BROMSGROVE skipper Mark Evenson blamed the Boars’ inability to use all their batting overs following their harrowing two-wicket defeat to Dorridge in Division One of the Birmingham League on Saturday.
Opening batsman Ash Newfield fell one short of a half century before the in-form Worcestershire representative Alexei Kervezee top scored with 107 off 98 balls.
Tom Hill (16) and Graeme Whiles (13) were the only other Bromsgrove players to reach double figures as they were bowled all out for 214 with 7.4 overs remaining.
In response, Dorridge’s opener Ali Ebad set the visitors on their way to victory with 90 runs with Aqeel Ahmed (32) and Iftikhar Ahmad (33) also contributing with the bat before the lower order helped them over the winning line.
Newfield starred with the ball for Bromsgrove after picking up five wickets for 47 runs.
The result leaves Bromsgrove third-from-bottom in the table with Evenson angered after failing to use all their batting overs.
“It was a missed opportunity to claim victory and if we had used our extra overs, we could have added another 20 or 30 runs to our total,” he said.
“Alexei has batted brilliantly and Ash put in a good shift too with bat and ball but it’s disappointing not to get results which match the performances.
“Dorridge were at 171-8 and we thought we had a good chance of winning but they somehow managed to crawl over the line.”
Bromsgrove entertain newly promoted Sutton Coldfield on Saturday at St Goldwald’s Park with the visitors currently sitting third in the table.
Evenson will be without Jayden Levitt but Ryan Pedley returns from Bromsgrove’s Second XI and insists despite sitting just above the relegation zone, Bromsgrove can bounce back strongly.
“We may have played five games but in fairness, all of us have had probably two full games of cricket due to all the bad weather,” he added.
“It’s early days yet and if we build up a few wins, starting on Saturday, we will rise up to where we would like to be.
“One win could lift us up three or four places so I’m not worried by the table at this stage of the season.”
