LUDLOW CC’s lively bowlers did the business on Saturday, helping their side to a 17-run victory over visitors Albrighton in the Premier Division of the Shropshire League.

Having been skittled out for just 108, it looked like being a tough afternoon for The Burway side before seamers Matt Kennedy, Louis Watkins and Luke Miles had the visitors on the back foot with skipper Will Sparrow also causing chaos with his spin.

They combined to send Albrighton back to the pavilion with a paltry 91 on the board, just two batsman reaching double figures.

Sparrow won the toss and elected to bat only to lose former captain Sam Edwards for four.

Dylan Grinker (25) and Harry Martin (26) began to build a decent partnership and had put on 39 against the testing opening bowlers before the former was trapped lbw.

From then on, runs became hard to come by and Jack Griffiths (15) and Keanu Cooper (10) were the only other batsmen to finish in double figures as Ludlow collapsed from 72-2 to 108 all out.

Albrighton took confidence from a very strong bowling display and looked to continue the game in the same vein by hunting down such a low total.

But it wasn’t to be with both openers falling to Kennedy (2-37) with only 21 on the board. The economical Watkins was at the other end, keeping the pressure on the chasing team.

Spinner Sparrow (3-31) then came to the attack and took the wickets of the next three batsmen.

At 71-6, the lower order tried to dig in and see out the overs but the excellent Watkins (3-7 off 9.1 overs) and Miles (2-10 off 11 overs) cleaned up the rest of the field with five overs remaining.

While Sparrow and Watkins took more than half the wickets between them, the Ludlow skipper admitted seamer Miles proved the star turn with the ball.

“We’ve got a good balanced attack but Luke was the pick of the bowlers,’ the captain said. “At one point he bowled six maidens in a row.

“It means that if Matt Kennedy isn’t firing on all cylinders then we have other options. We put ourselves in trouble on Saturday and the bowlers got us out of a hole. Even though we were defending a low total we still felt confident – we must have one of the best bowling attacks in the league.”

Ludlow entertain Wem tonight [Thursday] for a T20 cup fixture starting at 6pm before heading to St Georges at the weekend.