrehorn, Stuart Phazey and Aaron Afford took two apiece.

Milford Hall needed fewer than 14 overs to chase down the target, inflicting a defeat which leaves Cannock looking nervously over their shoulders, just 12 points clear of the drop zone.

Wombourne also claimed an emphatic win as they beat Penkridge by 149 runs.

An excellent century from Nathan Howell, who hit 103 from just 87 balls, helped lift the hosts to 278 after being put into bat.

Penkridge lost Andy Jones to the third ball of the reply and never properly recovered, Ben Hudson and Charlie Walker taking four wickets each.

At the other end of the table, Aldridge kept alive their faint hopes of beating the drop with a 17-run win over fellow strugglers Tamworth seconds.

Captain Matt Parker’s unbeaten 119 helped them set a total of 226 which proved just beyond the visitors, who collapsed in dramatic fashion after Dan and George Baker had put on 137 for the opening stand of the reply.

Robert Steadman finished with figures of 4-40 as Aldridge picked up just their second win of the summer.

Pelsall closed the gap on fourth-placed Beacon with an emphatic 101-run win over the latter, while Hammerwich were victorious by six wickets in their mid-table clash with Walsall.