The RAPIDEGG Cricket Pages with–

Barnards Green Cricket Club, (unofficial).

MATCH REPORTS	MATCH REPORTS	MATCH REPORTS
BARNARDS Green visited high flying Hereford City in this WCL Division Three clash on Saturday. HEREFORD CITY v BARNARDS GREEN Rich Williams won the toss and elected to field on a hot, sultry afternoon at the race course. Scott and Brown started at a reasonable rate without ever taking the game to Green's opening pair of Tim Williams and the youthful Duncan Bell. However the Green failed to gain any early breakthroughs and on an easy pitch runs began to flow. The introduction of the pacey Doughty and the wily Chris Hill soon saw wickets begin to fall. First Doughty had Brown lbw and then Hill trapped Thomas on the back foot, also leg before. Mockler joined Scott and the pair continued to score at a good rate until Doughty deceived Mockler and had him caught at mid-on by the safe hands of Drinkwater. Scott then attempted what looked like a simple run when he pushed the ball past the bowler. However Rich Williams threw himself to his left to stop the ball and then threw blind whilst lying on the floor. A direct hit had Scott run out by yards. T Williams and Bell then returned to the attack and for a couple of overs were able to stop the flow of runs. Bell finally picked up his first wicket for the first team and soon followed it with his second. The earlier wicket due to another fine stumping by the cool Glendinning. Williams picked up his reward for a long afternoon's bowling when Drinkwater again safely pocketed a high catch. Doughty returned for the prize wicket of Hunt, to finish with 3-76. Hereford closed on 250-8. The Green managed only one over in their reply as heavy rain swept across the ground, reaching five without loss. The weather ruined what could have been a fascinating game as 250 was very much a reachable target on an excellent pitch. The Green did however get 11 points.	FOR the second home game in a row the unseasonable weather ruined the Green's 2nd XI's chances of victory as a thunderstorm descended on North End Lane with the home side well placed on 224 for six after 42 overs. BARNARDS GREEN II v HEREFORD CITY II Keith Middleton was bowled early in the innings, when Wright got one to nip back off the wicket, but James Curtis and John Sherliker took the side along to 60 when Curtis hit a back foot shot straight into the hands of mid off. Sherliker hit half a dozen boundaries before going down the wicket to leg spinner Miller and losing his off stump for 31. Derek Goodman batted sensibly, taking full advantage of the loose bowling and reaching his half century before hitting Wright for three successive boundaries. With the thunder and lightening fast approaching, Goodman (68) and his partner Dick Brown (47) accelerated the scoring rate, but both perished in the run chase. This left Tim Price to hit a number of boundaries as the rain started to fall, forcing the players from the field with the Green on 229-6 in just the 42nd over. Thanks to match sponsor Colin Phipps.	BARNARDS Green Second's entertained Barnt Green in the Sunday league. BARNARDS GREEN II v BARNT GREEN II After the previous day's heavy rain, stand in skipper Andy Lamb sensibly elected to bowl first on a drying wicket that was always likely to get easier to bat on although the opening bowlers found difficulty with the slippy foot holds. Barnt Green got off to a rapid start, before Mat Brookes clean bowled Towner for 16 and then Jamie Longmore took a return catch to dismiss Edwards without scoring, Brookes picked up two further wickets in quick succession and Barnt Green, although scoring quickly, were in a bit of trouble. The introduction of Emily Price brought immediate success when Guest hit her first ball straight to her brother Tim who snapped up the first of two catches and the two actually shook hands! Debutant Andy Harrison then chipped in with the wicket of dogged opener Brownhill (38), but then Barnt Green made something of a recovery with just a little help from some strange decisions from the men in white. Andy Lamb and Marek Wajzer then picked up a wicket a piece and Barnt Green closed their innings on 174. The Green's reply was cautious to start, but then Roy Mayo and Marc Jones found their form and started to punish anything short or overpitched. Jones hit a huge six over long on and Mayo found his cutting power to regularly despatch the ball to the offside boundary. At 105 without loss off 22 overs, the inevitable downpour arrived in this wonderful British summer and everyone departed to the pavilion for cover to leave Andy Wheeler battling to preserve the wicket for Monday's cup final. Barnards Green won the game on a faster run rate and took six points. Many thanks to match sponsor Just So.
