,ALVECHURCH II v BARNARDS GREEN II

BARNARDS Green seconds travelled to Alvechurch after another week of torrential rain hoping for a game uninterrupted by the bad weather which had been forecast.

The Alvechurch ground was waterlogged and the wicket wet but the captains decided to start the match on time. Once again the toss was lost, but to the Green's surprise Alvechurch elected to bat.

Sam Spencer and Matt Brookes opened the bowling and after 14 overs Alvechurch were only scoring at three an over but had not lost any wickets.

Brookes removed both openers, Gilmour (34) and Jones (26), and this opened the floodgates. He took a further three wickets to finish with match figures of 19 overs 5-34.

Scullion bowled 13 tight overs taking one wicket at the cost of 30 runs, Tom Clack clean-bowled Fisher for 22 then had Reck caught by Brookes. This left the way for Sam Spencer to return and take the final two wickets. Alvechurch completed their innings with a total of 141.

The Green got off to a solid start until James Scullion was adjudged leg before with the score on 25. Paul Yorke failed to trouble the scorers, given caught behind, and a reshuffle in the batting order allowed Dave Knapper to come in at number four. He, together with opener Mark Hooper, took the score along to 76 before Hooper was bowled by a slower ball from Reck for 42, Knapper was unlucky to be bowled off his pads for 24.

Jez Clarke looked in good form until he was adjudged leg before for 19, Tom Clack (1) was run out, Lewis Hooper was caught and bowled by Reck for 13, Spencer snr and junior failed to trouble the scorer, leaving the Green 117-9.

The last wicket partnership of Brookes and Scullion looked like gradually inching their way to the required total until the returning opening bowler Batterley bowled Brookes for 7 leaving the Green 12 runs short on 129 all out.

For Alvechurch Darren Reck took 5-24 with a mixture of spin and medium pace.