Jayden Levitt helped Bromsgrove get off to a strong start in their league opener. Picture by James Hickin Photography.
A CENTURY stand between openers Connor Smith and Jayden Levitt helped Bromsgrove on their way to a 112-run victory at Pelsall in their Birmingham & District Premier Division Two curtain-raiser last weekend.
A combination of quickfire scoring from the visitors – albeit with a blip approaching the midway point of the innings – and efficient bowling at Walsall Road gave the Boars the perfect return to competitive cricket.
Bromsgrove started convincingly after being put into bat by the hosts, storming to 104 before the fall of the first wicket at the start of the 14th over.
The departure of Levitt (45) preceded the fall of Smith (53) and Alex Milton (0) in the following over, with Richard Kimberlin (5) also having a short stint at the crease.
Stumbling their way to 145-6 after both Deon Patel (13) and Alex Wilkinson (1) failed to reinvigorate their side, the introduction of tail-enders Freddie Fallows (49) and captain Mark Evenson (38 not out) was just the tonic the Boars needed.
Fallows put on a score of 67 with supporting act Ashley Newfield (28) to take Bromsgrove over the 200-run mark, before Evenson picked up the pieces after the pair were removed as the innings closed on 290-9.
Pelsall quickly lost Jake Lee (0) and Navdeep Poonia (0) in an early stumble.
While momentum did build slowly, Fallows (2-18) and Newfield (2-35) ensured that the hosts remained on the backfoot.
Evenson then came to the fore to skittle out three Pelsall players for 27 runs conceded, to help dismiss the home side for 178.
Wolverhampton will be the visitors in Bromsgrove’s first home league fixture of the 2021 season at St Godwalds Park.
BARNT Green were in emphatic form, securing landslide victories over Moseley and Knowle & Dorridge in Division One and the Graham Williamson Trophy respectively.
Opener Jacques Banton smashed 110 from just 132 balls at Moseley’s Streetsbrook Road home on Saturday, with Dominic Harding hitting 59 to put the Griffs to the sword en route to a score of 261-6.
Banton was just as impressive with the ball in hand, taking three wickets from seven balls, while Robbie Shurmer (3-11) and Harry Bates (2-19) earned notable mentions to see off the hosts for just 87 runs in the 24th over.
A day later, the Green remained in equally ruthless mood, skittling Knowle & Dorridge for just 109 runs at Station Road – Adam Hines sparking the hosts’ downfall with a four-wicket haul for 28 runs conceded.
It then took the visitors just 17 overs to storm to the nine-wicket win, Ben Chapman-Lilley (18 no) and Banton (74 no) chalking up a partnership of 99 after Edward Pollock (12) fell at 12-1.
Barnt Green host Ombersley in Saturday’s league outing, before welcoming Berkswell in the Graham Williamson Trophy the following day.
