Barnards Green cricket Club Match Reports.

 
 

 

 


31st July 2004

 

Gree

Barnards Green 2nd XI vs Harborne

 

Chainwire vs Barnads Green Singles

 

This was an unsatisfactory day’s cricket, with an exciting finish due to both sides’ weaknesses not to good play. The Green’s last man was farcically bowled, playing no stroke, with one over left, but the game had been leaking away for more than two hours.

Harborne had players still in transit at the start, and were obliged to bat on winning the toss, but this did them little harm as Voss and Iyer raised a steady century stand against the understrength home attack. There were few boundaries but many easy singles on offer, with a tidal wave of extras for which keeper Glendinning could hardly be blamed. Sam Spencer’s line was astray, and Chris Hill was tight but luckless from the road end. Rich Brown replaced Spencer and had no luck either, bowling a good spell of 14 overs for 48. Skipper Dick Brown replaced Hill for three expensive overs before Rob Lewis struck at last, removing both openers soon after drinks.

The Green hoped to chase around 200 but Lewis and Brown junior began to suffer, and the fielding collapsed, as Harborne hit out with wickets in hand. Spencer’s return could not stem the flow, and Hill saw chances squandered before claiming two late wickets. Middleton’s agile catch removed B Jones, and Glendinning, too sharp earlier for Voss and the umpires, stumped Robbins indisputably in the last over. Harborne’s 224 for 5, boosted by a rapid 47no from M Jones and less worthily by 42 extras, seemed a testing but reachable target.

Goodman and Middleton made 40 in 10 overs, just as required, before the innings slumped through an hour of bad shots and worse judgement. Goodman was disappointingly caught behind from yet another legside ball. Nick Rogers made a quick dozen. Lewis, inert for long stretches, ran out Middleton (32) then prodded while the whole middle order – Hill, Birch, Scullion, both Browns - perished around him in the search for quick runs. Jones senior was allowed to bowl five overs for 8 runs during this middle spell, and finished with 4-63, but Harborne dropped their share of easy catches.

The chase became frantic and, since the Green had little to gain by blocking, they cheerfully attacked the slow bowlers. Wilson (4-67) was brought back to end the misery. Lewis was awake now, but had taken most of the strike through 24 overs to reach 50. He swung at Wilson and was yorked. Spencer did not swing or indeed move at all, but met the same fate.

 

Harborne 224-5 (45 overs; G Voss 59, K Iyer 54, M Jones 47no; R Lewis 2-42, C Hill 2-45)

Barnards Green 209 all out (44 overs; R Lewis 50; Wilson 4-63; B Jones 4-64)

Harborne won by 15 runs

 

Barnards Green 1st XI vs Harborne

On Saturday high flying Barnards Green traveled to second placed Harborne for a division 3 Worcestershire League clash which could go a long way to deciding the title.  On a very hot and humid day Chris Smedley lost the toss and was asked to bat first.  On a flat, hard track and with short boundaries and a lightning outfield the Green set off with thoughts of a big total.  Openers Kevin Golder and Jez Clarke immediately found the boundary with great regularity, Golder taking 14 from the second over.  In the 8th over, Golder fell for an entertaining 28 with the score on 49.  This brought Chris Smedley to wicket.  Clarke fell soon afterwards for 33, caught down the leg side.  Tim Clarke and Smedley then continued to set about the Harborne bowling.  Both struck the ball well and passed fifties in good time.  However Tim Clarke fell, caught on the boundary in a bid to further increase the scoring rate.  This left the 202 for 3 after 35 overs.  Smedley then upped the tempo striking crisp shots all round the ground, including 4 successive fours in 1 over.  Smedley eventually reached an impressive maiden ton for the Green, which included 19 fours.  Smedley fell soon after, caught on the boundary, for an excellent 107.  This left the fresher Drinkwater and Richards to lead the final 10 over onslaught.  Rob Richards, hitting his first 3 scoring shots for 6 was looking in excellent touch from the start and kicked the innings on further, with 31 from just 15 balls.  Drinkwater, slower to get started, eventually found his timing and crunched an array of boundaries in the final overs, to complete a quick half century.  The Green finished on 331 for 6 in their 50 overs, an excellent effort and their top total of the season.  Only Potter emerged with any credit for Harborne with 2 for 64 off 15 overs. 

In reply Chris Harrison and Tim Williams were able to keep the scoring to a minimum and in the ninth over Harrison extracted some extra bounce to have Hirji caught in the gully by Richards.  Williams then had Barrett well caught by Jez Clarke at second slip and Law soon followed to a run out at the bowlers end through a smart piece of fielding by Tim Clarke.  This left Harborne reeling at 33 for 3.  Harrison the bowled Garbett and when first change bowler Clive Churchill found a way through Jeffrey’s defences Harborne were in deeper trouble at 55 for 5.  However skipper Bowen stood firm throughout and received good support from Thomas and Adams.  Rob Richards was then introduced for a rare bowl and clean bowled Thomas to once again leave the Green hunting victory.  Williams returned to claim the wicket of Adams, caught by Wheeler before Harrison yorked Bowen to end his stubborn resistance and leave Harborne 145 for 8 with 8 overs left.  Gunthorpe however blocked everything the Greens bowlers could deliver at him and Potter with a range of aggressive shots was able to take Harborne within sight of a draw.  With 2 balls remaining Tim Williams finally induced an edge from Potter but the sharp catch slipped to the floor and insured a draw for Harborne.  The Green secured 15 points and move 34 points clear of Harborne at the top with just 4 games left.  With Harborne playing Coombs Wood (3rd placed) on Saturday the Green will be hoping for a positive result against visiting Martley to move them one step closer to promotion.       

