Bridgnorth (257-4) beat Coventry & North Warwick (254) by six wickets

Visitors Coventry & North Warwick were asked to bat first as skipper James Ralph won his first toss of the season, and they had the momentum as a solid start with the bat saw them reach 120-1 at the mid-innings drinks break. Opening bowlers Dale Quiney and Tom Weston ensured a controlled start to the innings, but a sole early breakthrough allowed Coventry to build an ominous platform.

Cumberland’s Jonathan Miles starred with the bat to make 121, punishing a number of wayward deliveries in favourable conditions. The middle overs, however, saw Sam Whitney (2-52) and Dave Exall (5-75) swing the game back towards the home side as seven wickets fell for 62 runs.

Miles counter-attacked late on, hitting three sixes in the penultimate over, so when Quiney (1-16) and Weston (2-57) finished the innings off, a challenging total of 254 was on the scoreboard.

Before this season, Bridgnorth had successfully chased a total of over 250 just once in 11 years of Birmingham League cricket, but with possibly the best batting line-up ever seen representing the Cricket Meadow side, confidence is running high.

A cautious start saw opener Karl Quiney fall for 18 and Ralph for an uncharacteristically sombre 23, as they laboured to 56-2 in the 20th over. This, however, saw last week’s heroes Ryan Lockley and Simon Gregory return to the middle and the pair continued as if they hadn’t left. What ensued was another excellent, game-changing century stand in just 13 overs as the Shropshire pair gave a demonstration of their form and undoubted ability.

When Gregory was dismissed for a run-a-ball 61, Lockley continued to dominate. Scoring 36 runs out of a 49-run partnership with Exall, he was later joined by the returning Weston as the pair ensured there would be no jitters towards the end of the record chase, completed in the 52nd over.

Finishing unbeaten on 115, Lockley had once again emphatically answered the challenge of his skipper at the crucial number three spot, and his superb form has proven the key part of two sensational run chases in two weeks.

Bridgnorth remain top of, and are now the only unbeaten team in, Division Two. Further big tests await the team in the coming weeks, starting with a trip to Sutton Coldfield on Saturday, and it is important for a buoyant side to stay vigilant and continue to improve.