REDDITCH Entaco will be looking to bounce back at home to Lye on Saturday after suffering their first defeat of the Worcestershire League Division Two season last weekend.
However, the Kingfishers still hold a healthy 37-point lead over second placed Chaddesley Corbett despite their two-wicket loss at Evesham.
Batting first, Redditch lost the previous weekend’s double centurion Rizwan Choudry for 18, but solid knocks from Jack Roberson (40), Russell Southwick (46) and Tom Field (39) put them in a healthy position until a mini-collapse saw the Kingfishers stutter and the innings finished on 234-9 off 50 overs.
Redditch struck early with the ball to leave the home side struggling on 13-2 but Shafqat Zaman (90), Malik Naveed Khan (25) and Sajjad Khan (26) repaired the damage with positive strokes to get Evesham over the line.
Skipper Greg Chinn (3-29), Waqas Ali (2-41) and Field (2-41) were the pick of the bowlers.
THE 2NDS slipped to their first defeat in five Division One 2nd XI matches as Evesham completed a weekend double over the Kingfishers with a four-wicket victory at Bromsgrove Road.
Redditch posted 257 all out in 49.3 overs as Marlon Lokenath led the way with 66, Nick Fowkes chipped in with 48 and Raheem Basharatt contributed a breezy 47. Nasir Mehmood took 6-55.
Evesham batted in a positive manner and an excellent 82 from Aqeel Abbas Rana and 59 not out from skipper Mehmood saw them home with 3.1 overs to spare.
The 2nds travel to Hagley on Saturday.
SUNDAY’S 1st XI South T20 match was an entertaining affair as Worcester took the points with a seven-wicket victory against a strong Redditch side.
The Kingfishers posted 156-5 off their 20 overs as Russell Southwick continued his good form with the bat by scoring 53 off 28 deliveries.
Southwick received good support from Dan Protherough (37) as they put on 66 for the third wicket before captain Waqas Ali added 20 not out in quick time in the latter overs.
Worcester got off to an excellent start as openers Nick Brown (19) and overseas star Fabian Allen (98no) smashed the ball to all parts of the ground.
Allen’s knock came off just 45 balls and included 12 fours and five sixes as the visitors eased home in just 16.5 overs. Tom Kitching took 2-22.
On Sunday (3pm) the Kingfishers entertain Overbury in the semi-final of the Canterbury Cup Plate semi-final.