2025 Premier Division Round Up Week 3

A game of high drama in South Shropshire saw Ludlow maintain their winning start but left Wem probably wondering how they ended up on the losing side. With what looked like a long tail on paper the hosts needed and got big runs from Luke Miles (74) (on the left of the photograph) and Jason Oakes (75), and with Salahuddin Malik smashing an 8 ball 24 at the end they would have been delighted with a score of 251-6. Alex Ollerenshaw took 3 scalps, and with the visitors batting all the way down to 11 they would have been confident of chasing against an attack without star bowler Joe Williams. South African pro Karabo Mogotsi has made a good start to life in the SCCL and it continued here as he dominated the home bowlers, although wickets were falling at regular intervals at the other end (Kate Brazier particularly impressing with 3-43). He reached his 100 with the score at 198-7 and then kicked on, meaning he had reached 134 with just 3 required and plenty of overs remaining. Magotsi was then dramatically caught by Will Gough off Miles, and with Wem captain James Astley joining brother Tom it was left to Jason Oakes to sensationally bowl his opposite number and clinch a famous 1 run victory. 

Jason Oakes “what a fantastic win for the team, we initially felt 250 was maybe enough but the way Karabo batted, he put them in a position to win the game. We got a few wickets at the back end and were perhaps quite lucky to get over the line in the end but another hard fought win with several valuable contributions from the group”

Allscott Heath produced another outstanding performance, this time at Quatt, that ended the hosts long unbeaten home record. Batting first the visitors lost Jason Summers early, but with Luke Thornton playing a mature knock of 57 and Kuldeep Devatwal and Austin Rowley contributing 32 and 31 respectively, they were able to post a competitive if not excessive score of 195. Jed Edwards was once again in the wickets taking 3-33 with all of Alex Biddle’s change ups working to a degree and at tea he would have been hopeful of a successful run chase. However Callum Starling has an in form attack at his disposal, all capable of keeping things tight and with the home batters slightly becalmed they were able to check the run rate while chipping away in the wickets column. Ryan Wheldon with 48, Tom Whitney (27) and Luke Daly (25) all made contributions and at 142-4 with 8 overs remaining the hosts were perhaps slight favourites. The captain then lost Brad Thornton to injury and entrusted his son Connor at a crucial stage of the game and the young Starling more than stepped up to the plate, dismissing Daly and Ben Byram in consecutive balls. Despite a couple of late blows from Jed Edwards, Connor was able to wrap up the 27 run win and end with 3-38. 

Callum Starling “What a win, another week where we have ground out a proper team performance, we thought it was a defendable total although we know Quatt are a formidable side at home. Luke played a fine sensible knock, and others chipped in again. That’s Connor’s first 1st team wicket and he really stood up for us with Brad injured.”

SCCL/Quatt chairman Howard Sanders “it was a great game of cricket, to see a young lad of 16 step up like that and hold his nerve is very impressive and I can’t praise him or Allscott enough, it was a hard fought game played in excellent competitive spirit and a good advert for the League for sure”

Once again an Ed Ashlin masterclass in obstinacy and determination laid the foundations for a Sentinel win on the road at St Georges, the captain’s score of 53 aided by a sparkling 62 from overseas Aaryan Dixit meant the Engines’ total of 229 always looked a competitive one. Faisal Khan, Sunny Singh and Anwar Haq split 9 wickets equally from 7 bowlers used by captain Azaad Rafiq. The Sentinel attack may not have the stellar names but is equally  full of variety and they chipped away at the hosts after they had made a solid start of 60 for the first wicket. Young allrounder Jacob Binnersley who has struggled early season with the bat came good with the ball and his 3-37 along with 2-18 from the venerable Shane Gwilt, dragged the game the visitors way particularly when Sunny Singh departed for a fairly turgid 31 and Zabiuallah Safi for a polar opposite 34. It all meant Sentinel could wrap up a 29 run win and maintain their tremendous start to the season. 

These are dark times for Whitchurch, last year’s champions continuing their disastrous start to the season after being thumped by Shelton by 177 runs, the hosts remaining bottom of the table. Ben Matthews outstanding career best 150 had his captain Simon Jones positively purring, calling it “the best knock in the clubs recent history”, and it laid the foundations for a fine total of 304 against an attack that rarely has an off day but did so here. Jack Morris with 48 and Saleh Ahmed’s 35 also helped but it was Matthews who rightly takes the plaudit, his 119 ball innings with 15 fours and 4 sixes really was a stunning contribution and impressed many of the home patrons watching on. Dan Bowen and Shabbir Khan tried their best to stem the runs with 3 wickets apiece, but it looked a daunting total at halfway and so it proved with Jones and Sam Griffiths, on his seasonal reappearance, proving once again why many believe they are the best new ball pair in the league. They each struck 3 times to reduce the hosts to 29-6, and whilst skipper Bowen and Shaf Ahmed did their best with 38 and 34 respectively to make the total semi respectable, they then came back to  wrap up proceedings, Jones with 4-20 and Griffiths 4-24. 

A delighted and relieved captain spoke afterwards “Ben was outstanding, he hit the ball clean and hard and we are a happy camp tonight, after a bit of a tricky start to the season on and off the field. We have had issues with the Indian Pro he’s not coming now but hopefully we have another iron in the fire who will soon be adding to the group“

Madeley returned from Mid Wales with their first win of the season after a hard fought win against Newtown whose home form, which many of us felt would be the bedrock of their season giving them early wobbles. At various stages the hosts looked set for a big number, at 85-3 and even 121-5 they had plenty of overs in which to add to the total, but the introduction of Nadeem Ahmad and Oli Davis precipitated a big collapse that ended the innings inside 30 overs. Davis with 4-10 and Ahmad’s 3-34 all meant that Madeley were only chasing 138 and despite early success for captain David Laird who went onto take 5-35, they got home by 3 wickets. Oli Davis completed a fine game with 41 and veteran Ian Walker back with the club for another spell saw it home with 30no.

Finally, Wellington are quietly going about their business and comfortably defeated their fellow relegated BDPCL club Bridgnorth by 75 runs at Orleton Park. Batting first the hosts were in early trouble, pro Brian Mudzinganyama with his 3rd duck in 4 innings for the club, while a rare low score for captain Dan Vaughan reduced them to 6-2, but with Dan Lloyd playing sensibly they successfully rebuilt the innings. Lloyd steadied the ship and then accelerated late on requiring 8 runs off the last over for a fine hundred and duly sealed it with a six, his 103no is the 7th hundred of a fine career. For Bridgnorth, Matt Martin chipped away, ending with 4-36 but for the 3rd week running they faced a pretty daunting run chase this time of 240. At 106-3, they may have felt in with a chance, but the hosts always have that ability to turn the screw and Matt Stinson (2-22), Oliver Smith (2-22), both saw action and that left Matt Simmonds to wrap up the game with 3-6. Once again Bridgnorth were credible in defeat but still await that first win. 

Dan Vaughan “Really pleased with our start, the league looks strong all the way down and some of the results elsewhere certainly bear this out.” On the pro’s early struggles :