Barnards Green cricket Club Match Reports.

^21stAugust 2004 Gree
Oldswinford vs Barnards Green 2^nd XI	Enville vs Barnards Green 3^rd XI
On a constantly lively track at Oldswinford, this match produced all sorts of action. Green skipper Dick Brown showed good sense by choosing to field. He later claimed to have been in two minds during the toss, but batting might have been fatal and would certainly have provoked his team. His opening attack of Andy Lamb and Chris Hill regularly beat the bat for eight overs, with keeper Glendinning’s glovework as usual too fast for umpires and batsmen. Then the game took a peculiar turn. Hill had just bowled successive maidens, but a theory began to circulate that he would obtain more bounce at Lamb’s end. Jonno Boult was given an over of offspin to allow the switch, but first he brought the ball to the umpires’ attention. Indeed it was of junior size and weight, and a correct senior ball was produced after consultation and delay. Boult then obtained impressive turn, was asked to persevere, and bowled Whitticase through the gate. Blunt and Wear inched forward at two or three runs per over against Boult’s spin and Hill’s accurate leg-cutters, and looked frustrated and aggressive when the halfway drinks arrived. Brown now introduced his reserves. Rob Lewis bowled six steady overs, but James Scullion did even better as Wear played on and Blunt lofted a catch to Brown (87-3). Then Boult in turn switched ends and demolished the middle and late order, taking four more wickets including two stumpings. Almost every bowling change somehow produced results. Justin McMillan launched a few long hops but defeated Ganner with his offbreak. Clinton was run out by Nick Rogers. Finally Jones was plumb lbw to Lamb, and Oldswinford had declined to 132 all out. Yet the Green had fielded shoddily, apart from Glendinning who had conceded only 3 byes, and they could not be satisfied or confident at tea. Regular opener Hancock, and his irregular partner Brown, began cautiously against Jones and Blunt. The ball was still moving generously, and Hancock (11) nibbled outside off stump. The excellent slip catch was by Ganner, normally the 1^st XI keeper, who had overslept and been obliged to play at home. Rogers did nothing to calm Green nerves, swiping one legside boundary but top-edging an attempted repeat. Scullion senior then played an important, free-flowing knock of 30, but kept lifting the ball off the deck and eventually lifted Fradgley’s slow spin back to the bowler. Now the remaining batsmen blended youth, age, and unfitness in a most disagreeable manner, while Brown was close to exhaustion and beginning to swipe carelessly. Hill, after a couple of loose prods, realised what was needed. He took few chances, made sure that Brown had some breathing space, and settled into a mode of steady accumulation. Brown was nursed through to a captain’s undefeated 50, and then Hill (18no) struck the winning boundary with 10 overs to spare. Oldswinford 132 all out (42 overs; M Wear 31; J Boult 5-24) Barnards Green 135-3 (34.1 overs; R W Brown 54 no, I Scullion 30) Barnards Green won by 7 wickets Lye 235-0 (31 overs; Gulbar 111 no, Clifford 110 no) Barnards green Singles vs Knighton on Teme by 10 wickets The batting demons of the previous week almost wrecked Barnards Green’s chase for victory, but Birch held firm to see his side home. Winning the toss Freeman asked Knighton to have first use of a damp and slightly under prepared wicket. Knighton made steady if unspectacular progress against some steady bowling but when they played shots they rode their luck. Humphries saw shots falling short of the fielders and then survived a stinging caught and bowled chance against the luckless Spiers. Evans then enjoyed even greater fortune when he lobbed a ball towards Richard Birch who proceeded to make a hash of the chance, technically not a drop as he failed to get hands to the ball. The reprieve was short lived when Andy Sanders was rewarded with a catch behind. A period of stalemate ensued, Freeman content to stifle the runs as Gasch and Humphries failed to break the infield. The match changed dramatically when ‘part time’ bowler Beavan was introduced. He benefited from a dubious LBW to see off Humphries for 34. Skipper Gasch dropped anchor and left to others to score the quick runs. The latter batsmen enjoyed the odd boundary but Beavan was wreaking havoc whilst Simon Clarke (3 – 35) was his usual metronomic self whirling away and picking up wickets. Beavan put the ball in the right areas seeing the impeccable White snaring three catches behind and the more spectacular catches followed as Knighton stumbled to 129 all out, Skipper Gasch 28 no but Beavan with 5 for 31 destroyer in chief. After an excellent ‘last game at home’ tea the Singles were confident of victory on a now easing wicket. Despite some excellent bowling Freeman and Leech had little problem in negotiating the early onslaught. Leech was usual belligerent self in