DESPITE Connor Smith’s half-century, Bromsgrove found themselves on the receiving end of a seven-wicket defeat at Wolverhampton in last weekend’s Birmingham & District Premier Division Two meeting.
It was a case of the Boars fading after an encouraging start at the crease at Danescourt Road, with early promise being dampened as Bromsgrove failed to hit the heights with their 194-8 score – one which the hosts beat with seven balls remaining.
Openers Jayden Levitt (32) and Smith (61) led the way for their side with a partnership of 88 runs, though it was clear that the visitors run rate began to slow once both were gone at 106-2.
Both Charlie Home (3-33) and Joe Stanley (3-60) posed real problems for the visitors with the ball in hand, meaning no one posted a score higher than Ashley Newfield’s 22 runs for the remainder of the innings.
Skipper Mark Evenson (7, no) and Henry Dwyer (17) – who was removed with the last ball that Bromsgrove faced – helped see the innings out to its conclusion, ahead of Wolverhampton’s ultimately successful reply.
Smith took his sole wicket of the afternoon to see off opener Simon Lycett (3) at 12-1, though it was nothing but a false dawning as James Hammond (73, lbw) and Ali Waqas (90) showed their class to power their way to a commanding position.
Accumulating 143 runs as a partnership, the duo deceived the Boars’ fielders with 16 shots into the boundary and a solitary six, putting Wolverhampton within touching distance of victory.
Charlie Home (13, no) and skipper Will Nield (8, no) picked up the pieces after both had departed at 182-3, inching their side over the line to hand Bromsgrove a third successive defeat.
Looking for an upturn in fortunes, Evenson’s ninth-placed charges go to Dorridge, tenth, hoping to revive their campaign.
