22nd May 2010 - Match Reports.

On a scorching hot Saturday visiting side Coombs Wood CC were asked to bat on a straw coloured wicket at a magnificent looking North End Lane ground.Opening the attack Ryan Scullion (8-3-26-0) and Brad Adams (7-0-35-0) bowled with genuine pace troubling both of the visiting batsmen without finding the luck required to remove their 73 run vigil. Young Jack Cullity (5-0-25-1) and James Scullion (7-0-33-1) traded places with Scullion and Adams and continued the excellent example they set bowling tight lines and probing areas picking up a wicket each as the Coombs Wood innings began to wobble. Lewis Hooper (13-1-44-0) took over from Cullity and bowled an impressive spell containing and then preventing the expecting onslaught from the visiting batsmen. Tim Clarke (8-1-40-5) benefited from Hooper’s ‘ball on a string’ routine and began to take regular wickets preventing the scoring rate from rising much above 4 runs an over. The visitor’s innings ended on 229 for 9 in their 50 over quota. 

The home batsmen of Judd Doughty (37) and Andy Wheeler (101) opened the Green innings chasing a total which most around the ground felt was perhaps 50 runs light on a decent track surrounded by a lightening quick outfield. Wheeler continued his impressive form bludgeoning the attack with attractive and ugly blows in equal measure.  Doughty playing a supporting role nudged ones and twos and the occasional four before perishing to an Ahmed slower-ball, having put on 126 runs with his partner. Wheeler, in complete command, knocked in his new 3lbs+ bat by repeatedly pushing the ball into Orford Way and peppering the car park multiple times. Clarke (59) showed his class supporting Wheeler before he finally perished for a fantastic ton including 20x4’s and 3x6’s off just 58 balls. Veteran Adam Greaves (20) finished the innings with a flurry of boundaries to bring 20 well earned points to reward a slick home team effort recorded in just 26 overs of the second innings.  Well done boys, a top all-round effort!

Barnards Green IVs vs Harvington 2nds
The Green entertained Harvington at the picturesque Newland ground with the prospect of a full day’s play and possible sunstroke in store. Inevitably skipper Dick Brown led his team out to field first and it soon became apparent that a long day was ahead of them. The now familiar opening bowling attack of Elliot and Georgia Hennessy encountered equally determined Harvington opening batsmen in the shape of Shepherd and Knowles who took the upper hand with Knowles in particular dispatching anything short to the boundary. With the young bowlers fading somewhat in the heat Steve Hunt was introduced to put the brakes on and with the score on 60  he proved just how deadly a well delivered full toss can be as the first ball of his spell saw Shepherd (19) well caught at deep mid-wicket. For once Hunt lacked a decent length but with the new batsman being allowed the strike where possible and backed by exceptional fielding from Jack Mackintosh  the run-rate was curtailed. Dave Price was introduced into the attack and immediately proved difficult to score off, frustrating the batsmen into ill-timed shots and trapping Onions lbw for 18. Three overs of impressive seam bowling from Mackintosh preceded the re-introduction of the opening pair and in their second spells Georgia Hennessy, carrying an injury picked up in the field, bowled McKelvey for 9 whilst brother Elliot finally accounted for opener Knowles who had amassed a well-constructed 84 runs. Price was re-introduced to the attack, picking up two more wickets with Elliot Hennessy picking up another three to close out the Harvington innings at 205, perhaps 50 runs short of what was expected by both sides.
Robin Longmore and Ewan Wilson opened The Green’s response with a full 49 overs in which to claim the victory. They faced impressive bowling from both ends and with McElvey showing pace and accuracy which would not be out of place in a much higher league and Knowles’ swing bowling proving difficult to read, Wilson played down the wrong line and was out with the score on just 19. Robin Longmore and his new partner Chris Horne started to find the middle of the bat and moved the total onto 47 before Horne (9) was adjudged lbw to a ball which might just have swung too much. Julian Hall decided to take hold of the game and he too found the middle of someone’s bat. A rapidly tiring Longmore cruised past his half-century before missing a straight delivery from Baylis and departing for a fine 60 and with The Green still some 100 runs behind the outcome was not certain. Dick Brown joined Hall and finally found the form that had eluded him so far this season and without the experienced bowling of Knowles to steady the ship this pair raced to within 30 of the total before Hall was caught for 57. Elliot Hennessy (6) became McElvey’s second wicket and it was left to Mark Perkins (5no) and his skipper Brown (47no) to score the final runs as The Green ran out winners by 5 wickets.
This was a good all-round performance by Barnards Green on a day when the bowlers took wickets and the batsmen made runs; which is how it should be.
Thanks to Harvington Cricket Club for a good game of cricket played in a friendly atmosphere and in great surroundings.

Bromyard 1st XI vs Barnards Green 1st XI

Determined to bounce back from an embarrassing defeat to newly promoted Bewdley Barnards Green made the trip across the Herefordshire border to face top of the table Bromyard. With the ground bathed in sunshine home skipper Oliver had no hesitation in making first use of an excellent looking wicket and dispatched his openers to don the pads.Their innings could barely have started in a worse fashion as Bullock found his off stump cart wheeling to just the second ball of the day from fired up Jamaican Andre Russell. Determined to keep the flow of wickets from both ends Phil Harris bowled with pace and swing and was soon in on the act capturing the wicket of Saeed for just 5. Russell edged ahead in the wickets stakes trapping Oliver on the crease as his stumps also cart wheeled before Harris ripped through the Bromyard  middle order with great aplomb. His second wicket trapped ex Birmingham league Anderson on the crease LBW and he quickly dispatched Mbane with a brilliant off cutter and had Whittenbury caught by wicketkeeper Binks. With Harris leading the wickets 4-2, Russell upped his game to rip through the Bromyard card in a hostile and sustained display of fast bowling finishing with figures of 6-22 off just 8 overs. Harris finishing with 4-20 from his 7 overs and Bromyard closing their innings on just 46. 

After a quick change around the visitors found themselves reeling at 10-3. First Golder was caught playing round his front pad LBW to Mbane for 1. Hooper departed LBW to a Saeed in swinger for 1 and Rhodes nibbled at an Mbane away swinger to be caught behind for 8. Enter Andre Russell who with support from Clarke(4) and Harris( not out) clubbed a brutal 35 from just 13 balls including 5 maximums to race the Green to victory in just 7.2 overs.The visitors happy to pick up maximum points on the road but still showing signs that their fragile batting needs serious work if they are to climb the table. The home side shell shocked from an excellent bowling display. 

This week is a bank holiday double header with the 1^st XI facing Colwall at North End Lane on Saturday and Droitwich away on Monday.