SECOND-placed Martley celebrated promotion from Worcestershire Cricket League Division Four with a comfortable victory over Alveley, who were relegated in the process.

Alveley made a measured start but two wickets apiece for Dan Johnson and James Edwards kept them in check.

A rare wicket for Ivan Moore thanks to an acrobatic catch at short extra from Johnson reduced the visitors to 52-5.

A bizarre set of circumstances, including an injury, reduced Martley to eight men for a while.

But veteran Jim Basford took a few wickets and Johnson made inroads into the lower order, finishing with a career-best 6-47 as Alveley finished on 162 all out.

Martley’s reply set off briskly with Pat Bibby finding the boundary regularly as fellow veteran Rob Ganderton held his end up.

Bibby tucked in with 84 and the eight-wicket win was finished off by Dom Jones (40 not out) and John Magahan (20no).

A young Martley second XI gave a good account of themselves at Barnards Green fourths before going down by 71 runs when all out for 124 chasing 196 to win.