Barnards Green 292 all out, Brewood 206-7.

BARNARDS Green hosted closest rivals Brewood in a top-of-the-table clash which saw the North End Lane outfit extend their lead at the top of Birmingham and District League Division Three to 27 points.

After being inserted by visiting skipper Chris Pearce, Green’s Adam Dovey and Mark Hooper made a steady start, taking the score to 35. This was before the former was dismissed to one of the only pitched-up balls of the opening spell for 14.

Hooper was then out, caught behind for 26, and it was left to Phil Harris and Andy Ford to start to build a platform for the home side.

The introduction of spin from William Marsh and Pearce allowed the home side to nicely rotate the strike as Ford (36) and Harris put together a useful partnership of 93. Ford perished to Marsh and was quickly followed by Elliot Hennessy and Adam Binks. It was left to McEwan to partner Harris, leading into the vital last 20 overs.

Fortunately for the home side, McEwan managed to kick on from his usual whirlwind start, as both he and Harris managed to find the boundary with increasing regularity.

Harris was dismissed for a near run-a-ball 94 including fives sixes, as McEwan kicked on to a season’s best 56 off just 28 deliveries with five fours and five sixes.

The tail added some vital runs as the home side closed on a respectable 292 all out. Chris Guest was Brewood’s top wicket-taker with 4-67.

After the resumption, the home side knew they needed early wickets against the most feared batting line-up in the league.

They were not disappointed as McEwan’s reliability with the ball continued, dismissing the first three batsman with the score at only 40.

The introduction of Ford pegged the visitors to 69-4 and, at this stage, Cameron Fox (65) and Dave Wedge (26) built a steady partnership that laid the foundation for an attack on the losing draw total of 231.

Despite their endeavours, their respective demises, both to McEwan, thwarted any attempt by the visitors to reach this total.

Harris picked up the wicket of John Redrup late on.

But Brewood batted out the remaining overs, finishing on 206-7, with McEwan on 5-56.

Andrew Wheeler fired 126 off 100 balls but his Barnards Green seconds side still crashed to a six-wicket loss to Bromsgrove in Birmingham and District League Division Two Second XI (South). Opening the batting, Green reached 259-9 in the 47th over.

Wheeler’s innings featured 15 fours and six sixes but only Tom Clack offered sufficient support with 39.

Will Lake (4-28) and Alistair Hickman (3-57) took the lion’s share of the Green’s wickets.

Josh Searle grabbed the other wicket to fall, that of Lewis Hooper (30).

In reply, Bromsgrove’s Dan Naughton (89) and Michael Bennison (81) guided their side home with 260-4 in the 49th over.

Hooper, Andrew Brookes and Andrew Banks took a wicket apiece.