Shropshire Star

Bowlers help Wem to close in on title glory

Wem are within touching distance of a second successive Shropshire County Cricket League title after a perfect Bank Holiday weekend.

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Carl Quiney and Ryan Quiney with wicket keeper Harry Chandler and Tom Astley bowling.

The table-toppers collected a maximum 48-point haul thanks to Saturday’s success against Wellington and Monday’s crunch victory over championship rivals Worfield.

The back-to-back home wins took Wem 23 points clear of second-placed Worfield with just two games remaining, the first of which sees them travel to arch-rivals Whitchurch on Saturday.

“It was a perfect weekend, two wins and 48 points,” said skipper Sam Peate.

“We are now 23 points clear with two games to go and the aim is to carry on doing what we have been doing.

“Saturday’s game at Whitchurch will be a tough one. It’s our local rivals and I wouldn’t think they will want to see us win the league.

“But hopefully we can put ourselves in a position where we can finish the job off against Ludlow the following week.”

Both Bank Holiday victories were built on impressive bowling displays, with Wellington restricted to 158-6 from 50 overs before Worfield were pegged back to 163-7, Karl Quiney top-scoring with an unbeaten 79.

Danny Cohen led the way with 2-17 from 11 overs against Wellington and then bagged two more victims against Worfield.

Alex Ollerenshaw also claimed a couple of wickets in the top-of-the table showdown, but it was the work of spinners Ben Peel and Raj Biswa that set up the game.

Peel went wicketless but conceded just 26 runs from 15 overs, while Biswa picked up 1-33 from 13 overs.

Both games saw Wem reduced to 20-odd for three, but they recovered from those early setbacks.

Biswa (49), Matthew Cohen (47) and Martyn Davies (34 not out) saw them to a four-wicket triumph on Saturday while Harry Chandler top-scored with 49 as Wem got home with two wickets to spare against Worfield in a game where the visitors just used left-arm spinners.

“I was a little bit concerned against Worfield when we were three down for 20-odd, as was the case at Wellington on Saturday, but it worked out for us in the end,” said Peate.

“We made things a little bit more difficult for ourselves by losing a couple of late wickets, but we got the job done. Worfield bowled 37 overs of left-arm spin against us, no pace or seam bowlers.

“Our spinners Ben and Raj had bowled really, really well.

“At one stage they were looking good for 200 and if they had got that then I think they would have probably won.

“But we restricted them to around 10 runs between overs 30 and 40 and that’s where we won the game.

“It was also a good bowling display against Wellington on Saturday.

“We have bowled well all season. We are the sort of side that looks to contain teams and build pressure.

“And that has worked, we have only gone for 200 once all season.”

Worfield had gone into Monday’s clash on the back of a 68-run success against Allscott Heath with Will Cook and Ryan Quiney their star men.

Cook made a fine unbeaten 117 as Worfield declared after 46 overs on 271-5.

Spinner Quiney then picked up 6-35 from 13.4 overs to help bowl out Allscott for 203 – Jason Summers top-scoring with 58.

Allscott were then beaten by Sentinel on Monday.

After opting to bat first, Sentinel made 201, with Malcolm Serplet scoring 61 and George Cheshire and Connor Cheshire chipping in with 30s. Joshua Norris took 4-36.

George Cheshire (5-30) and Alex Johnson (5-53) then combined to bowl out Allscott for 163.

Monday’s remaining clash saw Wellington get the better of Whitchurch at Orelton Park.

On a day when the bowlers held the upper hand, Vansh Bajaj claimed 5-29 as Wellington were dismissed for 131.

Skipper Wendell Wagner top-scored with 41, while Josh Pistorius added a useful 36 batting at nine.

Pistorius then excelled with the ball, recording superb figures of 7-35 from 15 overs to help shoot out Whitchurch for just 98.

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