MALVERN continued to make progress in Worcester and District League Division One with a hard-fought 2½-1½ victory over Kidderminster Rooks.

John Knee won quickly for the table-toppers but Geoffrey Herbert could make no impression on his opponent and a draw was agreed.

Bottom-of-the-table Kidderminster drew level when Matthew Jordan lost in a complex game but Ian Clarke broke through his opponent’s defences to win the game and the match.

Malvern lead the table but have played two matches more than their nearest rivals Redditch ‘A’.

They head to Redditch for their next match in the league competition on Tuesday, March 10.