MARTLEY head to Claverley on Saturday (1pm) bidding to get their Worcestershire League Division Four title charge back on track.

The villagers slipped to second in the table, just one point behind Five Ways Old Edwardians who edged them out by two runs.

A close contest ebbed and flowed and Five Ways, asked to bat first against tight bowling, lost Sukhraj Gill to a fine leg-side stumping by Dom Jones.

Fellow opener Dave Potter hit 56 while an unbeaten 40 from Alex Jones and 26 by John Tovey took them to 238-7 off 50 overs.

The medium-pacers bowled decent spells with George Griffiths (1-25), Pete Gardner (2-40) and Dan Johnson (2-49) impressing.

The Jewry Field hosts were forced into a steady reply by tight bowling and keen fielding.

At drinks, they were on 84-3 with Dom Jones (30) caught at slip after looking set for a big innings.

The introduction of two change bowlers saw Martley’s fortunes pick up with Gardner and Alexander Basford upping the run rate to reach 150-3 off 33 overs.

But Basford (49) was caught and Five Ways seized their opportunity. With the reintroduction of the three front-line bowlers, Martley had to work hard on a wearing pitch.

Gardner (40) was caught and bowled by Dave Jones (3-18) but Simon van Tongeren (35 not out) held things together into the final over with 11 needed for victory.

Van Tongeren and Mark Johnson scampered unlikely runs but they fell two short.

Martley seconds won for the second week in a row as they restricted Himbleton to 235-8 off 45 overs in Division Four.

Rob Ganderton struck an unbeaten 111 and, with Martin Sweet on 52 not out, they romped home by eight wickets with six overs in hand.