PERSHORE gained maximum points from visitors Luctonians in a Worcester-shire County League game at The Bottoms on Saturday.

Batting first, the home side got away to a solid start through Stephen Cooper (47) and Lea Hawkes (16).

After both openers were dismissed, Lee Wilks (42) and Johan Coetsee (40) came together and added 79 for the third wicket but both players lost their wickets in the space of two overs.

At the time when acceleration to the scoring rate was needed, skipper Trevor Ridings was carried off with an unfortunate leg injury and the Pershore innings stuttered to 172 from their allotted 50 overs which was probably 30 runs short of the score originally anticipated.

The visitors packed their top order with experienced batsmen and Michael Jeh (13) and Karl Pearson (19) made a steady start.

Dave Price (19) and Mike Scott (39) carried on the good work but, just when they were attempting to cut loose, Liam Ridings, fielding substitute for his father, held a stunning catch at backward square leg, to dismiss Scott and turn the course of the game.

Luctonians' inexperienced and brittle lower order batsmen had no answer to the pace and spin attack of Martin Johnson and Coetsee and they lost six wickets in adding only seven runs.

Some lusty hitting by Lee Davis pushed the score along but the visitors never recovered from their middle order collapse and their innings finished at 40 runs short of their target.

Worcestershire League

Division One

P W D L Ab Pts

Old Elizabethans 5 3 0 1 1 85

Pedmore 5 2 0 1 2 76

Kington 5 4 0 1 0 75

Pershore 5 2 1 0 2 66

Lye 5 1 2 1 1 51

Bewdley 5 0 1 4 0 41

Droitwich 5 0 1 3 1 41

Worcester Nom 5 1 2 2 0 40

Chaddesley 5 1 3 1 0 36

Netherton 5 0 1 2 2 35

Bromyard 5 0 2 2 1 33

Luctonians 5 1 2 2 0 29