Lilleshall 2nd 118-7 Bishop’s Castle 119-1

BISHOP’S Castle are having their best-ever season in the FBC Manby Bowdler Shropshire County League.

They are already guaranteed to at least match their current best fourth place finish in Division 2.

But Castle still have their eyes set on a top-two promotion spot.

They trail second-placed Ellesmere by seven points.

Simon Palmer (4-18 off 16 overs) helped them to restrict Lilleshall to less than three runs an over, and when they batted, Andrew Lewis (43 no), Edgar Whately (50) and Richard Fifield (19no) knocked off the runs in just 26 overs.

Church Stretton were no match for table-topping Market Drayton on their own pitch. Drayton declared their innings on 255-8 off 39 overs and then bowled Stretton out for 103 in 34.1 overs and won by the huge margin of 152 runs.

The ever reliable Martin Nichols and Peter Lee shared five wickets, but at a price, and the same pairing top-scored with 22 apiece when Stretton batted.

Corvedale’s hopes of becoming Division 3 champions took a jolt when they were bowled out for 85 by third-placed Wheaton Aston with Nathan Whittingham (7-43) causing most of the problems.

Wheaton romped home by eight wickets in 20.1 overs.

Ludlow 3rd had a losing draw against Acton Reynald 2nd in a re-ar r ranged home game on Sunday.

Chasing Acton’s score of 193, Ludlow finished up 25 runs short, on 169-8 after their 40 overs.

Andrew Hillman (6-31) and Phil Scott (3-38) bowled well for Ludlow.

Nick Russell’s half-century and five wickets for Richard Langford were the highlight of Bishop’s Castle 2nd’s losing draw at Much Wenlock 3rd.