NETHERTON CC 1st XI v BARNARDS GREEN 1st XI

UNDER leaden skies, Barnards Green headed North to face Black Country side Netherton for a WCL Division Two fixture.

On a pitch with the consistency of plasticine due to a heavy week of rain visiting captain Chris Smedley inserted the home team, but due to rain five overs per side were lost before the warm-ups were completed.

When the teams did get onto the field the Green took the early advantage with Tim Williams taking the first wicket. Unfortunately overseas player Andrew Hoogstraaten could only manage a single over before limping off with an injury and wayward bowling from Downes and Harris led to the skipper being forced to introduce himself on a day that seemed to suggest that seam bowling should have been the norm.

The Green limited the home side to an early scoring rate under three an over although captain Smedley was cautious in his approach posting boundary fielders to former Stourbridge player Nigel Davenport, who managed to find the boundary several times early in his innings.

Despite Davenport looking at relative ease the same could not be said of his team mates as wickets regularly tumbled. Pick of the wickets was a catch by Harris at point off a well-disguised Williams slower ball to dismiss the dangerous Jeavons for 18.

Davenport continued to prove a thorn in the side and was dropped by Smedley off another slower ball from Williams. In his following over Williams was helped by a fantastic catch by Hoogstraaten to dismiss Davenport (44).

Wickets continued to tumble including a superb one-handed diving caught and bowled by Smedley to dismiss Clouston and leave the home side 110-9. A run out engineered by keeper Adam Binks, who returned to bowler Williams to break the stumps and ended the innings at 111 all out.

The Green reply got off to a slow but steady start. The introduction of the left arm spin of Davenport had Williams Senior smartly caught at slip. Captain Smedley entered the fray determined to blunt the attack, he succeeded first in a partnership with Drinkwater (14), and then with keeper Binks, who survived an early chance being dropped by Clouston off his own bowling.

Smedley was dismissed for 38 having all but guided his team to victory. Andrew Ford joined Binks and quickly brought the end with two pulled boundaries before a well-timed clip for one sealed the victory for the away side.

Barnards Green stay in third place in the table, and face Belbroughton tomorrow (Saturday), at North End Lane.

Netherton (2pts) 111 (Williams Jnr 5-58, Smedley 4-27, Davenport 44). Barnards Green (20pts) 112-5, Smedley 38, Clouston 3-53.