Bromyard 174-9, Redditch 177-6.

BROMYARD slipped to eighth in Worcestershire League Division One after a four-wicket defeat to Redditch.

Bromyard captain Edd Oliver won the toss and decided to bat first.

Redditch’s Indian pro Gagandeep Singh got the first breakthrough when he removed Ash Bullock lbw for 11, leaving Bromyard 13-1.

Soon afterwards a sedate Oliver survived a concerted appeal for caught behind, but Eral Anderson was given out lbw for 16.

That left Bromyard 38-2, which became 44-3 when Gagandeep, trapped Zahid Saeed lbw for a duck.

A temporary recovery was made by Oliver and Lundi Mbane, the former cutting a couple of fours and having another couple of edges go just wide of the wicketkeeper.

Mbane cracked Gagandeep through the covers and then belting him straight into the white fence at long-on for six. Gagandeep had Mbane dismissed for 11.

Bromyard were 74-4, which became 81-5 when Dave Taylor was run out for five.

Perry Derrick’s flat off-spinners soon brought about a wicket, as Pete Whittenbury edged to slip having made two.

George Godsall looked composed however, and had just driven a boundary through cover when he called for a single off another cover-drive, was sent back by the non-striker Oliver and was run out for nine, leaving Bromyard 121-7.

Oliver reached his fifty soon after, his sixth of the season, and then reached the 500 Worcestershire League run mark for the second time, when he reached 60.

Oliver was just starting to open his shoulders, having lofted Perry Derrick over long-on for six when Dan Mills was adjudged lbw to the off-spinner for two, after playing round a straight delivery, this left Bromyard on 132-8.

Dan Masters was bowled by Derrick for two, leaving Bromyard 154-9 with eight overs of their innings remaining.

Dave Kyte dug in and Oliver attempted to hit some boundaries and boost Bromyard's final total, but with the field back and Oliver trying to keep the strike, several singles were turned down.

Oliver sliced the second ball of the final over short of long-off, took a single and could not get back on strike, thus ending his innings on 94 not out off 165 balls, with 13 fours and a six.

Kyte made five not out as Bromyard closed their innings on 174-9 off their 50 overs, extras (with 17) being the second top-scorer.

Derrick took 3-38 for Redditch from 11 overs.

Redditch reached their target after 40.2 overs, finishing on 177-6, with Tom Field (11 not out) and Stefan Jagielski (91 not out off 100 balls, with 16 fours and a six.

For Bromyard, Lundi Mbane took 3-66 and Whittenbury 3-56 off 15 overs.