EARLY batting failures proved costly for Colwall as they went down by five wickets at home to local rivals Eastnor in Worcestershire League Division One.

Asked to bat on a lively pitch, Joe Blight was first to go for the basement side, caught off Saheed Lone for 13.

And it was soon 27-3 as Ben Cooke holed out off Mohammed Hasnan and James Abel quickly followed.

Fergus Cameron held out stubbornly until he was trapped in front to Lone with the score on 51.

Skipper Ben Wheeler threatened a revival before offering a return catch to Tariq Jamil having reached 44.

Matt Morgan and Mike Gooch both succumbed shortly after the total limped past 100 and only a belated flurry of boundaries from Henry Coleman (23) and Ancil Nedd (20no) took the final total to 155-9.

Lone (2-16), Hasnan (2-26), Jamil (3-35) and Mohammed Munir (2-21) shared wickets for Eastnor, who made a solid start to their reply before Dan Newby broke through trapping Tariq LBW.

Newby and Gooch both bowled tightly, but the total had reached 112 before Hasnan was caught by Blight off Nedd’s off-spin for 40.

Nedd then collected a second wicket thanks to a fine stumping by Wheeler, but Ahmed reached 56 before Gooch had him caught with the total on 147. Gooch added another wicket, but Eastnor eased to their target.

Colwall edged home by two wickets at Eastnor in Second XI Division One.

The home side were restricted to 166-9 with James Febery taking 4-44.

In response, Idris Mohammed hit two sixes in a typically aggressive half-century.

Rich Watkins (4-46) and Josh Emery (3-34) bowled well, but PJ Recordon (31no) and James Wagstaffe (19no) saw Colwall home at 167-8.

The thirds clinched a third win in four games after a five-wicket success at Almeley in Marches League Division Two.

Harry Evans took 5-23 from 11 overs as Almeley were bowled out for 133.

Matt Jones hammered four sixes in a rapid 36 and skipper Chris Conlon (30no) saw his side to victory with ten overs in hand.

The fourths lost by 82 runs to visitors Bosbury in Division Four with John Henry shining with bat and ball.