Every Monday this season the Bears, in association with Complete Cricket, will round up the weekend's action from the top two divisions of the Birmingham & District Premier League.
The season began on Saturday with the first of eleven 50-over matches to be contested over the initial five weeks and final six weeks of a 22 match League programme (the remaining 11 matches to be played over 55 overs per side with a win/lose/draw format).
A new innovation, delayed by 12 months due to the pandemic, sees all 50 over matches played in coloured clothing with white balls and black sightscreens.
Birmingham Premier League
Division One
Berkswell 299 for 8 (50 overs)
Smethwick 175 all out (41.5 overs)
In a game featuring seven past and present Bears, all-rounder Ateeq Javid starred with bat and ball. He scored 123 (150 balls) for Berkswell while former Warwickshire spinner Sunny Singh was pick of the bowlers for Smethwick with 4-43. In reply, Smethwick fell 124 runs short with Ryan Sidebottom and Tom Milnes doing early damage before Javid completed a great individual performance with 4-45.
Kidderminster 205 all out (49.3 overs)
Walsall 207 all out (44.3 overs)
Walsall recovered from 60 for 5 to post 207 thanks to a middle order rally from new captain Dan Betty (40). Pick of the bowlers were Chris Steele and Liam Weston with three wickets apiece. Kidderminster’s reply looked on track thanks to former Worcestershire player Matt Pardoe (81) but fell agonisingly short mainly thanks to openers Ravan Chahal (4-32) and Jordan Bulpitt (3-20).
Knowle & Dorridge 95 all out (29.1 overs)
Shrewsbury 220 all out (50 overs)
K&D elected to field, boasting a strong pace attack lead by the Bears’ Henry Brookes, who, together with skipper Jack Grundy looked to have put them in control with Shrewsbury languishing on 95-6. However, valuable runs from Matthew Swift and Tyler Ibbotson rallied Shrewsbury to 220 and, thanks to an inspired performance from another Bears seamer George Garrett (3-23) and Sam Ellis (4-21 inclusing a triple wicket maiden) Shrewsbury coasted home inside 29 overs with only Alex Phillips (46) showing resistance.
Moseley 87 all out (23.1 overs)
Barnt Green 261 for 6 (50 overs)
Put into bat, Barnt Green amassed 261 largely thanks to Worcestershire’s Jacques Banton (110 from 132 balls), younger brother of Tom Banton. Banton was ably supported by keeper Amrinder Brar (46) and Dominic Harding (59). All-rounder and former Bears Academy product Brinder Phagura (3-29) was pick of the bowlers for Moseley. Moseley’s line up featured another Bears Academy product Bavik Patel, plus Andrew Umeed who spent two years on Edgbaston staff, but neither had an answer to the Barnt Green attack. Moseley were skittled for 87 by Oxfordshire seamer Robbie Shurmer (3-11) and Banton’s slow left arm spin (3-2).
Ombersley 154 for 9 (50 overs)
West Bromwich Dartmouth 156 for 8 (43.5 overs)
Ombersley have recruited heavily over the past 12 months and featured George Panayi and Richard Jones both who have represented the Bears in recent years, plus former Academy Keeper Ben Griffin and Warwickshire Pathway coach Tom Brown. Put in, they battled to 154 for 9 thanks to a late cameo from Richard Jones (26*). The 2020 Birmingham League Player of the Year, Omar Ali, took 3-22. West Brom also found batting conditions tough and limped over the line in the 43rd over thanks to Omar Ali (34) and ex England International Kabir Ali (33) despite the best efforts of Brown (3-36) and Gareth Andrew (3-17).
Shifnal 124 all out (41.1 overs)
Leamington 129 for 5 (28.2 overs)
Batting first, Shifnal faltered to 121 all out thanks to a blistering opening spell from Warwickshire pace bowler Craig Miles (4-9). Not content with that Miles then helped Leamington over the line with 31 not out from 40 balls. Alex Riley was the pick of the Shifnal bowlers with 3-20.
Division Two
Barnards Green (234 all out, 48.4 overs, Zahid Kafiat 5-29, Ashlea Brewer 45) lost to Wem (258 all out, 47.3 overs, Martyn Davies 103, Danny Cohen 4-35, Mohit Kale 3-29) by 24 runs.
Bridgnorth (155 all out, 40.5 overs, David Exhall 34, Matty Simmonds 4-40) lost to Kenilworth Wardens (237 for 9, 50 overs, Henry Cullen 38, Andrew Leering 38, Tommy Rex 3-32, Josh Baker 3-30) by 82 runs.
Harborne (284 all out, 43.1 overs, Tom Payne 107, Guriq Randawa 34*) lost to Oswestry (334 for 5, 50 overs, Ryan Lockley 156, Matthew Richards 56, David Laird 50, Warwick Fynn 5-42) by 50 runs.
Himley (235 for 7, 50 overs, Callum Lea 64) lost to Dorridge (239 for 4, 45.3 overs, Ben Shepperson 114*, Ashish Chakrapani 54) by six wickets.
Pelsall (178 all out, 43.3 overs, Tom Boyd 45, James Harris 3-60, Jamie Holmes 3-26) lost to Bromsgrove (290 for 9, 50 overs, Freddie Fallows 49, Connor Smith 53, Mark Evenson 3-27) by 112 runs.
Wolverhampton (242 all out, 47.5 overs, Amritpal Singh 36, Jack Stanley 3-79) lost to Halesowen (345 for 8, 50 overs, Alexei Kervezee 93, Jamie Harrison 52, Jamie Harris 78, Alex Hinkley 76) by 103 runs.
