Cullen and Francis on song for Malvern (From Malvern Gazette)

Cullen and Francis on song for Malvern

8:00am Saturday 9th June 2012 in Cricket

MALVERN scored their highest total of the season to gain a winning draw against Himley in Worcestershire League Division Three.

Andy Cullen (108) and Rob Francis (96) carried the hosts’ 266-6 from 50 overs before Himley survived on 204-5.

Malvern openers Anthony Arnold and Cullen started brightly but the former fell for 24 and Max White followed soon after.

Cullen and Francis put together a superb 195-run partnership, both batting with flowing shots all around the wicket.

Francis fell four short of a richly- deserved century but Cullen pushed on in comfortably the town’s best overall batting display of the season.

Himley replied cautiously in the face of accurate bowling from Rob Perrins and Shaun Smith.

Adam Naylor (66) and Thomas Wall (60 not out) batted well to record half-centuries although the visitors never looked likely to challenge Malvern’s total.

Perrins was the most successful Malvern bowler with 2-65 from 16 overs, while Andrew Croft and Kieran Smith took a wicket apiece.

Second-from-bottom Malvern hope to climb the table if they can continue in the same vein.

The seconds came away from Himley with a winning draw after a good team performance, scoring 270-6.

After losing the experienced Dave Sharp early on, Malvern’s Mark Baugh and Rhys Humm consolidated the innings with a partnership of 66.

Humm fell for a hard-hitting 34 but Connor Walwyn, with a mature 45, and Baugh then added 112 for the third wicket.

Ian Walwyn (21) and Baugh put on 41 with the latter falling to the last ball of the innings for 146 with five sixes and 19 fours.

Himley also started poorly, losing Matthew Bowen to paceman Ashley Jones, but veteran Gareth Bowen (39) held the innings together before Lewis Hill accounted for him.

Malvern continued to bowl well but Himley looked unlikely to beat the target, closing on 200-5 with Matt Millward striking a classy 64.

Hill (2-21) was Malvern’s most successful bowler with Jones and Humm also among the wickets alongside a promising spell from Tom Fairclough.