BROCKHAMPTON boosted their chances of winning Division 1 of the Crusader Worcestershire County League with a comprehensive 10-wicket win over local rivals and fellow contenders Bromyard at Flaggoners Green.

With Redditch losing in their top-of-the-table clash with Worcester Nomads - and likely to lose points for disciplinary reasons - Brockhampton may well leap into second place.

A below-strength Bromyard side elected to bat first after winning the toss, but were soon struggling against the potent attack of Mahmood Malik and Chris Boroughs.

Malik set the wheels in motion by dismissing the reliable Ashley Bullock. After a stubborn partnership, Boroughs dismissed Oliver Bailey (23) and Edd Oliver (13) in quick succession before the score had reached 50.

Only skipper Zahid Saeed (18) and David Kyte (10) reached double figures after this setback as Boroughs went on to claim four more wickets to finish with 6-40 off 18 overs.

Bromyard were blown away for 102 in the 36th over with 24 extras top-scoring. Malik (2-36) and Gethin Jacobs (1-20) were the other wicket-takers.

Without the bowling services of James Hine, and being injured himself, Saeed kept ringing the changes when Brockhampton batted. He used six bowlers but none could shift the two Brockhampton openers.

They romped to victory in the 18th over with Ashley Nahorniak undefeated on 44, while his partner Dave Mokler scored at a run a ball for his 57.

Eastnor stay in the bottom two despite gaining 14 points from a winning draw at home to Worcester.

Pershore and Bewdley, the two sides above them, picked up 20 and 24 points respectively from wins over Stourbridge and Chaddesley Corbett.

When Eastnor took first strike, their innings was dominated by professional Atiq who made 90 off 103 balls out of 167 all out in the penultimate over.

After several fluctuations in fortunes during the Worcester reply, their final two batsmen batted out the final nine deliveries to finish on 151-9.

Atiq came to the wicket when the first wicket fell at 14 and was eventually ninth man out, having struck 11 boundaries during his innings.

Veteran skipper Jim Sandford helped him take the score past 50, but then a flurry of wickets left the home side struggling on 71-4 soon afterwards.

Faisal (16) and Tom Hurrell (11) helped Atiq put the innings back on track at 155-5, but then a second collapse left the home team out short of a competitive total.

Hurrell took an early wicket, but then Worcester settled down to take command. They looked well set for a comfortable win at 67-1 after 23 overs.

But the game changed when Arshad broke the partnership with the aid of a stumping from Emlyn Vicarage, who was making a rare appearance.

When Sandford dismissed opener Adam Bolton one short of his half century to make the score 94-4 in the 33rd over, the outcome was back in the balance.

Liam Kelleher, who had taken five wickets in the first innings, seemed to be turning the game back in favour of the visitors, but failed to find a partner to stick with him.

When he was out for 34, with 26 still required, it was Eastnor who looked the likely winners. Sandford (3-33) and Atiq (3-33) reduced Worcester to 150-9 but the final pair held out for the draw.