After the final round of matches played under the Win/Lose/Draw format the status quo remains at the top of the Premier Division as the top four all recorded positive results.

After last weeks poor performance leaders Stourport-on-Severn 1st XI made the difficult trip to the Bottoms to play Pershore 1st XI look easy as they skittled the home team out for a meagre total to complete an easy maximum point seven wicket win in a game which could potentially have been a huge banana skin for the visitors.

Second placed Old Hill 1st XI maintained their winning streak with a comfortable four wicket maximum points win at Flagonners Green against Bromyard 1st XI.

Stourbridge 1st XI beat Old Elizabethans 1st X as the in-form Juhjar Johal (78*) led them home to a seven wicket win at the War Memorial Ground and Jake Browning (113) posted a first innings century and M Qazkhill (5-35) for fourth placed  Astwood Bank 1st XI who maintained their feint hopes by beating Droitwich Spa 1st XI by a wide margin at St. Peters Field, whilst in the other two matches in the division Ibtisam Azhar (72), the fourteen year old son of Worcestershire County Cricket Club overseas player Azhar Ali struck a timely second innings half century for Ombersley 2nd XI in an important win against Redditch 1st XI to move them off the bottom of the table to within a point of safety at the expense of Colwall 1st XI for whom Rob Cook (71) made sure the visitors left with a losing draw against Brockhampton 1st XI at the Parks.   

In Division One leaders Worcester Nomads 1st XI produced an excellent team performance to gain a maximum points win against third placed Barnt Green 2nd XI at Cherry Hill Road, a win that means they require just two wins from their last five matches to guarantee Premier Division cricket next season, however the race for the title looks more likely to go to the wire after second placed Chaddesley Corbett 1st XI remain just four points behind the leaders after snatching a one wicket win against Hagley 1st XI.

In other matches in the division, Coombs Wood 1st XI moved in to third place one point ahead of Barnt Green 2nd XI after posting over three hundred in the first innings which proved far too many for fifth placed Halesowen 2nd XI to chase.

Lye 1st XI had to settle for a losing draw against a Worcester1st XI for whom ‘Bobby’ Khalid (152) smashed a first innings century which because of Hagley 1st XIs defeat at Longmore had the added bonus of lifting his team out of the relegation zone for the first time in a while.

Bewdley 1st XI maintained their recent goof form by beating Oldswinford 1st XI by a healthy margin at Bigmore Playing Fields and finally George Homer (118*) fired an unbeaten first innings century in Pedmore 1st XIs winning draw against Kidderminster 2nd XI who remain at the foot of the table, twenty four points from safety.   

The Division Two contest continues to enthral as following a weekend where the top six clubs all played against each other the positions shifted again to give us new leaders again at the summit.

Last weeks third placed team Enville 1st XI made the long trip to play fourth placed Burghill, Tillington & Weobley 1st XI and left with a maximum points win thanks to second innings contributions from Daniel Sutton (69) and Sam Tonks (50). This win, together with last weeks leaders Bromsgrove 2nd XIs defeat at the hands of Alvechurch & Hopwood 1st XI means Enville 1st XI are now six points clear of Bromsgrove 2nd XI at the top with Alvechurch & Hopwood 1st XI in third place, seven points further back as they were able to move ahead of last weeks second placed team Himley 2nd XI who were well beaten by Harborne 3rd XI for whom Andrew Lloyd (144) scored a big first innings century at the Knotts Ground.

Elsewhere in the division, Bredon 1st XI were forced to settle for a winning draw against Astwood Bank 2nd XI who were nine wickets down when time was called in the second innings at Sambourne Lane.

Charlie Cole (84) helped Bartestree & Lugwardine 1st XI seal a maximum points win against Belbroughton 1st XI for whom Ross Parker 96 fell just four runs short of a second innings century for the visitors and Cookley 1st XI secured an important seven wicket victory against basement side Himbleton 1st XI at Lea Lane which moved them out of the relegation zone at the expense of Belbroughton 1st XI who are now six points away from safety.

In Division Three despite a first innings century from Troy Lee (111) leaders Netherton 1st XI had their near unassailable lead trimmed to sixty-six points when they were soundly beaten by Barnards Green 2nd XI at North End Lane, a result that, added to the news that last weeks second placed outfit Old Elizabethans 2nd XI slipped to fifth place after gaining just one point from a heavy nine wicket defeat at the Memorial Ground against visiting Brockhampton 2nd XI (for whom Alexander Poe 4-16 & Elliott Floyd 4-25 shared eight first innings wickets between them) helped move the South Worcestershire based outfit back in to promotion contention as they now sit in fourth place just eight points adrift of second placed Avoncroft 1st XI who also took advantage of Old Elizabethans 2nd XIs demise when William Baker (171) fired a first innings century in a maximum points win against Coombs Wood 2nd XI (who as a result are now destined to play their cricket in Division Four next season) and just three points behind third placed Redditch 2nd XI who chased down Old Vigornians 1st XIs victory target for the loss of five wickets at Bromsgrove Road to move five points behind Avoncroft 1st XI in third position.

Elsewhere, another team who still harbour realistic promotion hopes Stourbridge 2nd XI sit just fourteen points adrift of the promotion places in sixth after gaining a maximum points winning draw against Old Hill 2nd XI in a match that was shortened by an unfortunate injury that required a lengthy stoppage at Haden Hill and Martley 1st XI continued their up-turn in form to pull further clear of the relegation zone by beating visiting Feckenham 1st XI by eight wickets in a high scoring encounter at the Jewry Field.

In Division Four last weeks leaders Claverley 1st XI were forced to settle for a winning draw against a stubborn Eastnor 1st XI who finished the innings eight wickets down on what must have been an excellent surface at Clenchers Mill Lane, a result which meant that long tome leaders Netherton 2nd XI were able to re-open a five point lead at the summit after Arslan Iqbal (4-28) and Ahsan Zaman (68*)  produced excellent performances in each innings to ensure a maximum point five wicket victory against Worcester 2nd XI for whom Rob Goodman (81) proved the only obstacle.

In other matches third placed West Malvern 1st XI closed the gap to the promotion places to just five points as Craig Miller (117) led them to a maximum points win with a second innings century against a Stourport-on-Severn 2nd XI who, largely thanks to Matt Hatfield (82) had posted a challenging first innings total at Walshes Farm Meadow. Lye 2nd XI sit just four points adrift in fourth place after Raza Jahanzeb (111 & 5-17) starred in a comprehensive wide margin win against Chaddesley Corbett 2nd XI.

Romsley & Hunnington 1st XI suffered an untimely loss at the hands of Bromsgrove 3rd XI who moved further away from danger at the lower end of the table and finally Five Ways Old Edwardians 1st XI beat Rushwick 1st XI at the Masshouse to move in to mid division.

With five matches of Win/Lose draw to go there is still plenty to play for as all teams now switch format to one day mode which elevates the importance of the fifth bowler which will lead to an all-encompassing run in to the season at the top and bottom of all divisions.