BARNARDS GREEN IV v TENBURY II

HAVING been washed out against Rushwick the previous week, the Green Fourths were possibly missing two weeks in a row due to waterlogged pitches.

However, with no rain on Saturday morning, it was decided that top-of-the-table Tenbury would travel to Newland and both teams would make every effort to play, even if it had to be dramatically reduced in overs.

Thanks to the endless work of groundsman Bob Rogers, the game was able to start at the scheduled 1.30pm, to the shock of most players who had taken shelter in the pavilion following a sharp shower half an hour earlier.

The Green were asked to bat first on a wet pitch with sodden outfield.

The makeshift opening pair of Howie and birthday boy Chris Horne got the home side off to a steady and very watchful start. Having lost Howie, the Green were 11-1 off 10 overs and batting was looking very difficult. Brown and Wren fell cheaply and this brought Wheeler to the crease with only 26 on the board and 30 overs left.

With Horne out for a patient 17, debutant Ashley Brewer marched out and looked at home until missing a straight one from Pearson. Dave Price joined Wheeler in the highest stand of the innings, putting on 66 in 11 overs, by using solid defence and punishing the bad balls, the Green looked able to post a defendable total in the 150-run region.

Pearson then ripped the middle and lower order out, first removing Price for 14 and then Wheeler for 52. The lower order of Alley, Adam Price and Hunt added 15 to take the total to 115 before Hunt, another debutant, was bowled to close the innings.

Pearson was the outstanding bowler for Tenbury finishing with figures of 11 overs, 5-40.

Following tea, the Tenbury players must have been confident of chasing the target of 116 and continuing their unbeaten run in the league.

Wren and Adam Price opened the bowling and immediately had the batsman in difficulty with their excellent lines and lengths, and showed that there was still life in the drying surface.

With Wren bowling his five-over spell for just eight runs, Tenbury were behind the run rate and starting to rethink their game plan.

Following a superb diving catch behind the wicket from Brewer off Price, Wheeler introduced himself to the attack and made an immediate impact by inducing a false shot which was well caught by Sam Bradley in the covers.

Wheeler picked up three more wickets with excellent catches being taken by Price, Howie and Hunt, the Tenbury innings fell apart. When Dave Price had Edwards caught at short cover, Tenbury were all out for 51 with only Felce scoring double figures with 15no.

Dave Price finished with the exceptional figures of 3-0, Wheeler ended with 7 overs 5-21, Adam Price was unlucky not to be rewarded with better figures than 11 overs, 2-8.

This was a fantastic result for a Green team with five players under 15 in the side. With the 24 points, the Green close the gap on leaders Tenbury and move up to fourth place, only a few points behind Worcester Dominies, who the Green visit tomorrow (Saturday).