Old hand Jordan rolls back the years to rip through Old Hill

The veteran seamer took full advantage of a green-tinged Glasshouse Park pitch to grab six for 32 from 16 unchanged overs.

With Sitanshu Kotak mopping up the tail at the other end, this left the hosts chasing a meagre 75, which openers Keith Bell and Nick Seager duly knocked off with the minimum of fuss.

With seven matches remaining, six of which will be played in a 50-over win/lose format, Wardens now sit 20 points clear of the chasing pack following a 14-match unbeaten run.

Crucially, they are also 66 points clear of third-placed Wellington, and are now short-priced favourites to end a three-year absence from the top flight in 2014.

After removing Old Hill opener Nitesh Patel with his opening delivery, Jordan’s accuracy and seam movement troubled all the visiting batsmen.

They slumped to 20 for four before Jared Daniels delayed Wardens’ charge with a battling 42.

However, Old Hill’s respite proved temporary, and when Daniels became Jordan’s third lbw victim, Indian slow left-armer Kotak nipped in with three cheap wickets to pack the visitors off in the 32nd over.

Powerful opening batsman Seager then smashed 15 from the second over of the hosts’ response, after which Old Hill’s five-man attack never really threatened Wardens’ opening pair.

Seager hit three sixes and six fours in his 34-ball unbeaten 49, while acting captain Bell found the boundary five times in his 27 as Wardens romped home in the 12th over.

Harry Johnson’s accomplished 90 steered Wardens 2nds to a workmanlike five-wicket win at Water Orton.

The teenage opener struck two sixes and seven fours in his fine knock to ensure the visitors passed their 190-run target with nine balls remaining.

He shared an 83-run opening partnership with Paul Smith (32), before three quick wickets brought Water Orton back into the match.

However, Johnson then accelerated sharply against the change bowlers and, in the company of fourth-wicket partner Jon Sanders (29), took Wardens most of the way to victory with a fine 85-run alliance.

The pair fell in quick succession with the finishing post in sight, leaving Mike Challis-Brown and Jack Vickery to administer the last rites.

Medium-pacer Craig Turner took three for 32 for the hosts.

Earlier, leg-spinner Tom Ballinger and seamer Nick Whiting imposed a mid-innings stranglehold as Water Orton struggled to combat a painfully slow pitch.

Ballinger finished with the outstanding figures of two for 17 from 15 overs to thwart the best efforts of veteran Peter Clare, who battled his way to 66.