ED Kemp’s excellent knock of 83 was in vain as Cleobury Mortimer slipped further off the pace at the top of Worcestershire League Division Eight by losing at home to promotion rivals Claverley seconds.

In what was virtually a one-man innings, Kemp made more than half his side’s total as they were skittled for 138, with skipper Sam Evans (18) the only other batsman to reach double figures.

Claverley cruised past the target inside 26 overs, losing just four wickets to register a comfortable win and move into third place.

Opener and skipper Kamran Choudhary (93) scored the bulk of their runs before eventually falling to Kemp (2-42), who headed the bowling figures for Mortimer as well as top-scoring with the bat.

A run of one win, two abandonments and three defeats in their past six games has dropped Cleobury to fifth in the table, 43 points off the top two as the season’s halfway mark approaches.