THE Green seconds recorded another WCL victory at Enville on Saturday overcoming their opponents by three wickets in a closely fought game. BARNARDS GREEN II v ENVILLE II Enville batted first and Robbie Lewis claimed the first wicket clinging on to an excellent return catch to dismiss Hodges. Mattie Brookes quickly found a good rhythm and troubled all the batsmen with his late inswing bowling dismissing Harris and Ralphs with top quality deliveries. The left-handed Spears hit some big leg side shots and M Branch immediately showed he had a good range of shots. The pair took the score on to 100 before Brookes struck again having Spears well caught by John Sherliker at gully and inducing a mis-hit from Branch which was comfortably held by Rick Brown at cover. Ned Anderson was introduced into the attack and bowled very tightly, strangling the innings in a spell of seven overs taking two wickets for just 13 runs as Brookes returned his best figures for the season 7-74 in 22 overs. Enville were dismissed for 172 in the 45th over. Jez Clarke (64) and Keith Middleton (31) attacked from the start, the former having the self confidence to hit the opening bowlers back over their heads and the latter thrashing the ball through the covers. The Enville fielders gave them a helping hand by dropping a number of chances but when off spinner King came on to bowl things changed rapidly. Middleton and Clarke both played rash strokes and Sherliker was caught at point off Powell as three wickets fell in quick succession. When Ned Anderson was run out for three and Tim Price became Powell's second victim the total had gone from 95-0 to 131-5 and the target seemed a long way off. Robin Longmore (24) and Dick Brown decided not to attack King who was finding turn and bounce in the track until they were within easy reach of the total. But both finally gave in to temptation and were caught to give the spinner the excellent figures of 4-18 in 12 overs. Robbie Lewis and Jamie Longmore collected the last few runs required to bring the Green a three wicket victory.	BARNARDS Green won the toss in this WCL Division Three fixture and invited Enville to bat on a warm afternoon at North End Lane. BARNARDS GREEN v ENVILLE With conditions conducive to swing bowling pressure was quickly applied. The first eight overs of the innings yielded just one run for the away team. Bell continued to impress with little luck and Tim Williams continually beat the outside edge. Once the shine started to disappear from the new ball Fish and Hudson, the Enville openers, started to become more adventurous. Runs started to flow and both looked confident. It was the return of Judd Doughty, who has been away working, who broke the partnership accounting for both openers cleaned bowled. Doughty was again in the action soon after diving forward to take a catch off Hill to dismiss Pitt. The run rate was now starting to be pegged back but some strong late hitting from Roberts and Such gave Enville a respectable, but not unobtainable, score of 219-4. The Green reply started badly losing Spencer early. Rich Williams joined Jack Wheeler and the pair started to set about the chase. After an early scare Wheeler launched into his typical attacking style striking the ball cleanly and without mercy down the ground. The run rate was picking up before Wheeler tried to lift the ball and was caught on the boundary for an impressive 29. Williams continued to chip away at the total but wickets fell steadily until the distinctly recognisable Chris Hill came to the wicket and the pair added 70 in quick time. When the Green appeared to be cruising disaster struck as three wickets fell in the space of two overs. The run rate was easily obtainable at this point but wickets in hand were the crucial statistic. Doughty and Williams looked pensive together before the pair struck 14 off one Roberts' over giving confidence and belief. The pair looked to be taking the Green to another victory but disaster struck for the second time in the form of quick wickets, losing both Williams for 88 and Doughty for 18. It was left to the fresh faced Bell and the evergreen Glendin-ning to see out the thrilling draw.	BARNARDS Green Seconds visited the delightful ground of Feckenham on a glorious summer's afternoon on Sunday. FECKENHAM II v BARNARDS GREEN II With Feckenham winning the toss the Green were asked to take the new ball on what looked like being a long slog in the field. The Green started brightly and Jamie Longmore and Ian Bryant stuck to their task and bowled a good length to put pressure on the Feckenham openers. Bryant made the breakthrough when Wajzer caught Lathwood for five. The early introduction of 16-year- old Emily Price proved decisive as she tied up one end with an excellent spell of bowling and was unlucky not to have a wicket with her second ball when Simpson edged a sharp chance to keeper John Wheeler who did well in the searing heat. Emily finished with 1-29 off her nine overs with 12 of those runs coming off her last over as Feckenham sought to push their total on. Roy Mayo clean bowled Simpson for 38 and Marek Wajzer held on to his second catch off his own bowling to dismiss Morgan. Andy Lamb bowled his usual meticulous line and had the dangerous George well caught by John Wheeler for 57. Jamie Longmore was reintroduced and soon captured Somers lbw without scoring and Feckenham finished their innings on 180, an excellent effort by the Green bowlers and fielders alike. In reply, the Green got off to a slow but sure start until Mat Brookes played a loose shot to be caught at mid on. Roy Mayo and Justin McMillan then took the score to 60 before Roy wilted in the heat and was bowled by Bloomer for an excellent 34. This brought Tim Price to the wicket and he looked comfortable as he smote the ball around the ground before receiving a low bounce and being bowled for 17. The evergreen Andy Lamb and Justin took the total to 100 before Justin was bowled for a fine 31. Skipper Robin Longmore joined Lamb and they put on 60 before Andy (13) was struck on the pads by a ball that would have removed all three stumps. Wajzer joined Robin Longmore who proceeded to smash the attack to all parts of the ground despite a pulled fetlock and these two saw the Green comfortably home with Longmore undefeated on 58. An excellent performance played in exactly the way cricket should be played. All match reports courtesy of the Malvern Gazette