Tamworth's Jacob Flower grabbed the headlines as the early rounds of the Graham Williamson T20 Challenge Cup got the 2026 BDPCL season underway.

The powerful opener lit up a weather-affected Super Saturday by smashing 15 sixes while making 125 from just 52 balls as his team saw off second round opponents Worfield by 19 runs.

With new signing James Rudge adding a breezy 40 the Shropshire side were left to chase 214 on an excellent WB Dartmouth early-season pitch.

And despite newly-appointed skipper Ross Aucott making 40 from just 12 balls and useful contributions from Aman Hussain (60) and former Leeward Isles keeper JP Peters (50no) Worfield fell just short.

Debutant Peters and Aucott had earlier played important roles as their team claimed a thrilling final-ball first round win over hosts Dartmouth for whom Kobe Herft hit seven sixes in a 23-ball 61.

Chasing 172 Worfield's captain made 41 from 26 balls before Peters (56no) and Jack Burton (31no) thrashed 66 from the final four overs - including 31 from the penultimate set of six - to set up the clash with Tamworth.

Flower's heroics set up a quarter-final trip to the BDPCL's leading T20 exponents Harborne whose quest for a fifth consecutive finals day appearance began with a pair of ominously comfortable home wins over Attock and Halesowen.

In round one only Adam Mahmood (41no) made much headway for the Warwickshire League champions against a Harborne attack which was well led by Attock alumni Hasan Mahmood (2-17) and former skipper Tom Arnold (2-19).

New signing Alexei Kervezee (37no) then combined with Ben Shepparson (41no) in an unbroken 81-run third wicket stand that steered the hosts to their 112 run target in the twelfth over.

Kervezee's former club Halesowen fared little better in the second round tie that followed as they slipped to a 43-run defeat under DLS in a match reduced to ten overs per side.

Hasan made up for his first-baller against Attock by cracking an unbeaten 66 from 33 balls with seven sixes as Harborne reached 116 for two.

Chasing a revised target of 135 Luke Tulacz top-scored with 42 as Halesowen closed on 92 for six.

Barnt Green matched Harborne step for step by claiming a pair of equally comfortable home wins over Worcestershire rivals Himley and Kidderminster.

After being invited to bat first only Cam Jones, a close-season signing from Shifnal, made headway with the bat for Himley who closed their 20 overs on 112 for six.

Jones made a fluent 47 but it was home bowlers Robbie Shurmer (2-21) and Henry Marshall (3-18) who caught the eye before their batters eased Barnt Green to a six-wicket win with ten balls remaining.

Skipper Romi Brar then led the charge against Kidderminster with a fine contribution of 75 from just 53 balls including four sixes. He added 110 with third-wicket partner Ben Chapman-Lilley (30no) before Roshan Venkataraman blazed an unbeaten 31 from 15 balls to leave Kiddy chasing 176.

And with Shurmer again proving frugal and Alfie Higgins grabbing 2-9 this proved more than enough for Barnt Green to claim an 85-run win which set up a home tie in the last eight against Barnards Green.

League Representative XI skipper Ryan Tongue's team began their 2026 season with an exciting three-wicket final over win at Ombersley.

Home skipper Nick Hammond dominated the first innings of the match with a fine 53-ball 71 but he received little support against a fine spell from former K&D seamer Jeet Varaich (4-19).

This left Ombersley chasing 131 and when Phil Harris smashed 44 from 34 balls the visitors looked well set. But with six needed from the final over their nerves were more than a little frayed until Joe Harrison hit the match's penultimate ball for six.

The weather then played a big role in Barnards Green's second round win over Stourbridge by two runs under DLS.

Syed Bukhari and Dan Wale shared six wickets for the second division club who seemed likely to progress to the last eight when they were left to chase just 110.

However, their cautious start allied to the untimely arrival of rain left Barnards Green as slightly fortuitous winners with the scoreboard showing 28 for one from six overs.

Berkswell made an impressive start to a season in which they seek to bounce immediately back from relegation by inflicting a 16-run second round defeat on Solihull rivals Knowle & Dorridge under DLS.

New signings Will Tarrant (70) and Vansh Jani (49) made an immediate impact for the B's by putting together an impressive opening stand of 89 in just 8.5 overs.

This cleared the decks for recent Station Road departee George Baines to announce his return with an unbeaten 31-ball 51 as Berkswell reached 193 for three from their 20 overs.

And despite Hamza Shaikh striking six sixes in his 27-ball unbeaten 57, Ollie Currill's team were short of the required run rate at 92 for four when the rain arrived.

K&D had earlier comfortably seen off first round opponents Kenilworth Wardens who struggled to 116 for seven against a consistent home attack in which the pacy Tom Davis claimed 2-16.

Ben Blakemore top-scored for Wardens with 41 but the hosts went on to cruise to a six-wicket win on the back of Neil Pinner's unbeaten 56.

Berkswell must wait to find out whether they face Leamington or Dorridge in the last eight after their second round all-Warwickshire clash being played at Moseley failed to beat the elements. 

And it was Spa who will feel more hard-done-to after Dorridge collapsed from 62 without loss to 80 for eight against Leamington's new signing Jason Jakeman whose leg-spin claimed 4-8.

Jon Wigley's team had earlier made a good start to the season by claiming a 39-run win over Moseley.

Leamington's 160 for eight owed much to their skipper who made 41 from 30 balls and Chris Calcott who blazed 55 from 26 balls with five sixes.

Salmaan Ajam claimed 3-27 for the home side who then struggled to 121 for eight against former Tamworth spinner Jakeman and recent Warwick University skipper Shai Srikanthan who both claimed 2-17. Shayaan Abid (35) top-scored for Moseley.

Old Hill and Smethwick must also replay their second round tie after rain halted proceedings at Broomfield when the hosts had reached 75 for four from 12 overs.

Smethwick's progress from the first round came courtesy of an emphatic ten wicket win over Wolverhampton.

Raj Beniwal made an unbeaten 31 but it was Isaac Mohammed's sparkling 40-ball 65no which included seven sixes that especially caught the eye as Rawait Khan's side chased down Wolverhampton's 116 for six in just 9.5 overs.

Shrewsbury await the winner of the rearranged all-Black Country clash after they beat Milford Hall by six wickets in a match reduced to 17 overs per side.

Chasing 117 for eight in a contest played at Shifnal the Shrews were off to a fast start courtesy of (the pictured) George Hargrave who made 33.

Although Will Parton and Seb Scott also chipped in the contest went deep into the final over before Scott's six wrapped things up.

Clark Haddrell (2-21) had the best bowling return for Milford who earlier claimed a comfortable 63-run first round win over Shifnal.

Niall McHale made 39 while Sri Lankan pro Yohan Liyanage's 39-ball 46 added mid-innings impetus which took the South Staffordshire League champions to 159 for five.

Shaun Lorimer grabbed 2-13 for the hosts who struggled to 89 for nine against Liyanage's leg spin which returned 4-9.