WORCESTER suffered their first defeat in the Birmingham Cricket League division one when they went down by five wickets at Harborne.

Once again it was their fragile batting that let them down.

Put in to bat on a damp green surface the top order crumbled to Mike Lewis and Erol Simms as they reduced Worcester to 44-5.

However skipper Guy Muspratt and the experienced Mark Chambers did their best to repair the damage in a seventh-wicket partnership that realised 97 runs, Muspratt making 62 off 61 balls and Chambers 56 off 86 balls.

Chambers perished in the 54th over and his skipper followed in the final over as the Worcester score had improved to 200-8, but on Harborne's small ground it was always going to be a hard task to defend the total. Lewis finished with 3-60 and Simms 2-31.

Harborne lost two early wickets, but Simon Gear with a masterly 62 supported by Steve Moreton (38) saw their side home in the 43rd over. Pick of the Worcester attack was Paul Jones (2-46). Worcester took five points to Harborne's 20.

At the Gordon Jones Memorial Ground Worcester seconds entertained Bridgnorth and hung on for a losing draw.

The visitors made a modest 199-8 in their 50 overs on a tricky pitch, Simon May making 46.

In reply Worcester looked on target with Andrew Van-Vuuren making an aggressive 41, but Danny Walker who had looked comfortable was out to a freak stumping and after that they never looked like securing a win ending on 143-8. Skipper Ian Lock was the destroyer-in-chief for the visitors with a fine spell producing 5-11 off 11 overs.

Worcester took six points to Bridgnorth's 11.