MALVERN travelled to Shirley in the North Midlands Shield to face a Camp Hill side with a similar league record and suffered a 24-7 defeat.

However, the comparison stopped there as the Birmingham team featured a far bigger and taller pack whose physicality couldn’t be matched despite all Malvern’s enthusiasm.

Factor in the deep kicking game from the experienced Camp Hill fly-half and most of the first-half was played deep in Malvern territory.

Able to commit fewer players to the ruck, the home side’s defence was able to repel all that Malvern threw at them and in attack they seemed to have the extra man available.

This inevitably translated into points with two converted tries, although Malvern were able to respond just before the break when Richard Fleming went over to score.

There was a long delay when Joe Wilkes picked up a neck injury and an ambulance was called, necessitating a switch of pitches.

Happily the damage wasn’t too great and Wilkes has only suffered some muscular inconvenience.

However, his exit meant a switch round in the scrum, with James Redfearn coming in at prop and George Withers going to hooker, while Richard Hobbs moved into the back row.

The Malvern scrum was steady at the set-piece, but the height of the home forwards meant that they won most of the line-out ball.

Despite this, Malvern defended well and Camp Hill could only add another try and penalty to their tally.

Camp Hill’s sheer physical presence was the deciding factor between the sides.

Kidderminster Carolians progressed to the semi-finals of the North Mids Shield with a comfortable nine try 55-17 demolition of Shrewsbury.

Mike Protheroe, Alex Thompson and Sam Taylor (2) scored tries to give Kidderminster a 22-3 lead at the interval.

KCs dominated the second-half and there were further tries from George Morgan, Thompson, Taylor (2) and Josh Woulfe.

Shrewsbury had tried to respond and pounded Kidderminster’s line until replacement Ben Wintle eventually bulldozed over for a converted try.

The visitors were able to exert more pressure and after winning three consecutive penalties close to KC’s line their hooker Lewis Jenkins burrowed over and Holloway converted.

But the hosts finished with a flourish as Pritchard broke from deep before feeding Taylor who,with a couple of outrageous dummies,left the visitors defenders for dead to run in his fourth try which he improved with his fourth conversion.