LEDBURY remain top of Division Eight in the Worcestershire County League after a two-wicket win over Malvern CC 2s at home last weekend. 

The hosts won the toss and put their visitors into bat, a decision that paid off immediately as opener David Sample was caught off the bowling of Duncan Ball with just the second ball of the innings. 

Ball had a second wicket not long afterward when David Cox (4) was given out LBW.

George Plumb was next out for 6 to become Vicky Evans' first victim and Connor Walwyn could only add 19 runs before he was caught by Jamie Turner for the fourth wicket. 

It then became 45-5 Daniel Collier went without scoring and Ledbury were now into the bowlers.

But Ollie Harker (34 off 45) and Chay Ankers (21 off 26) added some valuable runs to at least give Malvern something to defend. They managed 139 before they were bowled out.

It should have been a formality for Ledbury but they made slightly harder work of it than they perhaps should have. 

Josh Evans and Jack Tatterell had made a decent enough start but their partnership was broken when Collier bowled Tatterell for 8.

Josh Evans added 23 before he was caught by Ankers off another Collier delivery and Owen Collingbourne soon followed when he was LBW to Phoebe Brett for just 8 runs.

At 57/3, Ledbury were still in a decent position and runs from Richard Orders (16), Jamie Turner (29) and Tom Hill (14) got them most of the way there. 

Despite a late flurry of wickets, Ledbury got across the line for the win inside 29 overs.

That was Ledbury's second win of three games to start the season, with one of those being cancelled due to the weather. They remain top of the division. 

Elsewhere, the 2XI romped to a 105-run win over Pershore 4XI, having skittled their opponents for just 27 runs inside 14 overs.