BARNT Green Cricket Club's firsts experienced a mixed Bank Holiday weekend with a loss away to West Bromwich Dartmouth and a winning draw against Kidderminster in the Birmingham and District Premier League Premier Division.

On a good looking pitch against West Brom, Barnt Green started slowly against some keen home bowling.

Richard Hall was looking good until a deflected drive off the bowling of Sajjad cannoned onto the stumps with Hall out of his ground.

Barnt Green never really recovered from this and found it hard to develop any partnerships.

Green's top order had only themselves to blame as three out of the top five were run out.

However, they managed to crawl to 165 off their 55 overs.

The bowlers started brightly as Jon Hayden made the breakthrough by bowling Sajjad through the gate.

At 30-2, Warwickshire all-rounder Mo Sheikh strode to the wicket and signalled his positive intent with some fine straight drives.

Barnt Green's bowlers had no reply as Sheikh despatched all types of bowling to all corners of the ground, his innings of 90 sealed Barnt Green's fate as they lost by 7 wickets.

On Monday, Barnt Green faced Kidderminster in what proved to be a nail-biting epic.

On losing the toss yet again Jones sent his men out to bat confident of a big score against what looked to be a weak opposition bowling attack.

However the home batters found yet more interesting ways of getting out. Worcestershire 'keeper James Pipe, who was standing up, snared Boulton down the leg-side.

Chopped

Simon Froggatt chopped a long hop onto his stumps. Jones was caught behind off a bottom edge again Pipe was standing up and James Clarke hit a fierce drive into silly point, who knew absolutely nothing about the catch.

It was only due to Adam Smith's fine knock of 48 not out that Barnt Green totalled 185-9.

After losing three early wickets, Kidderminster looked to be struggling. However overseas player Singh and Bradford chipped and edged their team to respectability.

Barnt Green were dead and buried with Kidderminster on 140-4 with overs galore to spare.

The visitors didn't reckon with Kris Howes, who settled into a great rhythm in his second spell from the woods end of the ground.

His devastating spell included three wickets in one over to completely ruin Kiddy's chances of a comfortable victory.

The game hung in the balance with six runs needed to win with nine wickets down and two overs left.

Jon Hayden bowled a maiden -- the ball unbelievably missing the stumps off his last ball -- and with the field spread, Kiddy's batsmen declined to go for the win during a tense last over from Howes, who finished with a superb 8-29 off 18 overs.

Barnt Green totalled 14 points and Kidderminster eight.

Jones described Saturday as "a shambolic batting performance" but commented on a great fightback on Monday.

"It was a real get-out-of-jail job at the end," he said, "but we should never have got into that position.

"We lost wickets after getting set, with no partnerships developing and the two Kiddy batters rode their luck very well."

Jones singled out wicketkeeper/batsman Adam Smith and young overseas player Howes for praise.

He said: "Smithy showed in both games that he's a completely different batter when he's confident and played what turned out to be a vital knock on Monday with tonsilitis.

"Kris finally got the luck he deserved for his eight wickets and hopefully this Lazarus act will kick-start our season."

l Barnt Green skipper Jones scored 25 not out as Wales beat Worcestershire Cricket Board off the last over at Cherry Hill Road on Sunday.