THE two top Birmingham and District Premier Cricket League Division One clubs had their big encounter reduced to 20 overs-a-side by the rain.

Sent in to bat by visitors Ombersley, Bromsgrove managed 133-6 with Ash Newdick (46) top-scoring, while Joe Dodd added 32 and Worcestershire’s Alexei Kervezee chipped in with 20.

Jason Smith picked up 4-43 for Ombersley, who responded with 130-6 after another Worcestershire player, Gareth Andrew, opened with 38.

James Ganderton took 3-34 before Graeme Whiles bowled a dot ball at the end to prevent a win for the villagers.

Third-placed Bromsgrove earned 11 points from the draw and Ombersley’s haul of five kept them top of the table but Smethwick moved level on 135 in an intriguing title race.

The West Midlands outfit recorded a 36-run win over near neighbours Harborne in a match reduced to 45 overs-a-side.

Smethwick were floundering on 112-8 before an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 63 between Thomas Butt (57 not out) and Waseem Shah (21no) improved their score to 175-8 at the close.

Tom Payne took 4-38 for Harborne, who were dismissed for 139 in reply as Dalton Polius top-scored with 49.

Former Warwickshire seamer Naqaash Tahir claimed 4-27 and Shakeel Janjua 3-43 for the home side.

Wolverhampton have moved menacingly into the promotion frame in fourth after a high-scoring game against Wellington.

In an innings reduced to 47 overs after a delayed start, Wolverhampton hit 264-5 with former Indian Test player Wasim Jaffer scoring 129.

Ross Aucott finished unbeaten on 62 against the club he played for last season but his former team-mates came up short on 198-7 despite a superb 118 from Glamorgan’s Gareth Rees.

Struggling Wombourne reached 42-1 at fifth-placed Worcestershire outfit Barnards Green when the match was abandoned without further play.

In the Premier Division, bottom-of-the-table Himley came away from a rain-affected match at Barnt Green with a losing draw.

Worcestershire’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit 65 as Himley scored 171-9 in 38 overs with wickets for Josh Poysden (3-29) and Simon Mugava (3-30).

In reply, after further overs were lost to rain, Green faced a target of 110 for a winning draw.

They cruised to 120-5 thanks to the efforts of Will Baker (36), Sam Cheshire (29no) and Nathan Newport (27).

Danny Smith was the most successful Himley bowler with 3-27.

The weather also had a major say in the game between Walmley and Herefordshire side Brockhampton even though it started on time.

The first stoppage came after 18 overs and, following a lengthy delay, a further 18 were possible which resulted in a Walmley total of 118-5 from 36 overs.

Navdeep Poonia was unbeaten on 46 and 16-year-old opening batsman Jamie Harrison scored 37 on his league debut.

Chris Boroughs picked up a couple of wickets for Brockhampton before rain won the day.

The match between Kidderminster Victoria and Dorridge was abandoned without a ball being bowled after a torrential storm prior to the start. Division Two leaders Leamington Spa were struggling on 69-6 against Worcester’s Old Elizabethans when the match was abandoned after 24 overs.

The same fate also befell the match between Stourbridge and Whitchurch, which was halted at exactly the same point with the visitors on 89-3.

It allowed Penkridge to take advantage with a narrow seven-run win over Attock to move up to second position, 15 points ahead of third-placed Eastnor, who they face next week in Herefordshire.

Tariq Jamil (45 not out) and Atiq ur-Rehman (42) were the leading scorers in Eastnor’s total of 270-6 at Water Orton, who finished on 197-8 in return.

Grant Roscorla hit 45 and Chris Murphy scored 40 in a match without an individual half-century, while ur-Rehman’s 5-54 in the hosts’ innings highlighted his claims to be the leading all-rounder in the division.