HIMBLETON won the toss and put Hanley Castle and Upton in to bat in this Crusader Worcestershire County League Division Four match.

HANLEY CASTLE & UPTON v

HIMBLETON

After almost immediately losing Andrew Heath for a lowly brace of runs, opener Dave Hayes and number three Grant Mathews ensured that Hanley would promise a competitive total should the rain laden clouds remain locked over the nearby Malvern Hills.

In fact it was Hayes who was the brighter of the two during the opening stages, with two consecutively pulled fours marking his grasp over the young bowling duo of Spark and Alford.

However, a flurry of impressive running during the proceeding few balls may have taken its toll as the opener was found prodding at a ball he should have clearly left and he was soon back in to the pavilion.

The entry of Simon Rawlings onto the sodden stage proved all too close to his untimely exit, a lazy lob up to a grateful mid-on ensuring a hasty return.

Despite these consecutive setbacks, Dave Young provided a valuable and talented foil to Mathews at the other end, who had begun to dictate the rhythm of the match. Sadly though, play was halted for a short while before the sides resumed, having lost four overs each from their 50 allotted to them.

This invasion of the rain may have severed Young's often too flimsy concentration, as he once again dollied a simple catch on 30. Mathews was evidently more impermeable as he moved Hanley and himself on towards an impressive score with an array of effortless shots including three massive sixes.

The home side concluded the innings without further loss to leave the visitors needing a demanding 246 to achieve victory. Mathews carried his new bat to end on a magnificent 134 and already hints at an impregnable position at the top of the averages.

Heath, played the two-second extra to Mathews' key-thumping and Anthony Brody ended on 22.

As play resumed, the powerful-looking opening batsmen suggested that Hanley's eager but inexperienced first-change bowlers may be in for a torrid time.

That they were not may have only been ensured by an impressive display by the departing Steve Burch and perennial under-achiever Tim Conway.

Burch struck first, responding to his own cries of dismay at a loose ball by firing down an unplayable, full delivery to dismiss Oliver on just six.

Conway, who had arguably shaken Oliver in his previous over, fed off the confidence of Burch to get one to move sufficiently to give 'keeper Andy Heath the chance to dive impressively to the leg side and take a fine catch.

This double success lent further support to the belief of the fielding side that they could wrestle a positive result out of the grasp of the weather, and a now doggedly defensive Himbleton side.

However the increasing fall of the rain was not to be matched by the fall of wickets, with Burch providing the only other victim of the early evening,

Rawlings moved well to snaffle a spooned drive by the promising all-rounder Allford, it was with little real dismay that the players greeted the arrival of a final heavy shower.

As one-sided as it may have been, a draw proved a fair result.