eague match between Green 2nd X1 and Belbroughton 2nd X1 proved to be another thrilling encounter which was finally resolved by the very last ball of the 100th over.

BELBROUGHTON II v BARNARDS GREEN II

THE Worcestershire County

After losing the toss, the Green were required to bat first on a wet wicket which soon displayed high and irregular bounce, four of the first five overs from Raybold and Edwards were maidens as Chris Hill and Jez Clarke before Hill was caught behind off Raybold.

Paul Yorke hit two solid boundaries before also being caught and Paul Drinkwater drove a catch straight to Ross at extra cover but Clarke looked determined to make another big score.

With the score on 61-5 and half the overs gone the home side were hoping to dismiss the visitors for around the 100 mark but Jud Doughty joined Clarke and played an aggressive innings, striking five boundaries in a stand of 40 valuable runs before miscuing a catch off Stokes. This brought Phil Spencer to the wicket and he got off the mark with a huge six and when Edwards tried the same type of delivery next ball, Spencer smashed that one to exactly the same spot.

A couple more boundaries followed before he mishit a catch to give Edwards his revenge. Richard Birch was unlucky to get a perfect yorker from Whitestone and Jez Clarke's marathon 46 over, 57 run innings ended when he was caught behind with the score on 157. The last pair of Rich Brown and Brad Adams added 12 useful runs and the innings closed on 169 - 9 with Edwards completing an excellent 25 over spell in which he took 4-75.

The Green made a positive start as Adams charged down the hill to bowl Lewis for a duck and then forced Avery to spoon a catch to skipper Jez Clarke. Rich Brown soon joined in the fun, finding a super yorker to bowl G Ross all ends up. There then followed a period during which things went Belbroughton's way as Pete Ross and Hawk (33) put on 59 runs. Paul Drinkwater then trapped Hawk lbw for 33.

Whitestone then joined the well organised and patient Ross at the crease and increased the scoring rate. When the 150-4 came up in the 41st over Belbroughton looked certain winners.

However, Jud Doughty had other ideas, even after 13 wicketless overs, and first he managed to induce an error from Whitestone who skied the ball behind the wicket where keeper Hancock took a good catch, then he gave Hancock a second catch to dismiss Giles.

In a moment of madness Ross took on Paul Drinkwater's arm and failed took beat the fast, flat throw to be run out for a patient 57.

With seven wickets down Belbroughton remained clear favourites to score the five runs required. The Green, however, had not given up as Hancock took his third catch off Doughty.

Raybold must have thought he had struck the winning runs as he flicked a ball from Doughty off his legs but the ball flew straight to John Sherliker who clung on to the sharp chance to leave Belbroughton with four runs needed off the last over with just one wicket remaining. Unfortunately for the Green the final pair managed to scramble to victory off the final ball.