Cricket
Leaders Pershore remain the team to catch

PERSHORE maintained their grip on first place in Worcestershire League Division One with a comfortable six-wicket victory over hosts Bromyard on Saturday.

After winning the toss, Pershore skipper Chris Ridings asked the home side to bat on a wicket well protected from the recent bad weather and from the outset runs were hard to come by.

The visitors' pace attack made full use of the conditions which were conducive to seam bowling and the introduction of Joe Fowles - making his first team debut for the season - into the attack swung the game in Pershore's favour.

Bowling with accuracy, Fowles ripped through the Bromyard middle order as wickets fell at regular intervals.

With their score on 116-5, the home side still looked capable of posting a reasonable total but they lost their remaining five wickets in adding just 20 runs as their innings closed on 136, with Fowles taking 5-22 and Luke Dalley 3-30.

In their reply Pershore found batting very difficult against the Bromyard pace attack but David White (26) and Tim Smith (15) laid the foundations with an opening stand of 47.

The visitors continued to build their innings but it was a quickfire 47 from Rob Tidey, with the help of five fours and four sixes, that gave the innings the impetus it needed.

Pershore, with 15 not out from Sean Jenkins, quickly knocked off the runs required to win by six wickets on 138-4 and gain 20 points.

Pershore, with a ten-point lead over second placed Worcester Nomads, host third placed Pedmore, who are 23 points off the summit, tomorrow.

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