Wardens brushed aside with ease by a rampant Shrewsbury

Andy Whitehall (31) and Arjun Bath (83) laid a solid platform for Kenilworth Wardens in their 2nd XI clash with Shrewsbury. Picture: Morris Troughton

Mike Barnard, Sam Griffiths and Charlie Morris shared nine wickets to see Martin Donald’s team off for a paltry 107.

The visitors’ return journey down the M54 was then delayed by only a further 17.1 overs while Steve Leach and Ed Foster sauntered to victory.

Tony Wilkinson and Nick Seager, who were Wardens’ fifth opening pair in six league games this season, got to 22 with relative comfort before both fell forcing the pace.

This triggered a collapse to 39 for six, when Tom Brammer was unluckily run out, before Sitanshu Kotak (36) and Nick Sale (19) ensured the total did at least reach three figures.

Barnard claimed three for 35 from 17 excellent overs, while Griffiths finished with three for 44 and Morris nipped in with three for 11 from eight as Wardens were dismissed in the 43rd over.

Leach launched the home response in a positive manner, reaching the boundary three times and clearing it on a further three occasions, in his 38-ball 48.

He added 87 with opening partner Foster, who remained unbeaten on 51 in the company of Will Parton as the finishing post was passed.

Udit Talati registered Wardens’ sole success with the ball.

Wardens captain Mark Pidgeon grabbed a five-wicket haul as his team’s Birmingham League 2nd XI Division One clash with visitors Shrewsbury ended in a thrilling draw.

Slow left-armer Pidgeon (5-62) and his wingman Rahul Trivedi (3-53) produced superb spells which ended Shrewsbury’s quest for a 279-run victory target at 252 for nine.

The Shrews last pair then survived five deliveries to claim a draw in a match which was a fantastic advert for traditional format league cricket.

Prior to Pidgeon’s intervention, the visitors had looked likely winners for much of their innings thanks to opener Liam Brown’s superb 114.

He received excellent support from top-order colleagues James Hulton-Harrap (31), Jehan Bilimora (33), Richard Williams (22) and Matthew Swift (21), who exploited Ian Maddocks’ superb Glasshouse Park batting pitch to good effect.

Earlier, Wardens’ openers Arjun Bath, who struck 10 fours and 4 sixes in his 83, and Andy Whitehall (31) had got the home innings off to a flier.

Fifth-wicket pair Harry Johnson (43) and James Madley (36) built on this, before Pidgeon’s late flurry further ruffled Shrewsbury’s feathers.

Hulton-Harrap claimed three for 65 and Jack Garmson three for 42.