Worcestershire Cricket Board

Week 3 of the indoor season saw teams playing their second matches and a marked improvement was evident all round. In the second division no team yet has two wins and in the first division the current champions Cutnall Green also failed to add to their first round win but Nomads 'B' recorded their 2nd win this time against an improving Bromsgrove side.

Division 1 - matches played Sunday 22nd January

Worcester (120-3) beat Cutnall Green (106 all out) by 14 runs

A much strengthened and full Worcester side produced a fine batting display, posting a challenging total against Cutnall Green. Jack Horton (27 n.o.) and Clive Chanhani (24) batted positively from the start producing 47 from the first 4 overs. Horton retired and Chanhani was run out leaving Liam Kelleher (26 n.o.) and Ryan d'Oliveira (11) to continue the good work. Kelleher was retired after only 3 overs while his partner mainly watched from the other end. After 8 overs Worcester had 91 for 2 and a very large score looked likely but Derek and Chris Higgins (2-21) managed to stem the flow against Andy Fletcher (19 n.o.) and James Wagstaffe and only 27 was added in the final 4 overs. Cutnall Green are missing Matt Harris's bowling, and without their Andy Fletcher's batting, the target of 120 would leave the Green with little margin for error.

Matt Harris (24) and Steve Shuck (28) produced 35 in 3 overs, but Harris was run out in the 4th. Runs became harder to find, and it was 5 more overs before Cutnall Green doubled their score. Then Derek Higgins and Steve Shuck were both run out. Nick Evans (13) had one good over to bring Cutnall Green back into contention on 94. Requiring 25 in two overs Evans was stumped off James Wagstaffe (2-14), and Cutnall Green lost 4 wickets in 12 balls, dismissed for 106.

Worcester Nomads 'B' (132-2) beat Bromsgrove (100-5) by 32 runs

Nomads 'B' kept up consistent pressure on the Bromsgrove bowlers and fielders, Andy Leach (38 n.o.) and Matt Humphries (26 n.o.) producing 54 from five overs with only one boundary 4. Both soon retired bringing Paul Gardner (25 n.o) to the crease. After 10 overs Nomads were 104 without loss. As Gardner retired, Nomads then lost 2 wickets in the penultimate over but with the luxury of wickets in hand Tom Baker (12 n.o.) and the returning Leach added 18 (all run) in the last. For Bromsgrove, Lewis Cordes (24) and Matt Russell (6) looked up for the challenge but after a promising start Russell was bowled and Cordes run out in the 4th with the score 38-2. David Collins then held up one end finishing with a commendable 50 not out, but the remaining wickets were relatively easily surrendered, all bowled, leaving Collins to play out the final 3 overs. For Nomads Andy Leach took 2-20, Matt Humphries 1-25 and Tom Marsh 1-25.

Umpires - Chris Marsh & Gary Gough. Next matches January 29th - Bewdley v. WRGS and Droitwich 'A' v Nomads 'A'

Division 2

West Malvern (91-2) lost to Avoncroft (93-0) by 6 wickets

The Avoncroft bowlers took full advantage of a new ball to seam and swing away from the West Malvern openers who, in the parlance, couldn't lay a bat on it. Dave Charlton (1-13) in particular, aided by Dan Elliott kept a good line just outside the off stump and the ball did the rest. In the third over W Malvern got the first runs from the bat, but in the complete innings only managed double figures from 3 overs when assisted by extras. Openers Glen Collins retired on 26 in the 12th over and Will Lloyd (22) was very well caught and bowled by Ben Warwick in the 9th, so no-one else got much of an opportunity. However given the control and line of the Avoncroft bowlers it is unlikely West Malvern would have done better had they lost wickets sooner, and in some respects scratching together 91 was not a bad job.

It was not to be enough. This became apparent early in the Avoncroft innings as Pete O'Connell struggled to maintain a good line against the left handed Mark Whitehead. Whitehead (25 n.o.) with Matt Duffill (26 n.o.) seemed comfortable in putting on 59 by the half way point, and when they retired the game was all but won, Avoncroft requiring 16 off 4 overs as they cruised to victory with almost 2 overs to spare.

Old Vigornians (103-4) beat Rushwick (102-4) by 2 runs.

Down to the wire, this game. Rushwick required 12 to win off the last over and Ian Turner had returned to finish the job he'd started when opening Rushwick's reply with Chris Colley (16). Bob Thomas was the unlucky bowler tasked with denying Rushwick and started with a no-ball. Three for Turner from the next and two leg-byes were followed by another three. Only 4 to win, three balls left; easy! Two dot balls and the odds have reversed. O.Vs pack the back wall and say get 4 off this. Turner hits the ball fairly straight and runs; 3 for a tie? No the ball hurtles back to the wicket keeper - thank you very much - and O.V.s have won by 2 runs.

Earlier O.V.s had put together a not entirely convincing innings with the main contributors Andy Bell (35 n.o.) and Azmat Riaz (26 n.o.), their 4 wickets all run-outs. Rushwick replied with Ian Turner finishing on 33 not out and Wayne Newman (26 n.o) their main contributors whilst their 4 wickets were also all run-out. When wides are considered though, there was a lot between the sides. O.V.s conceded just 4 in the first 2 balls of the innings whilst Rushwick gave away 20. And that's a lot when you lose by 2 runs.

Umpires - Rob Murphy & John Iggulden. Next matches Monday 30th January - Martley v Malvern and Droitwich 'B' v Nomads 'C'