MALVERN are looking for a big improvement at home to Oldswinford and Stourbridge Social on Saturday (1pm) after suffering an eight-wicket thrashing at Worcester Dominies.

The promoted visitors lost comprehensively in Worcestershire League Division Two against a team who played in the top-flight last season.

Malvern produced an abject display at their local rivals after batting first in a 45-over-per-side match when the rain cleared.

A solid start was provided by Andy Cullen and Anthony Arnold but the latter fell for seven to veteran bowler Darren Freeman.

David Cox (21) played solidly and was joined by Max White after the wicket of captain Cullen (29).

A promising partnership ended as White (22) holed out at mid-off which signalled a mini-collapse in the Malvern innings.

Fine work by youngsters Lewis Hill (15) and Matthew Reed (17) saw Malvern to a disappointing total of 146 all out in 40.4 overs.

The Dominies reply was brutal with Steve Miles and John Hancock plundering average bowling from the Regency Road outfit.

Miles finally fell to Chay Ankers for 51 with the score on 82 after just eight overs of action.

Hancock proceeded to play faultlessly as he raced to 70 not out and took Dominies over the winning line on 147-2 in just 17 overs.

The second XI found the going easier in hosting Romsley and Hunnington in Division Three.

Man-of-the-match Ash Jones blasted through the visitors' batting, taking his best bowling figures for Malvern with 5-15 off just eight overs.

The visitors made just 57 in their innings and although Malvern did not have it all their own way, they reached the target of 58 for the loss of eight wickets.

Romsley were asked to bat first and Jones was aided by stand-in captain Andy Croft (2-3), Chris Prosser (2-16) and Tom Fairclough (1-10). Malvern’s reply started badly with opener Mike Arnold (1) caught early.

Connor Walwyn kept the Romsley attack at bay before being bowled for 11 and the usually reliable David Sharp got out for a cheap one.

Ian Walwyn (4) was bowled and a mix-up between batsmen saw Rhys Humm (1) run out.

Jones departed for nine, Kieran Smith for seven and Fairclough for four before Jake Powell (7 not out) scraped the win for Malvern, who head to Bartestree and Lugwardine on Saturday.

Malvern thirds crashed by 184 runs at Worcester Nomads thirds in Division Seven.

Nomads' 328-2 featured 178no from Jamie Oliver and 56 from Roger Dixon before Nigel Dexter (5-21) helped remove Malvern for 144 despite 43no from Joseph Kyte.