HANLEY Castle and Upton were a wicket short of claiming their first victory of the season against promoted Stourport thirds in Worcestershire League Division Five.

Asked to bat first, Hanley’s top order misfired and South African Tyrone Thomas (4-22) reduced them to 18-4.

Will Chambers, Dave Huckerby, Ollie Price and home captain Chris Duckworth all departed cheaply to leave Hanley teetering on the brink.

However, Grant Mathews (21) and Olly Lewis started to rebuild the innings, putting on 32 for the fifth wicket.

Lewis was bowled for 21 after the ball kept low and then Nick Bentley lofted a catch to mid-on for nine.

But the tail put up a fight with James Cooper-Smith (23no) and Todd Mathews (23) combining for 42 runs.

Rupert Chambers’ quickfire 16 helped Hanley to 139-8 which they thought was a defendable total.

Their energy showed with the new ball as Duckworth (3-32) and Price took early wickets to leave Stourport on 33-5.

The visitors’ Dave Cook decided the best form of defence was attack but young spinner Todd Mathews kept his cool and claimed an lbw decision at the other end.

Will Chambers claimed the crucial scalp of Cook (51) thanks to an Andy Brown catch before Huckerby bagged two more wickets to leave Stourport nine down with 13 overs left.

Hanley barraged the last pair but they held out to leave the hosts with a 12- point winning draw.

The seconds won by four wickets at Stourport fourths with Steven Tandy (45no) guiding them home after Josh Lewis earlier scored 43.

Peter Wright took 3-33 in his side’s victory.

  • Colwall recorded a weather- affected winning draw at home to Coombs Wood in Division Two.

Skipper James Abel (69) and opener Dan Head (67) helped fire the villagers to 252-8.

But the visitors comfortably held out on 208-3 from 40 overs with Matthew Colwell scoring 110no.

The seconds scored 311-8 declared in Division One with Tom Elgar (79) and Daniel Newby (74no) the mainstays in their 119-run victory over Wood who replied with 192 all out.