LUDLOW completed an unwanted nap hand of five straight August defeats as they succumbed at Shropshire League Premier Division opponents Wem.

Matthew Cohen contributed 104 not out towards Wem’s 236-7, and it proved more than enough as Ludlow were bowled out for 120. Jack Griffiths hit eight fours in his 52, coming to the wicket at 8-2 and departing at 80-7, but support was sadly lacking.

Not one Church Stretton batsman got to double figures as they collapsed to 43 all out in a 138-run defeat by Shrewsbury 4th in Division Two, while Bishop’s Castle were indebted to a half-century from Richard Fifield as they beat nine-man Prees by five wickets.

Prees laboured to 108-8 off 36.1 overs and Castle then lost Andrew Lewis, Jack Purkis and Richard Plant for single figures before Fifield stepped in with a match-winning 50 not out.

Ludlow 2nd beat Wem 2nd by 39 runs, skipper Willy Wood hitting 44 and Courtney Cooper 27 not out towards their 165 and debutant seamer Tom Miller pocketing 3-20 as Wem were dismissed for 126. Ludlow 3rd could only field ten men against Shifnal 3rd in Division Three, and were well beaten by 159 runs - Scott Kemsley emerging with some credit with 3-58 and a defiant 21 - but Ludlow 4th paced themselves to beat Corvedale 2nd by nine wickets in Division Five, with openers Phil Lewis (92) and Robin Hillman (90 not out) sharing a match-winning stand of 205.

Zack Yarranton bagged a league-best haul as Tenbury wrapped up a successful season in Division Five of the Worcestershire League with a seven-wicket win over Barnt Green 3rd.

He snapped up 6-36 as Barnt Green were dismissed for 123, and Ben Thompson then hit 46 to see Tenbury, who finished third in the table, to victory on 126-3.

Cleobury Mortimer owed much to opener Ben Griffiths as they beat Old Vigornians in Division Three. He scored 90 of Cleobury’s 184 all out and Old Vigornians then lost a couple of early wickets to David Shorter (3-48).

They recovered from 4-2 to what looked a promising 110-3, only to then slip to 140-7 and 176 all out as James Manley (4-18) snapped up four late wickets.

In the Marches League, Knighton on Teme signed off with a battling 18-run defeat by Division Two champions Glangrwyney.

The visitors recovered from a poor start to 133 all out - Dan Pullen taking 3-32 and Richard Smith 3-35 - and Matt James (34) and Smith got Knighton off to a decent reply with a stand of 38. Jack Kitchen then fortified a wobbling middle order with 48 but from 95-4 Knighton subsided to 115 all out.