SOLID bowling led by Chris Steele’s 4-49 earned Worcester a hard-fought winning draw at Worcestershire Cricket League Division One leaders Redditch.

Fourth-placed Worcester’s result allowed the chasing pack to claw back important ground.

Cookley and Bewdley had comfortable wins over Colwall and Feckenham respectively to breathe life back into the title race.

Jaimen Rudd took 5-25 as Cookley dispatched Colwall by six wickets in a rain-hit match.

Bewdley’s Jack Mills took 4-27 to ensure an exciting finish to the season may be in store.

Stourport kept their slim title chances alive as Lee Waldron (5-60) helped dismiss relegation-threatened Pedmore for 127 to set up a comfortable run chase.

Eastnor enjoyed a battling winning draw at Hagley who now need a strong finish to mount a title challenge.

Bottom club Droitwich look to have hit form too late with their second win on the bounce against Burghill, Tillington and Weobley.

Phillip Thomas’ 5-57 helped them dismiss the visitors for 168 before Ash Fearnall posted 101. In Division Two despite 118 from Bredon’s Martyn Draper 29 points now separate the top two from the rest.

Second-placed Chaddesley Corbett chased down Bredon’s 227-8 to widen the gap.

Bilal Hassan (75) and Zeeshan Ahmed (62 not out) stayed cool under pressure.

Leaders Evesham were frustrated at home by Bromyard.

After scoring 337-4 thanks to Johnson Lourdhusamy (103no) the hosts had to settle for a winning draw which left them just one point clear.

Ben Hawker ensured Belbroughton’s faint promotion dream stayed alive as he took 5-35 to grab victory against Enville.

At Lye the home side tied with local rivals Oldswinford and Stourbridge Social.

Coombs Wood, inspired by captain Ashfak Hussain’s 5-11, breezed past bottom club Harborne by nine wickets in their relegation battle. In Division Three Ali Pretty struck 137no as Himbleton brushed aside third-placed Bartestree and Lugwardine in a 216-run victory.

They are 25 points clear of Kempsey who lost at home to Alvechurch and Hopwood as Dan Wolstencroft claimed 7-23.

Pretty and Jon Critchlow (88) added 148 for the second wicket as the former built his base before accelerating clinically from 80.

His hundred came in the 47th over before five sixes from Ryan Trattell’s last two overs.  Sean Jenkins (44) struck three sixes and five boundaries and Rob Perrins (16no) helped drive the score to 364-5.

Bartestree had no answer to the seam attack as Perrins (4-42), Sam Jenkins (3-35) and Greg Dale (3-28) ripped through them.

They were assisted by fine catches from the slips as only Wilf Munn (59) resisted the tide before he was snapped up by Stuart Dickenson off Sam Jenkins.  The visitors fell for 148 and Himbleton’s next two games are at the bottom clubs before a final crunch fixture at Kempsey.

Netherton moved into third with a 34-run victory over bottom club Himley.

Rushwick gave themselves breathing space by winning at Malvern with Lewis Hooper picking up six wickets.

Nick Porter (4-12) helped dismiss Astwood Bank for 110 to set up a comfortable victory for Five Ways Old Edwardians.

Martley retained hopes of staying up after dominating a winning draw against Avoncroft but missed chances cost them victory.

Bating first on a damp wicket Dom Jones and Richard Birchley (73) led them to 120-1 before the latter was caught and bowled.

With Alexander Basford (46) hitting boundaries before chipping to mid off, runs flowed.

Jones finished on 133 not out for a season’s best 306-4.

Croft’s batsmen had to work for their runs thanks to Mark Johnson (2-32), Alec Francis (3-43) and Jim Basford (3-19).

They were nine down in the 44th over with top scorer Dan Elliott (26no) at the crease but Martley put down vital chances and a valuable six points eluded them.

Division Four promotion favourites Bromsgrove and Hanley Castle and Upton enjoyed maximum-points wins over Old Elizabethans and Claverley respectively.

West Malvern and Tenbury lost ground at the top as they lost at Kidderminster and Stourport respectively.

Halesowen defeated lowly Worcester and Hallow recorded a rare win over Alveley to move out of the relegation positions.

The Division Five top two enjoyed maximum-point wins to set up a season finale.

Barnt Green bowled out Romsley for 88 to win by 58 runs and Stourbridge overcame Old Hill by 20 runs.

Redditch beat bottom club Enville by six runs and Oldswinford suffered a heavy defeat at Harborne.

Pershore, thanks to Phil Oxley (59) and son Archie (5-21), beat Droitwich by 106 runs.

RESULTS - DIVISION ONE

Colwall 97 a/o 3 J. Rudd 5-28, Cookley 98-4 20. Cookley won by 6 wickets.

