Worcestershire County League full round up

Stourbridge extended their lead at the top of the Premier Division when they beat Redditch by forty eight runs in a low scoring match at Bromsgrove Road. 
The Glassboys are now twenty nine points clear of second placed Stourport-on-Severn whose match against Old Elizabethans was abandoned after just over twenty two overs were possible and forty eight points ahead of Pershore who dismissed Worcester cheaply in the first innings to set up a nine wicket win in a rain reduced match which keeps their outside chance of the title alive and elevated them to third, three points ahead of Old Elizabethans. 
Elsewhere, Astwood Bank stayed in fifth after Tom Pedley (113) struck a second innings century to help them to a comfortable nine wicket win against Old Hill who were dragged back in to the relegation battle alongside Brockhampton whose home game against Bromyard lasted just six overs as heavy rain prevented any further play and Colwall who gave themselves some breathing space by beating Bewdley by five wickets at Stowe Lane in another rain reduced affair.  
Just twenty eight points separates seventh place to eleventh with Bewdley looking doomed a further forty four points adrift at the foot of the table and in desperate need of serious upturn in form if they are to survive. The climax to the season looks to be enthralling at both ends of the table as we now move in to the final five matches of the season which will be played under the Win/Lose/Draw format  
It was a similar story in Division One as leaders Droitwich Spa took full advantage of the abandonment of second placed Ombersley 2nd XIs match against Pedmore when they beat Worcester Nomads by six wickets at Whitegates Farm. They now enjoy a thirty two point lead over Ombersley 2nd XI with Feckenham who also took advantage of Ombersley 2nd XIs misfortune when they beat Belbroughton by eight wickets to narrow the gap to just one point in third.
Elsewhere, fourth placed Lye were another team to suffer as their match at Oldswinford & Stourbridge Social was abandoned without a ball being bowled at Albemarle Road which leaves them nineteen points adrift of the promotion places. Coombs Wood were also abandoned against bottom team Burghill, Tillington & Weobley which gave Hagley the chance to close the gap to mid division which they did by beating Chaddesley Corbett by five wickets in a rain reduced match at Longmore.
In Division Two the matches between Astwood Bank 2nd XI and Barnards Green 2nd XI, Enville and leaders Barnt Green 2nd XI and Kidderminster 2nd XI and Himley 2nd XI were all abandoned with very little cricket played.
These results gave the chasing pack the opportunity to close the gap to the promotion places which they all took. Bredon bounced back into second place by beating Netherton by six wickets, Bromsgrove 2nd XI moved in to third place just five points behind after beating Himbleton for whom Jon Critchlow scored (94) in the first innings and Halesowen moved back in to serious contention in fifth place, within eight points of the promotion places  after Charlie Egerton (4-19) and Ciaran Baker-Smith (4-20) shared eight first innings wickets between them in a ten wicket victory against Cookley who slipped to eighth.
Just twelve points separate second position from seventh in this tightest of divisions.
In Division Three Harborne 3rd XI reduced the gap to just three points at the top of the table when they beat leaders Alvechurch & Hopwood by one wicket of the last ball of a rain reduced run chase and last week's second placed team Bartestree & Lugwardine's match against fourth placed Martley was abandoned without a ball being bowled. 
Elsewhere, Redditch 2nd XI beat Rushwick by a narrow margin in a rain reduced match, a win which helped them move above Old Vigornians whose match against Old Hill was abandoned after a brief start and drops Rushwick precariously back in to the relegation zone eight points behind Avoncroft who beat fellow strugglers Worcester 2nd XI by seven wickets in another rain affected game at Norton Barracks and fourteen points behind Old Elizabethans 2nd XI who got the better of Brockhampton 2nd XI in a low scoring rain reduced match at Neel Park. 
In Division Four the heavy showers played a huge part in tightening proceedings at the top of the table as Coombs Wood 2nd XI prospered by beating Pershore 2nd XI whilst the matches between top of the table Netherton 2nd XI and Stourport-on-Severn 2nd XI and Stourbridge 2nd XI and Romsley & Hunnington were both less fortunate as they were both abandoned. This all means that just twenty three points now separates the top three (Netherton 2nd XI, Coombs Wood 2nd XI & Stourbridge 2nd XI) with Five Ways Old Edwardians who also dodged the showers to beat Bromsgrove 3rd XI in a rain reduced game a further forty one points adrift in fourth place which suggests the promotion race will be between the top three.
At the lower end of the table the relegation battle is hotting up as the bottom six are now separated by just thirty four points after Damon Gariff (83*) helped Bewdley 2nd XI to a comprehensive nine wicket win against Chaddesley Corbett 2nd XI in a rain affected match at Lower Park, a win that elevated them to eighth and extended the gap between themselves and the relegation zone which is now occupied by Romsley & Hunnington and Pershore 2nd XI after Lye 2nd XI crept over the line to secure an important one wicket victory against Eastnor in a low scoring game at their Stourbridge Road  ground which in turn lifted them seven points clear of the relegation zone.