Worcester Nomads 260-8, Barnards Green 201-7.

WITH great anticipation, the first match of the Crusader Worcestershire League season rolled into town with Worcester Nomads securing a winning derby draw.

Upon winning the toss, new Barnards Green skipper Tim Williams took the option to try and exert early pressure with Nick Murphy taking the new ball to the Nomads openers.

But the home side’s seamers failed to make early inroads with both Murphy and his opening partner Williams struggling to find consistent lines and lengths.

The introduction of spin to the attack in the form of Chris Smedley and Andy Ford initially put the brakes on the scoring rate.

But first Dannie Rees and then his partner Watkins bludgeoned several boundaries to up the ante once more. Rees was bowled by Smedley to give the Green a much-needed breakthrough.

The middle overs brought further frustration to the home side as they struggled to contain the visitors, serving up numerous boundary balls and releasing any pressure built up by the generally excellent fielding.

Smedley’s capture of Bowman (caught and bowled) gave a glimmer of hope to the home side but soon after O’Driscoll started to rebuild with Watkins, who reached a well-deserved half-century with his sixth boundary of the innings.

The re-introduction of Murphy to the attack gave him his first league wicket for Green which was quickly followed by a further two scalps.

Smedley captured O’Driscoll with a quicker ball immediately after he had reached his 50 to finish with 3-77.

The innings, however, belonged to Watkins who fell tantalising close of carrying his bat when he was run-out by Liam Paddock for 103.

The visitors finished with a total of 260.

Despite an early flurry of boundaries from Kevin Golder and Williams their wickets tumbled.

Golder caught behind and Williams caught off Shiffman somewhat stalled the home sides’ reply as Paddock and Rhodes began to rebuild the innings.

When George Rhodes and Smedley both fell lbw to Shiffman, Green found themselves at 100-5.

Just as the tide began to turn Paddock perished, palpably panicked by the climbing run rate for 34. Jeremy Clarke joined wicketkeeper Adam Binks.

Clarke got off the mark with a crisply-struck boundary and Binks soon joined the party with a brace of boundaries of his own.

When it became clear that Green could not reach the imposing target, Rees turned to a number of bowling changes to stop the home side reaching the losing draw target of 196.

Binks and Clarke had other ideas with Binks hoisting consecutive sixes off the bowling of Butterworth before being caught at short third man for 39.

Clarke steered the home side to 196 and then surpassed this landmark to pick up a batting bonus point with yet another boundary finishing with a commanding 38no.