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Highley vs BGCC 3rd
XI
A torrential downpour 11
overs into the Green’s reply saw both sides take 8 points. Early indications
were wrong for this long trek to Highley as five times Freeman indicated to
go left or right only to continue straight on. On eventually arriving at the
“Severn Centre” Ratters won the toss and elected to field.
Metcalfe deployed all artificial body parts to enable him to open the
innings with Chris Hill. It was Hill who induced an edge but White was
unable to hold on and this early life for Humphries was bearing fruit for
the Highley batters. Steele opened up and although aerial found the boundary
regularly. Highley were galloping along at five an over and drinks brought
the necessary respite for the Green fielders but they were looking at
chasing a monster score. Doughty replaced Metcalfe and sent back a furious
Humphries with one the swung for 36. This sparked a mini Highley collapse
and with Steele falling for 72 they were 138 for 5 with fifteen overs of the
innings remaining. Doughty (3 – 33) being the main destroyer but Brown’s 2
for 38 had also put the brakes on. A period of calm with little happening
from both sides descended upon proceedings until a change in the weather
prompted the Highley batters to go on the offensive, with a sudden down
draft of cold air and light rain James (36) and Webster (23) played a
variety of shots until the wily Clarke (2 – 23) teased them out leaving the
Green needed 192 for victory and hoping the rain would stop during the tea
interval.
With no rain but plenty of dark clouds Doughty and Yorke strode to the
wicket. They made serene progress latching onto anything short and wide to
take the score into the thirties until darkness descended and the heavens
opened washing out any further prospects of play. Doughty 17 no and Yorke 13
no did their averages no harm as both sides received 8 points for the
washout.
Yorke kept up his remarkable run later that evening when he yet again failed
to pull, such is his bad run in the pulling department he can now be
contacted via ‘Two’s Company’ in the Malvern Gazette. “Young 29 year old
male with GSOH keen sporting and media interests WLTM similar for friendship
and conversation, must be a good listener, and possible marriage.’
BGCC IVs vs
Stourbridge Social
Barnards Green 4ths were
due to entertain Stourbridge Social on saturday, but on arrival at the
ground, the players were amazed to see that the square was a Green oasis.
It was only on discovering that the pavilion had been broken in to and items
stolen, that they discovered that some idiot had turned on a tap and flooded
the square. Despite the best endeavours of the players, no play was
possible despite the kind patience of the opposition. After an early tea
and much deliberation, a storm then compounded matters and the game was
abandoned.
If the culprits are caught, they are likely to be strung up for a public
flogging which would be far better than they actually deserve. Once again
this is a sad indictment on society today and is another escalation in the
anti social behaviour affecting the Malver Hills Area.
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Bewdley vs BGCC 2nd XI
With rain storms
predicted the greens mainly youthful side travelled to league leaders
Bewdley, the green lost the toss and were asked to bat on a superb
looking track, but with humid conditions making helpful for the
bowlers. Both openers Harris and Paddock played watchfully against the
expierenced opening attack. Harris was first to go when he recieved an
unplayable ball from the vastley experienced Fowler when the score was
21, Jon Lewis was caught behind first ball leaving the green in trouble
at 21 for 2. Andy Wheeler played a surprisingly restrained innings
defending stoutly and punishing the bad ball, he together with Paddock
took the toal along to 101 by the 22nd over when Wheeler gave into
temptation and holed out on the longoff boundry for 46 .Roger Thompson
joined Paddock and soon found the bowling to his liking , taking full
avantage of anything short or over pitched . Paddock was stumped for 43
after getting frustrated after not facing a ball in 5 overs. What would
saturday be without a mini collapse in the greens innings, Scullion was
runout after a mixup, Clack was bowled and Spencer fell to a superb
caught and bowled by Huson, Hooper and Spencer (jnr) came and went , but
Thompson kept on scoring at a superb rate , his innings contained 13
fours and 3 sixes which were lost in the river, he was left 91
notout when their innings came to an end, after Graeame Glendenning
was caught on the boundry in the penultimate over.The green finished
on a respectable 230, after 42 overs followig the loss of 7 overs due to
rain .Bewdley lost a wicket in the first over when Sam Spencer clean
bowled Jones, but the Rain Storms returned and the game was abandoned
with both teams collecting 9 points. This was a much better batting
performance by the green team which contained seven players who were
eighteen or younger.
BGCC 1st XI vs Bewdley
Barnards Green first eleven welcomed Bewdley to their North End Lane ground
for the return fixture between these two Crusader League div. One teams.
Bewdley won the toss, and invited the home side to bat first under an
ominously over cast sky, but on a firm dry wicket. The teams openers Rich.
Williams and Kev. Golder settled into another solid opening partnership
making 110 runs in the first twenty overs, at an average of 5.5 runs / over.
Kev. Golder was the first to loose his wicket on (36) bowled by J.Boult.
leaving Rich. Williams on (64 no) to be joined by Paul Drinkwater.
Faced now by some very accurate spin bowling in particular from J. Mills,
supported by J. Boult and under increasingly heavy sky’s, wickets started to
fall. First to go was Rich. Williams (70), then Paul Drinkwater (9) and
finaly Tim Clarke (1) all of them to the good bowling spell of J. Mills.
This left the Green suddenly on 128 for 4, when with a bang the storm
arrived forcing play to be suspended. An early tea was taken at 3-00 pm
followed by a lot of mopping up, to make it possible for the two captains
and the umpires to agree that in spite of conditions being less than
perfect, play could resume at 4-10 pm by reducing the overs for each side to
44. The restart saw Rob. McCard and Adam Binks faced with the task of
rebuilding the innings to a respectable total to give the Green a chance of
a result. Both batsmen responded magnificently with some lusty hitting,
amassing 110 runs from 75 balls leaving the innings score at 238, with Rob.
McCard (51 no) and Adam Binks (49 no) when the storm, heavier this time,
returned and the match had to be abandoned.
What had promised to be a good contest at the start was cut short without
Bewdley’s batsmen not getting the chance to respond to a competitive first
innings total, leaving Barnards Green with 9 points and Bewdley with 6
points.
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