Elliott Hitchen stars as Sentinel stay firm

The Australian overseas player top scored with 69 in an innings which included nine fours to propel the Shrewsbury side to 184-8 in a rain-reduced 37 overs.

Tom Matthews assisted with 36, while Joshua Fransman took 3-34. Hitchen then did serious damage with the ball.

He claimed 3-15 from four overs as the Telford outfit were skittled out for 124 in the first ball of the 34th over.

Chris Miller was St Georges' lone resistance with 56 but he had little support. The victory put Sentinel 21 points clear of Wem, who climbed to second.

But captain Ed Ashlin insisted their march isn't down to just Hitchen, who celebrated with his family after his father and two uncles jetted over from Down Under to watch him play.

Ashlin said: "Elliot had a good day. His dad and a couple of uncles came over from Australia to visit him. He's performed really well and he's a quality player.

"He's made a big contribution but we're certainly not a one-man team. It's an excellent group but there's a lot of cricket to go."

Wem stepped up their Premier Division title challenge with a crushing win over Albrighton.

Matt Cohen's side moved up to second place, 21 points behind leaders Sentinel, to take advantage of Quatt's abandonment with a huge 174-run success.

In a match reduced to 45 overs per side, after the teams took an early tea waiting for part of the pitch where the bowlers land to dry out, Wem piled up 228 and were dismissed with eight balls to spare.

Cohen led the way with 87, including 11 boundaries, while Kerwin Mungroo assisted with 31 while Jason Summers did his best to restrict the visitors with 5-46.

But if the batting was impressive, then Wem's bowling was even more convincing as Matt's younger brother Danny and James Astley decimated the Albrighton batting order.

Danny Cohen claimed 5-20 and Astley 4-9 to get the hosts all out for 54 in just 24.4 overs.

Captain Matt Cohen said: "We batted well and our bowlers bowled them out really cheaply.

"Danny's found a bit of form over the last few weeks and he was quite unlucky not to get more wickets.

"Jim cleared up the tail-enders and it was good for him because he hasn't bowled that great this year so, hopefully, that will give him confidence."

Forton's hopes of building on their first win of the season were left in tatters after losing to Frankton by seven wickets.

The Newport Road side were bowled out for a modest 83 in the first ball of the 31st over.

Antony Barrett was their top scorer with just 27 as nine batsmen failed to hit double figures.

Stuart Lammie (3-27) and Michael Eckard (3-17) did much of the damage for Frankton.

He then reached their target in just 15.2 overs thanks to Eckard's 40 not out and 31 from Thomas Wilkie.

Ludlow, in fourth place, kept up the heat on the top three by beating Madeley by 53 runs.

Batting first after being put in, Ludlow had opener Keanu Cooper to thank after he hit 62 off 81 balls in their 220 all out in 38.4 overs.

Luke Miles hit a quickfire 41 off 30 deliveries and Jack Griffiths managed a run-a-ball 33, while Chris Hodson and Barbados overseas player Jeremy Marshall claimed three wickets each.

Madeley closed on 167-9 in reply from 40 overs, despite the best efforts of Andrew Laycock (51) and Simon Woodcock, who hit an unbeaten 36.

Heavy rain meant there was no play in the matches between Broseley and Bomere Heath and Shelton and Quatt.