BARNARDS Green visited second-placed Belbroughton in a vital Crusader Worcestershire County League Division Three match.

BELBROUGHTON v BARNARDS GREEN

The Green, who put Belbroughton into bat started well with Williams and Scullion able to apply a stranglehold.

But soon the vital wicket came when Flynn clean bowled Pardoe for 44. Flynn finished with 3-60.

Some good, late hitting took Belbroughton over 200 but the Green were very pleased with a good bowling and fielding performance which saw Belbroughton close on 211 for 9.

The Green got off to a flying start at the crease with Flynn and Clarke hitting some early boundaries.

However, wickets started to tumble and, after eight overs, the Green were 40 for 2. Tim Clarke and Drinkwater soon followed the openers and Green were in trouble at 65 for 4.

Chris Smedley and Rob Richards then compiled a superb partnership to get their team back into the game.

Both played with a great deal of restraint and hit some superb boundaries.

Richards, in dominant form, was the first to go just four short of his half century.

Judd Doughty joined Smedley and the run rate continued to rise.

Smedley quickly accelerated past a superb 50 and Doughty started to find the boundary with some powerful drives.

With the Green needing more than eight runs an over - Smedley hit several more boundaries before being caught. His superb knock of 76 now saw the Green within sight of victory.

Tim Williams joined Doughty (34no) with Green needing 11 runs from two overs to win.

And several singles later, the Green were within sight of victory - needing two from three balls.

Williams was then run out to leave the scores tied but Doughty smashed the last ball to cover as Green secured a superb victory.