HANLEY Castle & Upton Seconds travelled to Belbroughton Seconds on Saturday for their Worcester-shire County League (3rd XI Single) game.

BELBROUGHTON 2ND v HANLEY CASTLE & UPTON 2ND

After losing the visitors were asked to bat first on a damp but flat wicket. The opening pair of Hayes and Thompson started slowly but gradually the pair brought up the 50 in the 12th over. Thompson in particular now started to punish the bad ball and the 100 came up in the 22nd over. Hayes was the first to go for 44 with the score on 119.

Thompson then set about the bowling, hitting one glorious straight six and breaking the splice on the bat at the same time. He was eventually caught going for another big hit for 87 (seven 4s and three 6s) and with the score on 147-2.

A familiar collapse saw another four wickets falling on the same score and finally Hanley & Upton managed to reach 162.

The medium pacer Conway and off-spinner Williams then put a stranglehold on the Belbroughton reply with only 11 runs coming from the first ten overs. Williams then struck with two wickets in the next over and the third wicket fell when Conway took an excellent catch.

Belbroughton began to fade with no answer to Williams, who was taken off with the figures of 6-13 off 12 overs.

Youngsters Sam Foley and Jim Wilks took the remaining wickets to leave Hanley & Upton winners by 114 runs and picking up 24 points.

Players meet tomorrow (Saturday) for a home match with Amblecote & Woollaston.