Ian Gregory and Peter Scott shone with both bat and ball as Bridgnorth secured a second 24-point win on the bounce as their red-ball fortunes continued.

Choosing to bat first in favourable run-scoring conditions, Gregory and Adam Binfield both started strongly as they capitalised on some early loose deliveries from the Shifnal attack. A 77-run stand was eventually broken in the thirteenth over as the visitors turned to spin, before Gregory went on to reach his half century.

However, pace off the ball saw Bridgnorth’s middle order struggle to maintain the same tempo, as Ian Gough dug in for 29, but at 163-6 with seventeen overs remaining the home side were in danger of being dismissed for a well below-par total. Following the third drinks break, Peter Thompson and Peter Scott looked to counter-attack the slower bowling to push the total past the 200-mark, before cameos from Ash Bowler and skipper Mark MacPherson-Lees supported Scott, who fell on the penultimate ball of the innings for a crucial 49. A final blow over the square leg boundary from Gaz Mumford saw the innings finish in style, ending on 252-9.

Upon resumption, Bridgnorth were cock-a-hoop as opener Jack Shields was run-out at the non-strikers end in the third over as Gregory got a hand to a straight drive, before Scott produced a beautiful piece of off-spin to slide one back into the left-hander who played no shot.

Two of the briefest rain breaks delayed proceedings slightly, but as petrichor filled the air after months of wall-to-wall sunshine, the Cricket Meadow men saw their fortunes change in the field. With the ball being hit in the air, MacPherson-Lees took a well-judged catch running backwards at mid-on, before Bowler took a smart grab running to his right as the irrepressible Gregory struck twice in three deliveries, reducing the visitors to 38-4 in the thirteenth over.

Fellow spinner Jed Schwarzbach then combined with Scott to take another wicket apiece as the scoreboard read 51-6, but Shifnal captain Matt Denver and keeper Will Hartley came together to change the momentum and work themselves back into the game. Their 65-run stand frustrated the hosts as they worked hard with a bowling attack weakened by availability, before Schwarzbach made the key breakthrough to get Hartley for 50, thanks to another smart catch from Gregory.

With Scott having just completed a marathon 15-over session, it seemed a run-out, a catch, a half century and two wickets with the new ball wasn’t quite enough as Gregory returned for what turned out to be a match-clinching second spell. At 140-8 in the 36th over, with Shifnal appearing to be looking for draw points, Denver’s defences were finally breached for 37. Schwarzbach (3-79) then broke through for the ninth. The first ball of the 42nd over, saw a thick edge taken greatly by Thompson at gully, as Gregory completed his day with 4-50, and Bridgnorth clinched their 48th point in 8 days.

Bridgnorth II (79) lost to Allscott Heath (83-4) by six wickets

Unfortunately, fortunes did not go the same way for the second team, as they were well-beaten at third-placed Allscott after being dismissed for 79.

Opener Rich Ealey and talented all-rounder Ethan Osborne-Welch were the only players able to particularly trouble the scorers in the opening salvos of the contest, before Isaac Lunn dug in with the lower order. But the home side’s bowlers remained well on top, as Bridgnorth were bowled out in the 33rd over.

Tidy but ultimately fruitless spells were then sent down by Osborne-Welch and the returning Jack Riley-Craig, before Michael O’Sullivan picked up 3-35 and Alfie Proctor grabbed 1-9 as the hosts eased to their target off eighteen overs.