LUDLOW maintained their pursuit of the Shropshire County Cricket League crown with a comfortable eight-wicket win at Market Drayton on Saturday.

Led by Courtney Cooper (3-24), the visitors kept a tight stranglehold on proceedings to restrict Market Drayton to 118 for nine off their 50 overs.

Cooper claimed the scalp of opener Alex Owens for a single run and skipper Jack Allman soon followed for nine. Alex Harris (20) turned out to be the home side’s highest scorer until Joe Williams (2-16) proved his nemesis.

Dumisa Ngcwembe (18) and Fergus Meredith (13) put up the only semblance of a fight before Luke Miles (2-23) worked his way through the tail for Ludlow.

The reply got off to the perfect start as Will Gough contributed 22 to skipper Will Sparrow’s 65-run blast from just 38 deliveries.

Sparrow’s impressive knock featured six fours and a pair of sixes before he was trapped leg before wicket by Harry Cooke. Jack Griffiths (11*) and Sam Edwards (7*) then saw Ludlow over the line on 119 for two with more than 33 overs to spare.

Sparrow’s men sit third in the Premier Division standings, two points off second-placed Worfield and 15 behind leaders Whitchurch.

There was no shock in Division Two as rock-bottom Church Stretton were consigned to an eight-wicket home defeat to Ellesmere.

The hosts were in a muddle from the off on a meagre eight for the loss of three wickets before James Warburg came in and posted 33.

Warburg’s quadruple of fours briefly steadied the ship with his partnership of 44 alongside James Evans (15) adding some much-needed respectability to matters.

Tomas Quraishi (16) weighed in with some important runs but the support was lacking as George Duncan (3-22), Ashley Thomas (2-13) and Felix Ashley (2-17) helped to restrict Stretton to 94 all out.

Openers Jonathan Mitchell (48*) and Kieran Barry (37) ensured there would be no jitters for Ellesmere and while Gabriel Williams (2-26) got rid of them both, the visitors totalled 96 for two from 13.1 overs.

In Division Three, Dan Ashley’s remarkable 173 was somehow not enough for victory as Ludlow III had their match at Chelmarsh abandoned.

Ashley rattled off 24 fours and six sixes as the visitors waltzed to 323 for eight off 40 overs but Chelmarsh were on the pace when the action was curtailed 21 overs into their response.

Edward Riley (2-31) had seen off Connor Glendinning (39) and Matthew Ellis but Elliott Ward’s 83 threw the cat amongst the pigeons.

He was ultimately dismissed by Jayden Burnley but with the score at 176 for three, Ludlow only gained 11 league points to Chelmarsh’s 13 in the final reckoning.

Ludlow II (80) lost by 78 runs at Pontesbury II (158-8).