Bromsgrove 110 all out

Water Orton 111-8

BOWLER Nick Husbands took a five wicket haul but was desperately unlucky to be on the losing side, as brittle Bromsgrove came close to an unlikely victory in the Birmingham and District League Division One on Saturday.

Husband's five-wicket haul had given the Boars a chance of winning a match they had looked down and out of.

The former captain had reduced Water Orton to 107-8 and had a strong call for lbw ignored before the Division One leaders scraped home and condemned Bromsgrove to another defeat.

The Boars are in danger of being sucked into a relegation battle as they slipped to ninth in the table.

On Saturday Bromsgrove never recovered from a poor performance by its batting order.

The batsmen had no answer to pacemen Lesroy Irish (4-64) and Clifton Folkes (4-18).

Captain Nick Davies lost the toss and Bromsgrove were put into bat.

Bromsgrove lost New Zealander Nick Edwards (13) early on after he and his captain had reached 29.

Irish dismissed Jordan Rose (4), before Davies, the victim of several vicious Irish deliveries, was bowled by him for 30.

Double

John Duffy (17) and Kish Patel were the only other batsmen for Bromsgrove who got into double figures as the team collapsed to 110 in 33 overs.

Husbands, however, was not about to let Bromsgrove lose without a fight.

He dismissed Gregg Hunt (12) and Dan Davies (0) early on.

Jason Basnett (44) though provided the steadying influence as Husbands took the game by the throat.

Edwards caught Matthew Dawes (6) off Husbands' delivery.

But a partnership between Basnett and Mike Showell (22) edged Water Orton closer to their target.

However, Richard Barnes caught Basnett and Husbands dismissed Showell to leave Orton on 107-8 with five balls left. Husbands then thought he had Irish dismissed with a lbw, but the umpire ignored his call.

The batsman, having survived a close call, then ensured victory for Water Orton, when he was awarded runs off a leg bye in the next delivery.

Captain Davies said: "It was a disappointing result.

"We had looked like losing, but Nick was excellent, he was a real threat throughout the game and we came very close to winning."