IT was a thrilling contest between the top two in the Premier Division of the Worcestershire County League last weekend.

Pershore and Stourport went head-to-head on Saturday, both having enjoyed perfect starts to the 2022 campaign but it was the visitors Pershore who came out on top.

Having struggled initially, Mike Green's 87 from 81 balls helped them to 219 all out.

Craig Wood (68) and Ryan Derrick (53 not out) both batted well but Stourport could not get over the line and finished up just four runs short after 50 overs.

Elsewhere, Droitwich Spa stayed in touch with the top two after a 136-run victory over Astwood Bank whilst Redditch beat Ombersley 2XI by 30 runs.

Old Elizabethans Worcester overcame Stourbridge comfortably by 84 runs but it was another defeat for Colwall, who lost by four wickets at home to Brockhampton.

Into Division One and league leaders Chaddesley Corbett maintained their 100% start to the season with a five wicket victory over Hagley.

Third played fourth as Barnt Green 2XI recovered from their 142 total to skittle Worcester Nomads for 108.

Worcester earned their first win of the season as Rob Goodman's 47 off 28 balls saw them creep past second-placed Lye by a single wicket.

Kidderminster 2XI fell well short of their target as they were beaten by 77 runs in their game with Pedmore and Bewdley picked up their second win of the season against Oldswinford.

The top two teams in Division Two both lost which leaves things looking very wide open as we enter the win/lose/draw phase of the season next week.

Top dogs Himley 2XI remain ten points clear at the top despite being beaten at home by Harborne 3XI who climbed a place in to third, just one point behind Burghill, Tillington & Weobley who beat Enville by fourteen runs to go second.

Astwood Bank 2XI slipped to fifth place after losing by three wickets against Bredon who moved fourth.

In other matches in the division, Belbroughton 1st XI beat Bartestree & Lugwardine, Bromsgrove 2XI beat Alvechurch & Hopwood 2XI by thirteen runs to secure their third win of the season and Mike Rogers (110*) and Alistair Pretty (76*) helped Himbleton move out of the bottom two in a crucial win against Cookley at the bottom end of the table.

Division Three also saw the top two go head-to-head as Netherton put an end to Barnard's Green 2XI's unbeaten start to the campaign, as the visitors fell 15 runs short in their pursuit of Netherton's 192. The top two are seventeen points clear of third placed Redditch 2XI for whom R Chaudhry (8-32) produced an excellent second innings spell to dismantle Old Vigornians in a resounding win at Hawford Lodge.

In other matches, Feckenham kept up with the pace by beating Martley by twenty-seven runs and Old Hill 2XI beat Stourbridge 2XI in a high scoring game at the War Memorial Ground which saw the Glassboys drop to fifth.

Tom Skerrett (97*) helped Brockhampton 2XI seal an important win against Old Elizabethans XI by seven wickets and Parks and Avoncroft comfortably brushed past basement side Coombs Wood 2XI.

West Malvern continued to set the pace in Division Four after a 60-run victory over Stourport-on-Severn 2XI who drop to third after second placed Netherton 2XI posted 300 in their first innings, a score that proved too much for Worcester 2XI.

Elsewhere in the division, Claverley enjoyed a comfortable nine wicket win against Eastnor and Chaddesley Corbett 2XI beat Lye 2nd XI in a high scoring match at Longmore.

Romsley and Hunnington made it three wins from six matches by beating Bromsgrove 3XI by four wickets at home and Rushwick snatched their second win of the season when they beat visitors Five Ways Old Edwardians by just two wickets.