Indoor cricket - Leach and Humphries star in a Nomads win (From Malvern Gazette)

Indoor cricket - Leach and Humphries star in a Nomads win

7:00pm Friday 10th February 2012 in Sport

WORCESTER Nomads ‘B’ beat under-strength holders Cutnall Green in the Worcestershire Cricket Board Indoor League at Worcester Royal Grammar School.

The Bransford-based side opened up with a powerful batting display to score 155-3 in their 47- run Division One success.

They were inspired by openers Andy Leach (53 not out) and Matt Humphries (53no), supported by Paul Gardner (30no), to top the magical 150.

Leach had retired by the third over, leaving Gardner with Humphries to push on to 73-1 by half-way.

Humphries’ retirement brought a temporary halt in the run feast as Green had some success, reducing Nomads to 80-3 in the eighth over.

Gardner retired but this brought the openers back together, who scored 67 runs in the last four overs. Leach retired for a second time after just nine balls.

Such scores are not often chased successfully and this season there have been few chasing-side wins.

Green miss skipper Matt Harris’ contribution with the ball but he is still effective with the bat.

He was last man standing, unnecessarily run out on 44 in the 10th over after the game was all but over. Neil Evans (34) was the other main contributor as Green were in the game until the eighth over when they were equal with Nomads’ score at the same point.

But Nomads were so much more effective in the field that poor calling was punished each time and Green were eventually dismissed for 108.

In Division Two, West Malvern (80-5) produced a disappointing batting display in a six-wicket loss to Rushwick (81-0).

Pete O’Connell scored 28 in under three overs, retired and, on returning, was bowled from first ball.

Twenty-three runs came from wides as Ian Turner returned flattering figures of 3-18 and James Marsh looked too quick for West Malvern.

Rushwick completed the task of scoring 81 without loss through Clive Colley (25no) and Turner (26no).

Although having scored 51 in five overs, they contrived to make a meal of the other 30, taking a further five overs.

Fixtures, Sunday: Worcester Nomads ‘A’ v WRGS; Monday: Worcester Nomads ‘C’ v Malvern.