Burghill, Tillington & Weobley 168 a/o 3 P. Thomas 5-57, Droitwich 173-6 20 A. Fearnall 101. Droitwich won by 4 wickets.

Bewdley 202-9 24, Feckenham 131 a/o 4 J. Mills 4-27. Bewdley won by 71 runs.

Hagley 200-8 8, Eastnor 174-7 13. Eastnor winning draw.

Pedmore 127 a/o 2 L. Waldron 5-60, Stourport 129-3 24 R.Derrick 50*. Stourport won by 7 wickets.

Worcester 203-6 15 B. Evans 76, Redditch 191-9 6 T. Phelan 63, C. Steele 4-49. Worcester winning draw.

DIVISION TWO

Bredon 227-8 7 M. Draper 118, Chaddesley Corbett 228-8 20 B.Hassan 75, Z. Ahmed 62*. Chaddesley won by 2 wickets.

Enville 67 a/o 0 B. Hawker 5-35, Belbroughton 68-2 20. Belbroughton won by 8 wickets.

Evesham 337-4 17 J. Lourdhusamy 103*, M. Saqib 68, T. Mirza 55, A. Asghar 54, Bromyard 188-7 3 Z. Saeed 52, F. Maan 4-57. Evesham winning draw.

Harborne 106 a/o 1 A. Hussain 5-11, M. Chappell 4-35, Coombs Wood 108-4 20. Coombs Wood won by 6 wickets.

Lye 145 a/o 12 I. Riaz 52, A. Naeem 5-42, Oldswinford & Stour Social 145 a/o 12 M. Watts 51, T. Blunt 6-39. Match Tied.

Old Vigornians 235-4 7 S. Campbell-Ferguson 95, Wormelow 239-8 20. R. Stafford 100, L. Jones 63, C. Lamb 5-79. Wormelow won by 2 wickets.

DIVISION THREE

Astwood Bank 110 a/o 2 N. Porter 4-12, Five Ways Old Edwardians 113-6 20 P. Boycott 4-17. Five Ways Old Edwardians won by 4 wickets.

Himbleton 364-5 24 A. Pretty 137*, J. Critchlow 88, Bartestree & Lugwardine 148 a/o 2 W. Munn 59, R. Perrins 4-42. Himbleton won by 216 runs.

Alvechurch & Hopwood 177-9 24, Kempsey 131 a/o 4 D. Wolstencroft 7-23. Alvechurch won by 46 runs.

Malvern 158 a/o 3 L. Hill 58, Rushwick 162-5 20. Rushwick won by 5 wickets.

Martley 306-3 18 D. Jones 133*, R. Birchley 73, Avoncroft 139-9 1. Martley winning draw.

Netherton 179 a/o 24 S. Storer 4-49, Himley 145 a/o 4 C. Warby 4-23. Netherton won by 34 runs.

DIVISION FOUR

Bromsgrove 299-7 24 A. Hickman 98, J. Matthews 54*, D. Collins 52, Old Elizabethans 119 a/o 3 M. Smith 4-31. Bromsgrove won by 180 runs.

Claverley 87 a/o 3, Hanley Castle & Upton 91-7 24. Hanley Castle & Upton won by 3 wickets.

Hallow 193-8 24, Alveley 104 ao 3. Hallow won by 89 runs.

West Malvern 200 a/o 4 P. Chaundy 69, M. Penkocks 54, A. Davis 5-54, G. Davis 4-54, Kidderminster 203-4 24 J. Beadsworth 61. Kidderminster won by 6 wickets.

Stourport 249 a/o 24 C. Parry 86, H. Anton 4-82, Tenbury 211 a/o 7 T. Gloster 89. Stourport won by 38 runs.

Halesowen 196-9 24, Worcester 139 a/o 4. Halesowen won by 57 runs.

DIVISION FIVE

Barnt Green 146 a/o 24, Romsley & Hunnington 88 a/o 4 A. Hussain 6-28. Barnt Green won by 58 runs.

Pershore 231-5 24 P. Oxley 59, Droitwich 125 a/o 3 A. Oxley 5-21. Pershore won by 106 runs.

Redditch Entaco 102 a/o 24 B. Pearsall 4-19, Enville 96 a/o 4 A. Wafa 4-20. Redditch Entaco won by 6 runs.

Harborne 252- 9 24 S. Saroop 72, C. Parsons 5-36, Oldswinford & Stour Social 88 a/o 4. Harborne won by 164 runs.

Stourbridge 210-9 24 A. Shah 81, Old Hill 190 a/o 7 D. Colesby 4-17. Stourbridge won by 20 runs.