IN complete contrast to the excellent performance against Cannock last week, Old Elizabethans slumped to a four-wicket defeat against Tamworth at the Memorial Ground in Birmingham League division two.

Stuart Burrows, captain of the Staffordshire outfit, won the toss and invited Old Elizabethans to bat first.

This decision seemed to be vindicated when Simon Macey and Sam McNally were both removed cheaply by Burrows, leaving the home side 20-2 in the seventh over.

In-form Jamie Boyle (36) was then joined by skipper Sean Cairney (24) and the pair had compiled 54 when Cairney was caught off Gray.

Although James Brinkley (26) tried to steady the innings, none of the remaining batsmen applied themselves to the task as the Tamworth attack grabbed wickets almost at will. The home side slumped from 74-3 to 137 all out in the course of 27 overs.

Only Stuart Tipper (13) showed any resistance as OEs were dismissed five overs short of their allocated 55.

Gray (4-30) and Rees (3-57) were the most successful Tamworth bowlers.

In reply, the Tamworth openers got off to a brisk start before Orton was caught off the bowling of McNally (3-45).

The visitors added 31 more runs before Brinkley (1-36) bowled Manuel. The next two wickets fell cheaply but Calverley (39 no) and Rees helped Tamworth to their target inside 27 overs.

OEs seconds scored maximum points with a 69-run win at Wombourne. Having been asked to bat on a wet pitch, the early overs were a real challenge for openers Steve Burgoyne and Chris Dale.

A 41-run partnership for the third wicket between Linley Portsmouth (24) and James Bull put OEs back in with a chance of setting a competitive total at the halfway point of the innings.

None of the remaining batsmen applied themselves to the task as the Tamworth attack grabbed wickets almost at will.

While scoring runs in general became more difficult, the spinners did offer up at least one ball an over to be punished, something which all the remaining batsmen managed to do with great success.

Bull (49) continued to hold the innings together with partnerships of 30 with Pete Boyle (12) and then a further 73 with Andy Stephens, who smashed a superb 49 off just 37 balls. At 180-4 with five overs to go, Ben Shorter trapped Bull, Stephens and then Chris Hopwood with successive deliveries to claim a hat-trick.

A late rally by the tailenders saw OEs post a challenging total of 215-8.

The visitors could not have wished for a better opening burst from their front-line bowlers. Both Ed Ford and Scott Butler bowled beautifully in tandem with the new ball, challenging the home team with lateral movement off the pitch. Two early wickets gave the visitors the upper hand at 23-2.

A period of consolidation by Wombourne was ended when Dale (3-41) took two wickets in his second over to leave OEs in some form of control.

Stephens (3-48) bowled well at the other end as OEs tightened their grip on the match.

Hopwood took a brilliant running catch off Stephens to dismiss Brondrick, then Ed Ford flung himself full length to brilliantly catch Rogers to leave the home team in disarray at 83-6.

Shorter (21) looked to be giving the home side some hope in partnership with Dan Mulvilhill (44), but once they were both removed the result was not in doubt.

Portsmouth came on, initially to allow a change of ends for the bowlers, and snapped up the remaining two wickets in just 17 balls to leave OEs winners by 69 runs.