Eastnor 197 all out, Sutton Coldfield 201-7.

EASTNOR will need seven points from their final fixture at Penn tomorrow to make sure of playing in Division Two of the Birmingam League after they suffered their third consecutive defeat in Division Three.

Visiting Sutton Coldfield who were desperate for points themselves, albeit at the other end of the table, competed well with both bat and ball and ran out worthy winners by three wickets after restricting Eastnor to 197.

Eastnor found runs hard to come by after they elected bat in conditions which offered the bowler encouragement.

Skipper Jabran (36) dominated the early part of the innings before being caught in the gully off Richard Norgrove (3-31 off 16 overs) the pick of the visiting bowlers.

Atiq batted steadily but received little support until Raza (31) came in at number eight to help increase the run-rate and post a competitive total.

Atiq cut loose in the closing overs and was unbeaten on 82 when the final wicket went down off the final ball of the innings.

Sutton Coldfield got away to a flier when they batted, their openers went past 50 inside the first 10 overs.

The introduction of spin strangled the run-rate and wickets fell as Jabran rotated his three main bowlers. When the seventh wicket went down and 20 were still required there was still hope.

Australian professional Joel Nupier (68 no), normally an aggressive batsman, mixed a solid defence with the occasional big shot to steer Sutton home in the 48th over.

Atiq finished with (4-55 off 17 overs) and Jabran 2-51.

Worcester Nomads 184 all out, Droitwich 138-9.

WORCESTER Nomads are second in Worcestershire League Division One after drawing with Droitwich.

Nomads just failed to claim maximum points as the home side's last pair hung on for a draw.

Nomads were inserted and Guy Davies soon fell to the pace of Mike Rogers, caught behind for eight by Andy Fletcher, the first of four victims for the Droitwich wicketkeeper.

Karl Goddard accounted for Jon Inglis (12) and Steve Bowman (15).

Damon Gariff was caught off the bowling of Martin Woodward for seven and when prolific scorer Sam Roberts went to leg-spinner, Jake Young, Nomads were in some disarray at 88-5.

The middle order of Dannie Rees (40), Sean Jenkins (17) and Christian Elsden (26) restored some respectability to the score and Nomads finished on 184 all out.

Young was the pick of the bowlers with 4-50, supported by Rogers (3-51) and Goddard (2-37).

In their reply, Droitwich quickly lost Neil Wright bowled by Elsden for six and then captain Jerome Connor, caught by Rees off the bowling of Gariff for nought.

Opener Young and Ian Cottrill held firm for a while until Gariff trapped Cottrill in front for an aggressive 18. Paul Bryan took root and he and Young made real progress toward the target.

Geoff Taylor was introduced into the attack and once again caused problems.

He had Young caught by Davies for 51 and when the solid Bryan played on to Elsden, Droitwich were in trouble.

Taylor continued to take wickets and the Droitwich innings petered out on 138-9.

Taylor took 5-42, a five-wicket haul in each of his two games this season, Gariff (2-30) and Elsden (2-22). Nomads’ seconds crashed to a five-wicket defeat to Droitwich in Worcestershire League Division One (Second XI).

Batting first, Liam O’Driscoll starred for Nomads as he fired 73 in his side’s total of 205 all out.

The Droitwich reply started strongly with Bevis (57) and Wright (20) getting off to a solid start. Davies top-scored with 62 as Droitwich won.