ON another great day for cricket, and with a well-prepared wicket available, Barnards Green chose to make first use of the conditions.

CHADDESLEY CORBETT v BARNARDS GREEN

Openers Rich Williams and Kev Golder once again gave the Green's innings an excellent start, putting 170 runs on the board during the first 30 overs, at an average of 5.66 runs per over, but then things went pear-shaped.

In the 31st over Rich Williams fell, caught M Porter off the bowling of G Woods for 71 runs. Then three wickets went down rapidly in the next four overs, all of them to Woods in his inspired second spell, bowled from the opposite end from his first effort.

By the end of the 34th over the Green were 192-4.

This brought in Adam Binks to join Golder to attempt to stop the rot, only to see Golder caught out in the very next over off the bowling of P Lyman, to end his second century innings in successive matches, finishing on a magnificent 104.

Captain Chris Smedley now came in, and along with Adam Binks set about restoring a shattered innings. This they did very well, taking Barnards Green's innings to a closing total of 282-5. Adam Binks finishing on (60no) and Chris Smedley on (19no).

In response, Chaddesly Corbett lost quick wickets in the first and third overs from the bowling of Rob McCard, then three more in the 10th, 13th and 16th overs. Two wickets falling to Tim Williams, and one for Duncan Bell.

These efforts reducing Chaddesley Corbett's to 63 for 5. Their score slowly progressed to 114 for 6 by the 30th over, then 142 for 8 by the 40th.

At this stage, a Green win looked likely, but it was not to be, as just as in the previous meeting between these two teams, the tail end batsmen managed to hold out to force a drawn result, finishing their innings on 172-9.

Barnards Green 16 points, Chaddesley Corbett four points

Tomorrow (Saturday), Barnards Green welcome Bewdley to North End Lane.