BISHOP’S Castle surrendered nine wickets for a meagre 18 runs in a spectacular batting collapse against Shropshire County League Division Two rivals Welshpool.

Openers Richard Plant (19) and Andrew Lewis (3) were parted with the score on 22, and Castle were then reduced to the rubble of a calamitous 40-9.

Mat McWhinnie (3-14) and Robert Anderson (2-9 off eight overs) did most of the damage and it needed Richard Powell (28 not out) and No.11 batsman Simon Palmer (14) to delay the inevitable with a dogged last-wicket stand of 34.

Though Powell then took 2-4 off just four overs, Welshpool were winners soon after 5pm on 75-3.

Church Stretton were also beaten in the same division, but put up a much better fight in a two-wicket defeat to Much Wenlock.

Skipper Peter Lee, who opened the innings, made 36 and James Evans chipped in 32 towards Stretton’s 170 all out, and Adam Groom then pocketed 4-58 before Much Wenlock squeezed home on 171-8.

Corvedale 2nd were shot out for 72 to lose by ten wickets to Albrighton 2nd, while Bishop’s Castle 2nd lost by seven wickets to Tibberton 2nd, despite Jack Perry’s 59.

Ben Griffiths starred with both bat and ball as Cleobury Mortimer continued their mid-season renaissance in the Worcestershire County League with a four-wicket Division Three win at Rushwick.

They claimed back-to-back wins after Griffiths followed a four-wicket haul with the ball by compiling a match-winning unbeaten century.

Griffiths took 4-43 as Rushwick were bowled out for 232, and he then made 134 not out, batting at number three and coming to the wicket when opener Ed Kemp departed without scoring, to lead Cleobury home on 233-6 with nearly 10 overs to spare.

Last midweek Cleobury Mortimer were beaten by 57 runs in the South Shropshire Twenty20 League, a defeat mainly down to an innings of 102 not out from Clee Hill’s Harry Martin.

The Ludlow player smashed six sixes and nine fours and shared in a second-wicket alliance of 81 with opener Richard Mapp (54). Clee Hill finished on 197-6 and Cleobury were restricted to 140-7, despite an unbeaten 61 from Kemp. Clee Hill gave ten bowlers two overs apiece, with Tim Goldthorp (1-8) the pick.

In the Marches League, Knighton on Teme went under by two wickets in a tight contest with visiting Presteigne.

Matthew James (48) and Mark Evans (42) gave Knighton a solid start, but they were kept down to 184-9 off their 45 overs.

Evans then claimed 3-29 with the ball, and Jack Kitchen 3-32 but Presteigne scraped home on 185-8 with four balls to spare.