OLD Elizabethans boosted their promotion hopes in Birmingham and District Cricket Premier League Division Two with a win over second-placed Penkridge.

Zahoor Iqbal (60) and Laeq Chishti (57) took Penkridge to 212-9 against OEs, who are fifth in the table.

But a second-wicket partnership of 121 between Cumberland’s Jonathan Miles (81) and overseas player Johann Smit (55) steered the Worcester club into position to clinch victory and move within 13 points of their opponents.

There was a thrilling finish at Brewood after the hosts slumped to 151-9 off 43 overs in pursuit of Eastnor’s 209-7.

Jabran Khalid (66) and Sunil Rahi (54 not out) batted well for Eastnor before Atiq Ur Rehman (3-23) did the business with the ball for the Herefordshire outfit.

They reckoned, however, without the combined efforts of Jamie Lunn (49no) and last-man Robbie Byrne (11no), who took Brewood to 191-9 with one over left.

Lunn then smashed 19 off the last over to see Brewood to an unlikely victory secured from the final ball.

Ombersley extended their lead at the top of the Division One table to 56 points with a crushing 10-wicket victory over fading Old Hill.

Arti Fiaz (4-8) and Ted Bayliss (4-27) combined to dismiss Old Hill for 56 before Liam Gwynne struck an unbeaten 43 to see his side home to strengthen their position at the top.

Fellow high-fliers Bromsgrove crashed to an 86-run defeat at Shifnal.

James Shaw (125no) and Tom Collins (107) put on 239 for the first wicket for Shifnal, who finished on 253-4.

The Worcestershire side were dismissed for 167, despite 53 from Ash Newdick, while Muhammed Ayub took 5-25.

A century from George Rhodes (103) was the highlight of Barnards Green’s total of 229-8, which proved 68 too many for Harborne, who were bowled out for 161.

George Land took 3-41 for Harborne but Mark Hardinges (4-19) and Andy Ford (3-32) combined to move Green up to fifth place. Guriq Randhawa top-scored for Harborne with 35.

While Premier Division leaders West Bromwich Dartmouth completed a three-wicket victory over Knowle and Dorridge, third-placed Barnt Green drew level with Berkswell, who they beat by 10 runs at The Lant.

Tom Burton (65), Nathan Newport (48), Will Baker (35) and Luke Radford (32) all made solid contributions in Barnt Green’s 224 all out.

Former England Test man Darren Maddy took 4-46 before Mark Best hit 104 from 138 balls for Berkswell, who fell 10 runs short after Burton claimed 3-23 and Simon Mugava 3-34.

With five games to go, it looks as though Berkswell and Barnt Green will need to win two more games than Dartmouth to pinch the title and the Sandwell Park club’s destiny lies firmly in their own hands.

At the other end of the table, defeats for the bottom pair, Himley and Walsall, and wins for the sides immediately above them, Dorridge, Kidderminster Victoria, Walmley and Kenilworth Wardens, means it will be extremely difficult for the two Staffordshire clubs to escape the trap-door.

Dorridge earned a thumping win at Brockhampton after dismissing the hosts for 82 in response to their own impressive total of 261.

Ali Ebad (63), David Bell (60) and Jamie Atkinson (54) hit half-centuries with Adam Hewlett picking up 5-47 for the hosts.

Hewlett (30) and 23 extras accounted for most of Brockhampton’s miserable total.

Jordan Stynes top-scored for Walsall in 189-9 against Kidderminster Victoria, who won a thriller by two wickets with two balls left.

Stynes helped Walsall to recover from the depths of 56-5 but Neil Pinner (39), Matt Pardoe (38) and Andy Siwicki (33) did just enough to see Kidderminster to victory, which takes them 29 points clear of danger.

Astwood Bank came away from Bridgnorth with a valuable Division Three victory after Andre Jagielski took 4-21 to dismiss the hosts for 123 in reply to 176-9, which was built around 43 from Steve Adshead and 41 from Sam Thomas.

Mark McPherson-Lees took 5-26 for Bridgnorth but the Shropshire side lived up to their reputation as the most inconsistent side in the division with only David Exall (29) and James Ralph (28) showing any kind of form with the bat.