THIS WCL Division Three Second XIs match saw Barnards Green Seconds snatch a winning draw and 17 points from the jaws of defeat at Alveley.

BARNARDS GREEN II v ALVELEY II

Batting first on a surface a good deal harder and faster than over the last few weeks, openers Lee Hooper and Mark Jones made an uncertain start against the accurate attack of Argent and Slater who dismissed both batsmen for low scores.

John Sherliker and Robbie Lewis (11) then added 42 runs without getting on top of the bowlers before Lewis was trapped lbw by the accurate West.

Sherliker went on to make 41 before hitting a ball straight to long off leaving Simon Cooke and Derek Goodman to build on the total.

Cooke was quick to pull anything short to the leg side boundary and reached his half century before holing out to Slater and Goodman (34) was caught behind trying to force the pace.

Tim Price (39no) immediately smashed his first ball over the mid-wicket boundary and continued to attack at every opportunity putting on 56 in the last eight overs with skipper Dick Brown (25no) who smote three extraordinary sixes over fine leg!

The total of 229 was worth around 40 runs more as the ball really would not run through the lush outfield.

Alveley opened their innings with West and V Jones, who both had to leave early and retired after ten overs with the score on 32 and Jones with 0!

Lee Hooper found a good rhythm and pace bowling Garrard for six but the other Green bowlers struggled to put the ball in the right place allowing Tudor and Shaw to build a promising partnership.

As chances went begging in the field, both batsmen started to increase the tempo of the innings and with 20 overs remaining, Alveley needed 110 to win the game.

Hooper found another good straight one to bowl Shaw for 37 but Garrard was now timing the ball well and found support from the left handed Pyke.

As the score mounted Alveley looked favourites to win the game and with just 33 needed off the last five overs the Green desperately needed wickets to stem the flow of runs.

It was Dick Brown's slow bowling that finally turned the tide as he had Tudor caught by Bell for 82 and bowled Pyke for 36.

The lower order batsmen had no answer to Hooper's pace as he claimed two further wickets in the final over of the match with Alveley finishing 12 runs short of the target with two wickets in hand.