EVESHAM remain at the top of Birm-ingham League Division Three despite a last over defeat at Beacon last Satur-day.

The Avon Street side will need to fare better this weekend when they play host to closest rivals Aston Manor who are just three points adrift in second place.

Overseas all-rounder Daniel Turkich was Evesham's destroyer with an innings of 91 that helped the hosts reach 260-7 and a fine spell with the ball that brought four wickets at a cost of 55 runs from 20 overs.

It proved a topsy-turvy afternoon with Neal Radford making a couple of early breakthroughs after the visitors had won the toss.

However, Turkich struck 91 to help his side to 170-5 with ten overs left - a period of the match that was to prove crucial.

Beacon skipper Mike Smith launched a furious late assault and 90 more runs were added with Will Bailey, Mark Penter and Francois Nel all feeling the full force of Smith's hitting.

The home seam attack didn't fare much better despite the early departure of Ian Suckling as Penter and Barry Clements advanced the reply well past three figures.

However, off-spinner Turkich applied the brakes while also accounting for the Australian who had added 70 more runs to his summer's tally.

Clements then went for 61 and a far from stiff middle order, lacking Mike Granacki who had broken a finger in the field, crumbled alarmingly.

The latter made a gallant late appearance but he was unable to prevent Beacon wrapping up a win in the final over.

Bailey had better luck with the bat the next day when hitting a magnificent 118 in Evesham's comfortable Clubs League win against Bewdley.

Marcus Humpston, fresh from his senior debut the previous afternoon, was another century-maker as he helped the club's Academy side to a five-wicket win over Bewdley's second string.

Humpston had earlier taken four wickets as Bewdley were dismissed for 153 but the loss of three cheap wickets meant the Avon Street side was on the back foot until Hump-ston's superb undefeated 105 made off only 70 balls blasted Evesham to victory.

Ian Stowe and Gareth Howman had scored half-centuries 24 hours earlier, while captain David Higginson fell just short of a third fifty as the second team recorded a winning draw.