TENBURY maintained their promotion push at the top of Division Four of the Worcestershire League with a six-wicket victory over visitors Hallow.

And with the next four games against sides below them in the table, the Penlu side are in a strong position going into the final stages of the season.

Skipper Zack Yarranton won the toss, put the visitors in to bat and then needed a makeshift spinner to take some wickets.

“Marcus Griffiths normally opens the bowling with me but he was carrying a bit of a knee injury,” the captain explained.

“He did mention though that he could bowl a bit of off-spin so I gave him the ball and he did really well – he says he might keep bowling spin!”

Griffiths ended with 3-31 from his ten overs while Rob Farrar also impressed with 1-15 from his ten-over quota as the visitors finished on 181-7. Yarranton, Tom Gloster and Mark Yarranton took the other wickets to fall.

“I think we are all feeling the effects of the season on the bowling front,” the skipper added. “We all looked a bit tired, Marcus had a bad knee and I had a bad back.

“They batted really well but we still felt as though we should reach our target.”

The reply stuttered right at the start with opener Andrew Adams being caught for just one and Tom Rawlings was unlucky when he dragged the ball on to his wicket when on 17.

But Keir Sellars hit a solid 71 and Rob Farrar added a useful 15 to keep Tenbury on track with Gloster (49no) and David Hunt (10no) finally knocking off the winning runs with more than 12 overs to spare.

Yarranton’s side make the trip to Stourport 3rd on Saturday and the captain knows it could be a tough test for his players.

“It’s always a tough fixture against Stourport – I’ve netted with them and they have some good players,” he said. “I’ve been lucky because although we lose three players this weekend, we have three others coming back into the side. We’ve had a squad of 15 or 16 all season and that has seen us over the holiday period.”

One of those set to make their return will be teenager Henry Anton who missed the Hallow match because he was playing for Marlborough College at Lord’s as part of Rugby School’s 450th anniversary.

“It’s going to be a bit of a reality check for Henry,” the skipper added. “Having walked from the Long Room last week he’ll be playing on a school field and putting his pads on in the back of the car!”