A BLEND of experience and talented youthful enthusiasm saw Pershore gain a valuable 24 points against fellow relegation contenders Hagley in a Worcestershire County League game on Saturday.

After losing the toss, the visitors were asked to bat on a damp wicket and immediately found runs hard to get against an accurate Hagley attack to such an extent that only 39 were on the board after 17 overs.

Skipper Stephen Cooper and Lee Wilks then set about getting important runs and added 63 for the third wicket. After Cooper was dismissed for 50, Wilks (68), was joined by Phil Oxley and the pair added 86 in only 39 balls which gave Pershore a reasonable total of 207 from their allotted 50 overs.

Oxley, not for the first time this season, showing his immense experience and finished on 68 not out from 48 balls with the help of five fours and five sixes.

With the wicket showing signs of improvement, Hagley started their reply but came up against the pace attack of Martin Johnson, 16-year-old Luke Dalley and 15-year-old Tom Bales.

Johnson made the immediate breakthrough by removing both openers and when Dalley yorked leading run scorer Eades, the home side were struggling at 27-3.

Bales, working up a ferocious pace, then ripped through the middle order taking four wickets for ten runs in only 27 balls to leave the home side in tatters at 91-9.

The last wicket pair held out for nine overs but could not prevent a well deserved win for Pershore by 97 runs.

Pershore travelled to Stourbridge on Sunday with a youthful side and failed to extend their experienced hosts. After winning the toss, skipper Lee Wilks decided to bat and only Luke Eversham (52) of the top order carried any threat to the Stourbridge attack led by Australian Kerry Murphy.

A stand of 44 between Wilks (50) and Michael Doust (13) enabled the visitors to post a reasonable total of 174 from their allotted 45 overs.

In their reply, the top five Stourbridge batsmen all posted scores over 25 and the result was never in any doubt with the home side reaching the required target in 28.4 overs.