BARNARDS Green Sunday firsts got their season off to an exciting start at Chaddesley, losing out in the last.

CHADDESLEY CORBETT v BARNARDS GREEN 1ST XI

Visiting skipper Andy Lamb decided to bat first on a damp wicket on winning the toss. Richard Williams (31) and student Tom Harvey making his debut got the Green off to a good start hitting a superb 72 in an opening stand of 54. Kevin Golder (32) joined Harvey and they took the score to 141 before he became Tom Boden's only success. The rot then set in as they lost seven wickets in adding only 26 runs. The innings closed on 170-9 off their 40 overs. Matt Boden took 4-32 and D Roddis 3-25.

Chaddesley got their reply off to a flying start mainly due to a fine 72 by Nick Fletcher. Lamb then turned to the evergreen Dave Creese's slow left arm, who soon put a brake on things, he then brought on his other veteran spinner Dick Brown, who returned the fine figures of 3-27 off 8 overs. The same figures recorded by new Australian recruit Phil Divito.

With 16 runs still required and only two overs left how skipper Lamb must have wished one of his spinners had an over left, as he was left to bowl the penultimate over. He found himself on the receiving end of some big hitting by Matt Boden (27no). With just three runs required off Harvey's last over, they reached their target with three balls left.