WORCESTER Nomads got their Worcestershire League Division One campaign off to an impressive start with an emphatic 170-run victory at Herefordshire outfit Burghill, Tillington & Weobley.

Nomads recovered from 133-6 thanks to Tariq Jamil (73) and Ollie Swift (59 not out) to total the division’s highest score of 263-8 and then rushed out Burghill, Tillington & Weobley for 93 in under 25 overs.

Worcester’s Clark Knapton reduced Pedmore from 52-1 in pursuit of their 172 all out to a disappointing 69 all out, thanks to his outstanding haul of 6-10.

Cookley, a first-time Division One side, annihilated Droitwich, last season’s third-placed finishers.

Droitwich were shot out for a meagre 43 in fewer than 16 overs.

Cookley then raced to secure a comfortable nine-wicket triumph in just 6.4 overs and send a shiver down the spine of the other teams in the top tier.

Colwall registered 24 points at Bewdley after chasing down the home side’s 231-5, including 110 from Bewdley’ s Australian overseas bat Charlie Eastoe.

Colwall’s home-grown Herefordshire farmer Tom Coleman replied with 126 not out in his side’s victory chase. Hagley had a good opening afternoon, thrashing Oldswinford by 131 runs.

Belbroughton defeated newcomers Stourport by four wickets off the final delivery.

Stourport skipper Craig Siwicki, whose side posted 188-5, said: “There were some positives and negatives from the game. Positives were Mike Pratt and Ryan Delo both getting half-centuries but we probably gave away 50 runs in the field, which was the difference.”

Division Two had one drawn game but a maximum 24 points went to newly-promoted Chaddesley, who appeared to have recruited well as Bilal Hassan, formerly of Stourbridge, piled on 133 of his side’s 339-5 to defeat visiting Enville comprehensively.

Lye scored almost as many runs in defeating Coombs Wood, Redditch’s overseas South African, Cody Poole, cracked an impressive 92 to help his side’s first Division two match end with victory over Evesham, despite 6-55 from James Crennan, and Dominies’ Chris Miles made 106 not out to win their match with Bromyard despite 6-40 from Mike Reece. Feckenham’s Tom Coulson’s 6-42 propelled his team to a 20-point win over Bredon.

There was a draw at Alvechurch, where another overseas batsman Australian Lachlan Hartley scored 91 for Wormelow to back up Matt Deem’s 120 as the visitors made 301-5. In reply, new captain Adam Markham-Jones stood firm on 67 as his Alvechurch side held out at 180-9.