Halesowen 295-7

Bromsgrove 223-9

Bromsgrove obtain a losing draw

HALF centuries for Julian Court and Zafran Ali made sure that dogged Bromsgrove took some valuable points off Birmingham and District League Division One leaders Halesowen at St Godwalds on Saturday.

The duo's defiant performances with the bat, while wickets tumbled around them, made sure that determined Boars did not crumble under increasing Halesowen pressure.

The visitors won the toss and decided to bat on a good wicket. Openers Darrell Mitchell (114) and Mark Fisher (111) then took advantage of the dry wicket to hammer home in-form Halesowen's advantage.

Bromsgrove's bowlers kept working hard to try and restrict Halesowen's openers and Mark Bagley made the breakthrough when had Mitchell caught by Simon Allison.

While Fisher kept the runs flowing for Halesowen, the Boars began to rip through the rest of the batting order.

Mark Evenson caught and bowled Faisal Shahid (5), before Mark Bagley had Seadon caught by Zafran Ali for 13 runs. Evenson, who was the pick of Bromsgrove's bowlers with 4-98, then dismissed Alex Perkins (1) and Richard Cox (23).

Bagley then removed Ian Stevenson (3) and Evenson dismissed David Lowe (0), as Halesowen slumped to 295.

Bromsgrove's reply with the bat was dented when opener Jordan Rose was caught and bowler by Shahid for just 11 runs.

Captain Nick Davies was a steadying influence with the bat but Bromsgrove's batting order continued to capitulate.

Australian Simon Allison was trapped lbw by Shahid for four runs and Imran Ali had Omar Ali caught by Alex Perkins for one, as the Boars slipped to 60-5.

Ali got the crucial breakthrough when he removed Davies (42) and proved to be the thorn in Bromsgrove's side by dismissing James Watkins (6) and Evenson (0).

Court (57) and Ali (54 not out) launched a determined fight back, while Bagley chipped in with 17 runs, as Bromsgrove's lower order stubbornly held on for survival to reach 223-9 by the end of the 55th over.

Davies said: "We didn't bowl well for the first 27 overs but we did get better and really restricted them.

"I think we were unlucky with some of the umpiring decisions when we were batting. But Julian and Zafran got us out of trouble with some determined batting."