OLD Elizabethans had to settle for a losing draw in their rain-affected Birmingham Cricket League Division Two West game with Beacon at the Memorial Ground.

With OE's having won the toss and inviting Beacon to bat, paceman James Brinkley (3-13) quickly reduced the visitors to 26-3.

A 97-run partnership between Hoey (81) and Swan (37) recovered the position.

But when Swan was out, Beacon then lost their next four wickets for the addition of only 42 runs with Steve May taking six wickets in 12 overs for the cost of 44 runs.

Skipper Sean Cairney took four good catches behind the stumps and along with some other keen fielding, OE's restricted Beacon to 232-9 from their 55 overs.

In reply, opener Chris Pearman was out cheaply and was quickly followed by Mark Groves and Brinkley, leaving the hosts on 3-27.

The middle order pushed the score along at a reasonable rate but they were losing wickets at regular intervals.

The rain then forced a 30-minute delay which reduced the available overs by eight.

But with Cairney (56no) and Stuart Tipper (24no) at the crease, the home side had reached 161-7 off 42.4 overs and come within 47 runs of forcing a winning draw when the rain returned and no further play was possible.

Swan produced the best bowling return for Beacon of 5-38.

Beacon took 13 points to OEs' eight.

The seconds were thwarted by the weather in a match they dominated from the start.

Beacon made a swift start before being pegged back by fine bowling from Steve Emson(3-46) and Matt Barton (4-38). An interuption for rain at 89-8 led to dogged resistance but Chris Dale came on to mop up the tail as Beacon made just 129.

Another lengthy rain break left OEs with a tough target from just 28 overs on a damp pitch.

Collett and Chapman made a brisk start but five wickets fell for 12 runs to slow them down. In fading light skipper Ross Edwards and Dale had little option but to go for the winning draw target, ending on 102-6.