Jordan magic in vain as Wardens suffer familiar collapse

The towering seamer exploited a damp pitch to superb effect to finish with five for 17 from 14 immaculate overs as the visitors were dismissed for 103.

On a rain-reduced afternoon, this left Wardens with 47 overs to chase a seemingly simple target. However, their misfiring batting line-up collapsed from 60 for three to 92 all out.

Five of the hosts’ top six made it to double figures but none went beyond skipper Scott Stenning’s 19 thanks to a combination of poor shot selection and good bowling on a difficult surface. Tom Friend finished with four for 23 and Jack Edwards claimed three for ten as the hosts were shot out in only 26.3 overs.

Shifnal’s innings had followed a similar pattern as opener Tom Collins’ 29, plus useful contributions from Friend (18) and Chris Miller (14) saw them to 73 for three. However, this was before Jordan, who found seam movement from a full length, and Sitanshu Kotak, who claimed three for 14 from nine overs, choked the life from the visitors’ innings with some accurate bowling.

A five-wicket haul for Tom Clack, followed by a fine half-century from Jonathan Lewis, saw Barnards Green 2nds to a six-wicket win over their Wardens’ counterparts.

In a rain-reduced 36-over contest, Tom Brammer’s fluent 47, plus a useful contribution from skipper James Madley (23) took the visitors to a competitive-looking 145 all out.

Clack grabbed five for 24 from 10.1 overs, while Lewis Hooper finished with three for 19 against a Wardens side with a lengthy tail.

Home skipper Judd Doughty (35) combined with Lewis (62) to add 88 for the second wicket before Lewis Loader joined Hooper to see the Worcestershire outfit over the line, despite Brammer claiming two for 24.

Fine bowling spells from skipper Simon Gough, Jimmy Bull and Robin de Regt led Wardens 3rds to a third consecutive Cotswold Hills Division Three win.

The hosts’ three-man seam attack imposed an early stranglehold from which visitors Ashorne were unable to escape, after which Wardens’ batsmen made light work of their 145-run chase.

Teenage seamer Bull was the pick of the attack, returning two for 16 from ten accurate overs, while de Regt and Gough’s thrifty spells only conceded 12 and 22 runs, respectively.

Mark Reading (38) and Paul Hedges (23) added 68 for Ashorne’s third wicket, but it still required a late flurry from Phil Whitehead (20no) and Mark Freeman (25) to push the visitors to a competitive total.

De Regt (17) and Rhys Doherty (19) saw Wardens’ response past 50, after which a 56-run third-wicket alliance between Scott Jones (25) and Mike Sorrell (21no), plus an unbelievable 50 extras, ensured a five-wicket win duly arrived with nearly six overs in hand.

Harry Johnson’s all-round efforts caught the eye as Wardens 4ths slipped to an eight-wicket defeat at Tanworth and Camp Hill’s 3rds.

The 13-year old top-scored with a mature 32 in the visitors’ 118 for seven before returning one for 17 from eight accurate overs as T&CH cruised to victory.

Wardens’ skipper Neil Johnson (22) and Jamie Brown (25no) also chipped in effectively with the bat against a steady home attack, led by Carey (2-20) and Frazier (2-23).

Despite a difficult wet pitch, opener Colin Jones’ unbeaten 44, plus 31 not out from Shah, took the hosts past the winning post in the 39th over.