Waqar Ahmad looking to kick on after welcome win

Ahmad was relieved to see a four-game losing streak brought to an end with a comprehensive seven-wicket success against Walsall YPF.

Opening bowlers Matt Wright and Nathan Perry were the stars of the show as they joined forces for fire Walsall out for 50.

Perry made the most of his promotion from the second team to shade the individual honours with figures of 6-29 while Wright picked up 4-20 from the other end.

Graham Cull then struck 28 as Swindon cantered to victory inside 10 overs.

Ahmad had been left frustrated by his side’s start to the season that had left them rooted to the foot of the table.

“We showed on Saturday that we are a lot better than a bottom of the table side,” said Ahmad, whose side entertain Springvale at the weekend.

“Individually we see ourselves as players who should be competing and performing at this level, but for whatever reason we hadn’t clicked collectively.

“We had been playing well for parts of games but not finishing them off.

“We worked hard to get the game on and we got our reward. It was a good performance.

“Getting that first win will give us some momentum for Saturday’s game against Springvale.

“It’s a big game for us and we want to follow up the victory. Saturday will have given us some confidence and we need to carry on playing at the levels we should be playing at.

“Matt and Nathan were brilliant on Saturday.

“Matt has been bowling well but without any luck and he deserved his wickets.

“And it was a quality performance from Nathan. He had been performing well in the seconds and deserved the opportunity in the first team.”

On a rain-affected day, Cannock were the only other side to gain a positive result.

They overcame a top order wobble to beat Rugeley by six wickets.

Spinner Matt Cottrell impressed with the ball, bagging 5-38 as Rugeley were dismissed for 120. Opener Andrew Le Feaver top scored with 35.

Muhammad Sultan then tore through Cannock’s top order as he knocked over the top five.

But James Banks (24) and James Caswell (33 not out) joined forces to guide Cannock to victory in the last over of the three they had gained for bowling Rugeley out inside 27 overs.

“We bowled well but fielded poorly and I think we were a bit lazy at the top of the order,” said Cannock skipper Will Fleet.

“We had a bit of a wobble but the lads at six and seven batted well and pulled us through.”

The win moved Cannock up to up sixth, but within 20 points of leaders Pelsall and Fleet is now looking to cash in on a run of games against three sides – Walsall YPF, Swindon and Springvale – in the bottom half of the table.

“We have played three of the bigger names in Beacon, Hammerwich and Penn and now we face a run of games where if we play positive, proper cricket we will be looking to string a few wins together and see where that takes us,” said Fleet.

Leaders Pelsall increased their advantage despite having to settle for a losing draw in a rain-affected clash with Wednesbury.

Having been put in, Pelsall piled up 241-8 in 48 overs thanks to 78 from Jake Lee and half-centuries from Paul Grainger and Todd Henderson.

The weather had left Wednesbury with a revised target of 137 from 27 overs to claim the winning draw, a feat they achieved thanks to an unbeaten 75 from Arend De Waal Gagiano.

“It was frustrating to end up with a losing draw having batted really well to score 241,” said skipper Danny Pennell.

“But fair play to Wednesbury. They knew what their target was and they could go at it like a 20/20 clash.

“We picked up four more points than the sides whose games were abandoned and we will find out in September how valuable they are.”

The clashes between Whittington and Hammerwich, Springvale and Beacon, and Aldridge and Penn were rained off.