KENILWORTH Wardens suffered a first loss of the 2016 season in the Birmingham Premier League at home to Walsall.
Having been put in to bat by the visitors, Wardens struggled from the off, losing their first six wickets with less than 60 on the board before Harry Johnson (50) and James Madley (26) provided the only significant resistance of the innings.
Josh Topliss (5 for 38) and Sandeep Dhaliwal (2 for 28) did the early damage for Walsall, before Dhaliwal returned to claim the vital wicket of Johnson.
Topliss and Samuel Mills (2 for 43) then finished off the tail to leave Wardens 145 all out in the 49th over.
Walsall’s response began cautiously with two early wickets for Tom Brammer (2 for 16) and he was supported by tight bowling by Nick Whiting (1 for 22) who exerted significant pressure on the Walsall batting line up.
Opener Daniel Betty stood firm to make 46 before he was dismissed by home skipper Mark Pidgeon (3 for 34), after which Steven Plant (55 not out) played well while wickets fell around him to steer the visitors to a tense two wicket victory at the end of the 48th over.