dispatching the loose delivery whilst a more circumspect Freeman took the score to 60 before the wheels fell off. Freeman (15) fell to change bowler James quickly followed by Lewis and then Leech (34) was unluckily run out when Whites straight drive was finger tipped onto the stumps, 60 without loss became 60 for 3. White (12) looked comfortable until the impressive Whistance (3 – 12) sparked another collapse to 75 for 5. Metcalfe joined Birch and whilst Birch was a big rock Metcalfe took the more aggressive approach and scored quickly to post the 100 until Gittens had him caught in the covers again one wicket brought two and 25 runs were needed with three wickets remaining. Birch became more adventurous stroking two boundaries and Saunders took his side to the brink with a towering six but followed soon after. With four runs required and two wickets remaining Birch took command nudging the ball around to bring the scores level and with the field closed in calmly drove the ball to the fence. The victory alleviating all of the Singles relegation fears and a chance of nicking third spot, so tight has this division been.	With the Green 3rds sitting top of the league, a trip to Kinver to play lowly Enville looked a comfortable game on paper, however, with Enville's seconds having had their game called off, a number of their players found themselves dropped to the thirds.  Stand in skipper Robin Longmore won the toss and inserted Enville on an all weather track with an outfield that had not seen a mower for some little while.  Fourteen year old Adam Price and thirteen year old Tom Clack opened the attack and the openers made steady progress until Clack produced an excelent delivery to find the edge and keeper Mark Perkins took the catch.  Stu Fletcher, looking to find some form after a period of absence with a bad back soon got into a good rhythm and hard hitting opener Fellows edged to slip where Robbie Tyler took the first of three good catches.  Wickets tumbled regularly but too many wides were conceded although only Passmore (21) went into double figures.  Fletcher finished with 5 for 15 off his 12 excellent overs and Rob Tyler was introduced and was unlucky to have two catches dropped off consecutive balls in his first over.  To his credit he persevered and picked up two wickets for just 5 runs and Clack was reintroduced to finish off the tail and pick up his second wicket.  Enville had reached 110 thanks in main to 34 extras including 28 wides!  Young Mat Higgs again fielded well in only his second game for the Green. Second eleven opening bowler Gordon then showed the difference in the quality of the leagues as he roared in to bowl short of a length and extract vicious lift and pace.  Opene r Lee Dyment succumbed with an attempted hook and Patrick Jelley followed in similar fashion, Mark Perkins was ill at ease and lobbed a catch to silly mid off and the Green were struggling at 25 for 3.  Matt Higgs was unlucky to deflect a ball onto his stumps, but Rob Tyler then joined the experienced Derek Goodman looking to regain some form and confidence.  His confidence was a little dented as he received a blow to his thumb from a rising delivery but gamely battled on and took many a blow to the body from Gordon.  Slowly but surely, these two batsmen took the score towards the winning target, before Tyler succumbed for a useful 12 and Andy Hoddy joined Goodman who passed an excellent 50 before finishing the game with consecutive fours to give the Green 20 well earned points.  With one game to go, the Green will need 11 points to be sure of the title when they entertain Worcseter Nomads next saturday. Barnards Green 1^st XI vs Oldswinford BGCC finally secured promotion and the championship of Worcester Division 3 in a hard fought game VS Oldswinford. Chris Smedley again won the toss and were asked to bat first on a wet slow but reliable wicket. The green batsman again batted nervously finding it hard to force the pace. It took the cool head of Rich Williams to eak out precious runs as partners came and went to increasingly poor shots he finally departed for a priceless 69. With the innings perilously balanced judd doughty (28) again played another superb innings to rescue the green and along with a clever knock from matty brookes (19) managed to guide the green to a respectable 173 for 9 off their 50 overs. With the batsmen dissapointing the pressure was again on the greens bowlers to perform and they responded brilliantly with duncan bell (2-37) playing his first 1st team game of the seasonand Tim Williams ripping into the Oldswinford top order, aided by some fine fielding the green kept plugging away taking wickets at regular intervals only arron Nichols (47) making a major contribution, fittingly Tim Williams wrapped up the Oldswinford Innings bowling the stubborn Hall (10) thus finishing with magnificent figures (7-44) off 18 Overs Saturday 21^st August 2004 A day to remember. The first time that all 4 of The Green’s sides have won.