Bromyard I 169-8, Redditch I 149 all-out.

BROMYARD’S Crusader League campaign got off to a winning start.

The hosts’ Ollie Bailey showed that he was now suffering no ill effects from his recently dislocated kneecap, looking in good touch from the start and hammered a six over cover in the fourth over.

However, Redditch got the breakthrough when Joe Hill bowled Bailey through the gate for 28 off just 26 balls, to make the score 43-1 in the ninth over.

The introduction of Redditch’s Australian left-arm spinner Danny Friedrich slowed the scoring rate somewhat, and when Friedrich had Ash Bullock stumped for 35, the score was 122-2 in the 35th over.

Edd Oliver reached his 50 soon afterwards with a flick for six off a full toss from Friedrich.

But when he was also stumped off Friedrich, for 54 off 106 balls with seven fours and a six, the score was 135-3 in the 39th over.

From here Redditch tied Bromyard’s batsmen down in the closing overs, thanks to Friedrich (4-34 off 14 overs) and medium-pacer Jeff Russell (3-26) as Bromyard closed their innings on a disappointing 169-8.

In reply, Bromyard were under par in their opening overs in the field, and Redditch moved to 57 for no wicket in the 12th over when Pete Whittenbury struck, Adam Gailey being well held low down in the gully by Ollie Bailey, having made a quickfire 34.

Fellow opener Hill followed soon afterwards, bowled by Whittenbury for 20, and when left-hander Dan Protherough was trapped lbw by Whittenbury for one, Redditch had slipped to 73-3.

A tight spell of off-spin from Matt Bullock was rewarded with the wicket of Russell Southwick, caught and bowled for 22.

Whittenbury struck a crucial blow after the resumption, Friedrich padding up to an off-cutter from the veteran swing bowler and falling lbw for six, before Whittenbury bowled Russell for six, making it 99-6.

However, Luke Davis and Tom Phelan swung the match back in Redditch’s favour at 135-6 when James Hine returned to the attack.

With his first ball back he bowled Davis for 20, and in the following over Bromyard skipper Zahid Saeed finally got some reward with the wicket of Neville Mason, bowled for one.

James Hine then had Liam Phelan lbw for five in the following over, bringing Steve Merry to the crease.

When he leg glanced his second ball for four Redditch were just 21 runs away.

But he cut his next ball uppishly towards backward point, where Greg Leighton at first tipped the ball up, and then dived back to catch the ball inches above the turf.

The seconds also won their first league game on Saturday against Alvechurch & Hopwood.