Bromsgrove 160 all out Kidderminster Victoria 161-6

Bromsgrove lose by four wickets

BROMSGROVE are starting to feel the heat in the Birmingham and District League Division One after losing to Kidderminster Victoria at St Godwalds on one of the hottest days of the year on Saturday.OUT! Mark Evenson has his wickets smashed by bowler Warren Irvine on Saturday.

Defeat, Bromsgrove's third of the season, ensures captain Nick Davies' side firmly stuck in the bottom half of Division One.

On Saturday Bromsgrove were the victims of bowler Ted Bayliss, who came close to a hat trick of the season, and devastated the home side's batting order.

Davies lost the toss and the Boars were put into bat.

While opener Stephen Peters (83) hit a patient innings, the rest of Bromsgrove's batsmen were cheaply dismissed.

Julian Court (0) and Nick Edwards (0), were out easily, while two consecutive Bayliss balls dismissed Davies (1) and Richard Barnes (0).

Mark Evenson (37) came to the crease and survived Bayliss' hat-trick delivery to forge a partnership with Peters.

Impact

Once they were dismissed, John Duffy (10) and Sean Jackson (16 not out) made little impact as Bromsgrove slumped to 160 all out.

Davies made an early breakthrough by dismissing Mansell for 12, but Kidderminster skipper Johnathan Wright hit patient a century to steer his side to victory.

Davies removed Van Wyk (9), before Nick Husbands closed in on a hat trick by dismissing Wood (11) and Shaw, as Kidderminster slipped to 84-4.

However, with Wright at the crease Bromsgrove were always in danger of letting the game, sponsored by Bromsgrove solicitors Houlton and Sellars, slipping away.

Wright survived a big call on Husband's hat-trick ball and continued to frustrate Bromsgrove's bowlers.

Despite wickets for Davies and Jackson Bromsgrove's opponents, guided by their captain did enough to reach 161-6.

Davies said: "We were about 20 runs short of an ideal score.

"We were also a little unlucky and some of the decisions went against us.

Consistency

"But at the moment it's just a matter of consistency, which we don't have.

"We have batted and bowled well at different times but not at the same time and we have to put good performances together if we want to move up the table.

"We are capable of getting higher in the table, all we need to do is hit some form and get some results."

Bromsgrove, who have slipped to eighth in the table after Saturday's defeat, go to table topping Water Orton on Saturday (1pm start).