LEADERS Ombersley beat the rain to grab a winning draw at struggling county rivals Barnards Green in Birmingham and District Premier Cricket League Division One.

After heavy overnight rain and morning showers, the game was delayed until 3.15pm and reduced to 31 overs apiece.

The third-from-bottom Malvern hosts started well as bowler Liam Smith trapped Ollie Steele (1) lbw and had Jason Smith caught behind by Ash Brewer first ball.

Ombersley were reduced to 1-2 before Oliver Uffindall and Liam Gwynne slowly got the innings back on track.

But Mark Hardinges and Liam Smith (2-11) made it difficult for the batsmen and it took until the ninth over for the visitors to score a boundary.

Alex Hepburn and Jon Dovey joined the attack as Uffindall played solidly and Gwynne started to attack.

Ombersley attempted quick singles to put pressure on but two direct hits from debutant Georgia Hennessy, the first female to play in the league for Green’s first XI, made them think again.

Captain George Rhodes tuned to spin and returning veteran Chris Smedley (2-37) made a quick impact as Uffindall (33) skied to Liam Smith at mid-on.

In his next over, Smedley trapped Ed Baylis (7) in front lbw to leave Ombersley on 115-4 from 25 overs.

Hepburn (2-25) changed ends and got his reward for a good spell when he bowled the dangerous Chris Harwood for a duck.

The same bowler took the key wicket of opener Gwynne in his next over, bowled for 68 off 65 balls. Soon after, Josh Haynes (3) was run-out backing up as Hepburn deflected the ball onto the stumps.

But big hitting from Tom Oakley and captain Arti Fiaz kept Ombersley on target for a decent score.

Oakley (15) was caught at long-on by Dovey off Hardinges (1-54), leaving Fiaz on 13 not out off 10 balls as Ombersley finished on 165-8.

Green needed more than five runs-an-over but tight bowling by Harwood and Baylis made the target difficult from the start.

Jason Smith and Fiaz allowed Green to push on more but it still took until the 14th over for a late cut for four from Rhodes to take them past 50.

But, in trying to push the run-rate up, Hardinges (25) was run-out by Gwynne.

Hepburn and Rhodes tried to attack Uffindall and Haynes, moving Green past 100 in the 25th over.

But then Hepburn (22) was caught by Uffindall off Haynes (1-39) and Alex Milton came to the crease with Green needing 60 runs off five overs.

Rhodes’ innings ended when he was caught at long-on by Jason Smith off Uffindall (2-41) for 60.

Milton gave hope with a six and a four but Dovey (1) also holed out to Jason Smith off Uffindall and Brewer (3) was run-out after a fine dive, pick-up and throw from Gwynne.

Despite the best efforts of Milton (24no) and Liam Smith (7no), Green fell 19 runs short but their 147-5 did help earn six points, while Ombersley managed 12.