CLEOBURY Mortimer CC are hoping their honeymoon period at the league’s summit will not end this weekend – but face a tough task with several players committed to another type of ‘top table’.

A handful of Cleobury players will miss Saturday’s top-two clash at home to second-placed Bredon because they are attending a wedding.

Skipper Sam Evans, one of Mortimer’s top performers this season, is among those missing but he thinks his side has enough strength in depth to cope with the absences.

“It will be a difficult game but I’ve got confidence in the lads and their ability, they know what they have got to do,” Evans said.

“The players missing are ones with experience and ones who have all chipped in with runs, wickets and catches, so it goes without saying they will be missed.

“It’s not an ideal situation with the form we have been in as you would want your best players when playing second in the league but we have a good team environment.”

Mortimer thrashed Kempsey seconds by 183 runs for a fourth win in five games to stay atop Worcestershire League Division Eight.

Evans top-scored with a boundary-laden 85 but the rest of the top order – Oliver Green (45), James Manley (37) and Jake Wadhams (30) – all contributed as Cleobury posted 276-8.

In reply, Green (4-21), Evans (3-16) and Manley (2-15) skittled the hosts for just 93.

Evans added: “We were aware we hadn’t posted a good score in our previous games but we had managed to defend the totals. But on Saturday we did the job with the bat.

“Hopefully we have proven to the other teams in the league that we are not just a bowling side.

“The top four put a big chunk of the score on the board but the whole team delivered and I can’t really stress enough how outstanding we have been at bowling and fielding.”

Elsewhere, Tenbury Wells moved up to fourth place in Worcestershire League Division Nine after continuing their unbeaten start to the season with a winning draw at home to Stourbridge fourths.

Wells were 71-3 at drinks after 22 overs, opener Tom Pugh contributing a steady 34, before some late big-hitting, 108 runs from the final 14 overs, enabled them to post 222-7.

Aaron Morris hit 41no off 18 balls, while David Hunt was also unbeaten on 41, Dave Gordon – on his return after a couple of years away from the side – struck 38 and Jamie Farrar hit 29.

In reply, Robbie Farrar (4-24) took a wicket in each of his first four overs to leave the Stourbridge top order in tatters.

But the visitors’ tail proved stubborn and their final pair batted out the last two overs to prevent a Tenbury win.