KIDDERMINSTER Cricket Club have secured their Premier League status for another season despite mixed fortunes over the Bank Holiday weekend.

At Halesowen, on Monday, they suffered a four-wicket Birmingham and District League defeat but not before giving the title-chasing side a few anxious moments.

After just two overs of the Halesowen clash, the players had to leave the field for three hours because of rain, bringing Kidderminster's allotted overs down to 39.

A good start by county players Elliott Wilson and James Pipe saw KCC reach 42 in 14 overs before Wilson was out for 11.

Mandeep Singh and Amit Sharma added only three runs between them, leaving KCC struggling on 55-3 with 18 overs gone.

Pipe and James Ralph added 40 for the fourth wicket before the county man was out for 58, when Ralph was joined by his brother Steve. They had only increased the score to 107 before James was dismissed for 27.

Steve scored 20 but was the sixth batsman out. Captain Mark Mansell and Paul Vinas added eight before Matt Fludgate and Mark Sellek took KCC to 160-8 and the declaration.

Halesowen had a minimum of 33 overs to gain a valuable win.

Sellek struck in the sixth over with the score on 30, but by the end of the 14th over they had reached 51, Singh having taken two wickets.

Two overs later and with only five runs added, Halesowen suffered another blow when Singh took his third wicket.

With the arrival of Alan Warner, the home team's fortunes changed for the better.

With captain Dave Manning, he put on 77 for the fifth wicket, eventually out for 49 with Singh again the bowler.

Manning was finally bowled out for 43 by Sellek in the 31st over, leaving his team needing just nine more runs, which they rattled off with nine balls to spare.

Halesowen took 18 points and KCC six.

KCC 160-8 dec (James Pipe 58, James Ralph 27, Steve Ralph 20), Halesowen 164-6 (Mandeep Singh 4-67).

On Saturday, KCC claimed their fourth win of the season when they saw off second-placed Stratford with a four-wicket win.

An unbeaten stand of 63 for the seventh wicket between Stephen Ralph and Fludgate saw KCC home, which meant a vital 18 league points.

Having been put in to bat, Stratford made a confident start with an opening stand of 56 in 17 overs, but the introduction of Neil Slade to the attack in the 31st over had a dramatic effect on the innings.

Stratford lost their second wicket to Slade's first ball, with the score on 103 and in the next 18 overs they only scored 24 runs, for the loss of seven more wickets.

Slade took 5-19 off his 12 overs, and he was ably assisted by Singh, who bagged 4-40 in his 18.2 overs.

Vinas took two excellent catches behind the wicket and a stumping, removing three of the top four batsmen.

A total of 144 to win in 53 overs always looked well within KCC's reach, though the Stratford opening bowler, Steve Kerby, snapped up the first three wickets, and conceded only 12 runs in his first five overs.

At 28-3, KCC had a battle on their hands as wickets continued to fall.

Only Richard Wilkinson (15) and Sharma (21) had reached double figures, and at 84-6 the game was delicately poised, with 28 overs to go.

Stratford continued to press, but gradually Stephen Ralph and Fludgate managed to build up the score, Ralph hitting eight fours in his 47no from 77 balls, and Fludgate finding the boundary five times in his 33no from 48 balls.

KCC reached their target in 40 overs.

Stratford 143 (C Howell 36, N Humphrey 28, J Troughton 27, Neil Slade 5-19, Mandeep Singh 4-40), KCC 147-6 (Steve Ralph 47no, Matt Fludgate 33no, Amit Sharma 21, Steve Kerby 3-43, J Troughton 2-30).

Stone v KCC 2nd - Kidderminster won by 163 runs.

KCC batted first and got off to a good start thanks to Martin Roberts and Fludgate, then Lee Clark added 66.

Young Andrew Siwicki took four wickets for just 10 runs, and Gomez Vincent helped bowl Stone out.

KCC 317-5 (Martin Roberts 77, Lee Clark 66, Matt Fludgate 58), Stone 154 (Andrew Siwicki 4-10, Gomez Vincent 2-33).

Himbleton v KCC 3rd - Himbleton won by five wickets.

KCC batted first in this Worcestershire County League Division Three South match, and made a good start.

Les Vincent's unbeaten 87 enabled KCC to make 219.

In reply Himbleton started well, though Colin Bullingham took three wickets and Tony Burkes two, and ran out winners.

KCC 219 (Les Vincent 87no), Himbleton 220-5.

Fixtures

Saturday: 1st home v Wolverhampton (noon), 2nd home v Wolverhampton (1pm).