Barnards Green cricket Club Match Reports.

May 28th 2005
BGCC Singles vs Stone	BGCC 2^nd XI vs Pedmore
Although the victory margin of 216 runs suggests a rout it was a dogged rearguard by Stone and an awesome display by Steve Metcalfe broke the hearts and middle order of Stone to secure maximum points for Barnards Green. Greeted by a rock hard surface Stone asked the Singles to make first use, which they did to great effect. The normally ‘snail like’ Freeman found the track and bowling to his liking and had smashed three sumptuous boundaries before perishing to a fine catch at deep point for 12. Dave White also found the track, the bowlers and the boundaries in a tremendous innings, he and Curtis added 73 runs until Curtis went for 11 and another wicket fell bringing Beavan to the crease with the score on 127 and another thirty overs to go. White continued to flow as Stone tried many bowlers and with every fielder protecting the fence still White peppered the boards. Beavan now started to open up with glorious shots all around the wicket. White now tired and was undone for 82 when caught behind. Beavan continued the onslaught but was trapped in front for a fine 65. Hill (35 no) and Sanders (34 no) took up the challenge and powered the ‘Singles’ onto to 305 aided by 53 extras. After a fine tea, unfortunately spoilt because Sid ate most of the nuggets, the bowlers were prepared to be explclit or is it excited by the hard track. Churchill, back at his spiritual home, in particular had the scent of blood in his nostrils. Stone’s reply was of dogged resistance from the first ball. Blackledge and Harler set out their stall and frustrated the opening burst from the Green. Their resistance had lasted 18 overs until Ratcliffe introduced Simon Clarke to the attack. Blackledge could not resist and was caught for 14, followed by the number three for nought. Morley should have gone two balls later but Beavan made a hash of a simple catch. A reluctant Metcalfe was brought into the attack and his impact was immediate. Harler’s resistance went with his leg stump and the ‘Singles’ scented victory. Metcalfe continued to make inroads with an impressive display of fast medium with the ball jagging off the seam and he claimed five wickets in his ten over spell or only eight runs. Morley continued to resist the bowlers and the overs ticked by. Churchill was reintroduced to the attack. He saw White drop a skier, in which he claims to have lost in the clouds, but his venomous second spell had batters sniffing the leather and then seeing their stumps cartwheeling behind them as the tail had no answer to his pace and Stone were dismissed for 89 in the forty third over with Morley 24 no leaving the Green victorious by a massive 216 runs.	on saturday 2nds entertained Pedmore who after being asked to bat first struggled against the home attack,they eventually were bowled out in the 50th over for 177,the pick of the bowlers were Stu Fletcher 3 for 42 off 14 overs,and Rich[croc] Brown who mopped up the tail with 3 for 17 off 5 overs. The total was never going to be enough on the greens batsman friendly wicket.Skipper Judd Doughty led the way with 92no, well supported by Mark Hooper 54no. The green reached thier target with 9 wickets and 15 overs to spare,another 20 points won. Pedmore vs BGCC 1^st XI bgcc 1st team started a busy weekend of cricket with a visit to pedmore in the 2nd division of the worcs league on saturday. on a blustery windswept day pedmore skipper Cooke had no hesitation asking the green to bat on what looked a reasonable wicket after winning the toss. the green made a steady start until lewis(17) was adjudged to have been caught behind.the reliable rich williams(34) was joined in a stand off 66 with flynn(55) progression of the innings was hampered by the slowness of the track with only drinkwater(33) impressing as wickets were lost at  important times as the green tried to push towards a big score.  at 195 for 7 the innings was in danger of subsiding all together as denton(3-56) and cooke(2-70) tried to strangle the innings but 45 runs were added in the last 5 overs by wicketkeeper binks(25) and tim williams(21) to take the green to a respectable total of 240. in reply pedmore got off to a flyer reaching 80 off 20 overs without losing a wicket. the introduction of flynn(17-4-63-1) and drinkwater(4-58) slowed the run rate so much that a 39 overs pedmore had reached 123 for 5 nearly needing to double their score in the last 11 overs to win the game. this they nearly did as hipkiss went beserk hitting 6 sixes in an innings that will take some licking of 69 off only 31 balls.with 15 needed off the last over nerves were further frayed as the 1st ball disapeared over long off for another six with pedmore now favourites tim williams held his nerve allowing only another 4 runs to be taken off his last 5 balls. in what was a truly great game of cricket in which both sides held the upper hand at various times in the game barnards green were more than  happy to come away with a winning draw and regroup for another important league game against worcs nomads on monday