COLWALL III v WEST MALVERN

WEST Malvern put in another excellent bowling and fielding performance that proved decisive in their league encounter with a youthful Colwall side.

The Colwall openers struggled against the West's Pete O'Connell and James Blackshaw. The pace of O'Connell finally proved too much for James Crichard as he cleaned bowled him for three pain-staking runs. Will Barrett, gave Aaron Lawrence (10) little chance as Rowan Dakin pounced on his push into the covers and fired in to keeper Kevin Gilbert who made no mistake.

With only 50 on the board after 22 overs Barrett (8) offered a return catch to Dakin and Crichard was soon after trapped lbw by Chaundy for an impressive 23. Harry Coleman swiftly gave Dakin the chance of a repeat dismissal which he gratefully accepted. Dakin (9-1-22-2) was replaced by the rampant O'Connell (3-36), who clean bowled Colwall skipper M Lawrence and C Geiss with successive balls.

Richard Coleman was joined by Ian Crichard and the two senior players then attempted to give the score respectability. The accurate Chaundy, with a solitary wicket in a fine spell of 10 overs for 18 was replaced by the wily Brian Pleass, who soon fulfilled his captain's wishes as I Crichard (10) slapped a ball to Shailly Badra at extra cover and soon after Ollie Lewis lost his middle-stump for a duck. P Blake (9) and Coleman (19no) put up some stubborn resistance but Tony Williams claimed the final wicket with a good caught and bowled.

The Colwall innings of 109 ended in the 39th over allowing 10 overs before tea for West Malvern to start their reply.

Steve Wright (20) and Pleass set about the bowling and tea was taken when Badra, who again looked in fine form, drove H Coleman to A Lawrence for five.

Play resumed with West Malvern on 54-2 after 9.1 overs. Roy Blackshaw (6no) joined Pleass (65no) and in steady drizzle they hit the final 58 runs in six overs, as the West ran out victors by eight wickets.