BARNARDS GREEN v COOMBS WOOD

NORTH End Lane hosted Black Country opposition Coombs Wood on Monday and despite terrible weather the game started on time with the visitors batting.

On a day perfect for seam and swing bowling Hoogstraten and Williams again started well both picking up early scalps and bowling tight lines and lengths. Hoogstraten was replaced by Saturday's bowling hero Andrew Ford and he and Williams combined magnificently to curb the visitors scoring. Only Jones with 22 and Boswell who was lucky to gain a reprieve courtesy of a dropped catch who made 24 showing any resistance.

The Green needed three rain interrupted sessions to dismiss Coombs Wood for 99, Ford starring with 5-28 and Williams grabbing 4-51 and were confident of a victory until a spell of persistent rain.

With only eight overs left, Golder and Williams were chasing 99 for an unlikely victory. Things didn't go to plan with Golder departing for his second duck of the weekend and it took the partnership of Paddock and Harris to get the score moving. The two were up with the asking rate of 13 per over courtesy of some clean hitting by Harris, who was bowled by Burgoyne for a fantastic 45.

His dismissal curtailed the rate and the Green were left needing 24 from the final over. Despite falling short, they managed to pick up points on a day where only one other fixture was completed in the division, bagging 12 points to the visitors' three.

The Green are now top by eight points and face Feckenham away tomorrow (Saturday).