After the title and both relegation places were settled earlier this month, the only outstanding issue in the Birmingham Premier Division was which side would finish as runners-up and on Saturday, Barnt Green eased to an eight wicket victory over Brockhampton to earn the spot.
The Herefordshire side were dismissed for 158 with Tom Burton (3-18) and Simon Mugava picking up three cheap wickets apiece. In reply, an unbroken stand of 126 for the third wicket between Ed Pollock (70 not out) and Henry Mobberley (54 not out) secured the silverware for Barnt Green.
If Brockhampton had beaten Barnt Green, the door was open for Berkswell to climb above the eventual runners-up and they gave themselves every chance by thrashing Kenilworth Wardens by eight wickets. Arjun Bath (40) and Anthony Wilkinson (35 not out) were the best of the Wardens batsmen in their total of 165 for seven with Dave Brignull taking 3-34 for Berkswell, who slipped to 19 for two before an unbeaten third wicket stand of 150 between Mark Best (73 not out) and Tom Lewis (76 not out) saw Berkswell finish in third place.
Best faced 56 balls, hit 10 fours and three sixes, while Lewis faced 47 balls and struck eight fours and six sixes. The hapless Wardens attack conceded defeat in 19 overs and finished the season in ninth place. Champions West Bromwich Dartmouth wrapped up their season in style with a three wicket victory over eighth placed Kidderminster Victoria at Chester Road with one ball to spare.
Neil Pinner (71), Mark Pardoe (55) and Michael Hill (44) powered Kidderminster to 269 for seven with Zeeshan Asif taking 4 for 59 for Dartmouth. Asif, then, cracked 83, Mo Sajid hit 52 and Kadeer Ali scored 50 to see Dartmouth to a nail-biting 13th win of the season.
2013 Champions Shrewsbury continued their strong finish to the season with an eight wicket win over Walmley, who they defeated in last week’s Williamson Trophy Final.
After James Brocklebank (61) and Chris Whittock (36) had taken Walmley to 93 for two, the Warwickshire club collapsed to 143 all out with Elliott Green taking 5-17. Shrewsbury required just 15.4 overs to knock off the required runs with Ed Foster striking 57 from 31 balls, Steve Leach unbeaten on 36 and Alex Blofield providing a stunning finish with 39 not out from 17 balls, an innings that included six fours and two maximums.
Shrewsbury finish in fourth place, while Walmley finish in tenth place for the second year in succession. Although Knowle & Dorridge ended in fifth place, 17 points ahead of sixth placed Dorridge, it was the latter who took the “local” bragging rights by completing a seasonal double over their nearest rivals.
Alex Phillips hit 60 in a K & D total of 215 for nine before Warwickshire duo Jonathan Webb (105) and Laurie Evans (34) steered Dorridge to a four wicket victory. In the match between the already relegated duo of Walsall and Himley, it was Walsall who came out on top, by seven wickets, after Himley had been dismissed for 129.
Ben Smith was the only batsman to shine for Himley with 75 before an unbeaten 51 from skipper David Powles saw Walsall finish 41 points ahead of the side that they will face, again, next year, in Division One.