 

Barnards Green ‘singles’ enjoyed an excellent victory over Chainwire in what was a very entertaining match played in the right spirit by both sides.

Freeman lost the toss and was asked to make first use of a ‘green top’ of a track. The innings got of to disastrous start with Curtis going second ball. Freeman and Leech now endured a thorough examination of their technique as the ball was subject to quadruple movement be it sideways or horizontal. Leech as always was quick to seize onto anything loose and with the lightening quick outfield scored well whilst Freeman was content to nudge and nurdle the ball around. The pair saw off the early blast from the openers only to be confronted by the change bowlers. The ball was getting lower and slower off the pitch but the pair upped the rate to five an over and had added 108 until Freeman was undone by a shooter to depart for an excellent 43. Leech posted another 50 with one of his best ever knocks but became Stewart’s second victim when well caught on the boundary for 51. White came and went and with the score at 119 for 4 the innings could have gone either way. Phil Spencer dispelled any fears with a fluent innings well supported by Steve Metcalfe, with both players returning from injury the quick single was not considered to be an option. Williams (1 –76) and James (1 – 53) both came in for some severe treatment as both batters found the boundary. Spencer was unluckily bowled when smacking the ball into his foot only for it to rebound back onto his wickets for 33. Metcalfe now took over the mantle and the score past 200 with clean hitting, but the pitch still held its demons and the returning Meese (2 – 35) took a caught and bowled to have Metcalfe dismissed for 44. The returning Stewart stemmed the late order hitting and picked up 4 for 43 but the Green’s 225 looked more than useful.

Chainwire adopted an aggressive approach to the total and were always up with the rate but some excellent out cricket from the Green ensured that wickets fell regularly. Curtis snared Stuart for 20, just reward for Bell’s opening salvo. Tyler was introduced and soon had the batters in all sorts of trouble, a brilliant juggling attempt from Spencer just failed but next ball Spiers clung on to a screamer at square leg sending Tovey back. Freeman turned to Clarke in an effort to stem the run flow. This was achieved and in an attempt to break the shackles James went for 17. James and Branford now consolidated but the rate was creeping ever upward allowing Freeman more men around the bat. Branford holed out and when the dangerous Meese had to retire after top edging into his face the Singles could sense victory for the first time. Hyams had other ideas and bludgeoned a quick 15 but the returning Bell (3 – 48) took two quick wickets to leave Chainwire 8 down and one on the way to casualty. The last pair dug in and frustrated the ‘Singles’ efforts. The solid James had not given a chance when Brookes bowled the penultimate over. The demons in the pitch returned and he pushed a chance towards Clarke who made no mistake taking the ball inches from the turf to leave the singles victorious by 47 runs and gaining 24 very welcome points.

Footnote: James Curtis and Mat Brookes had to be back in Malvern by 8 o’clock. When Mat started the 44th Over the time was 7:25. When the ball was in the air for the final time Curtis was turning on the shower and Brooker was down to his jock strap. Well done boys for sticking it out until the end.

 

Barnards Green 3rd XI vs Bewdley

Saturday saw the visit of Bewdley to the Newlands ground to play Barnards Green 3rd XI with the winners sure to take at least 2nd place at the top of the league.

Skipper Cyril Dean again won the toss and inserted the opposition on a pitch tinged slightly green and not as rock hard as he hoped it would be later in the day.

On a day when the thermometer rarely fell below 80f, the Green were unlucky to not get off to a flyer in the first over when both the batsman and visiting umpire failed to notice the ball take the glove for a catch at the wicket. The opener then proceeded his way to a fifty.

The home side fielded and bowled superbly with the pick of the bowlers being Andy Hoddy and Phil Harris taking 3 wickets each. Dave Price bowled his usual miserly spell of 8 overs 1-27. Young Callum White backed up his tidy 4 over spell with a faultless display of fielding.

The Green settled down to a faultless but yet Watermelon-less tea quietly confident of overhauling the 213 set by Bewdley from their 45 overs.

A solid opening stand of 36 saw the loss of Roy Mayo, but Lee Dyment carried on his good form in being particularly sever on anything wide on the off side and went on to his second consecutive fifty.

The middle order of Dean, Perkins and Rogers all got themselves in and out again and the nerves were beginning to jangle.

With 64 still needed off the last ten overs with only 3 wickets in hand Dave Price entered the arena to join Andy Hoddy.

These two bludgeoned the Green to victory with 4 overs to spare with Hoddy ending on 38 and Price on 34.

An invaluable 20 points collected by Barnards Green which put them in second place with games in hand over all there rivals.

Next week we visit Kidderminster Victoria, which is sure to prove another tough game.

Our thanks go the match day sponsors, Classic Drives, and to the tea lady for providing the best refreshments in the league.