CRICKET: BERKSWELL returned to the top of the Birmingham Premier League on Saturday after coming away from Cherry Hill Road with 20 points following a bizarre game against Barnt Green.
Winning the toss, Berkswell skipper Dominic Ostler invited the home side to have first use of a track that appeared to favour the bat.
Barnt Green openers Jamie Harrison and Tom Banton put on 32 runs in the first eight overs.
Harrison (6) was then dismissed by a sharp catch low down at square leg by Nick James off the bowling of Ryan Sidebottom.
Ed Pollock (5) then occupied the crease for only five overs before he pulled a short delivery from Tom Milnes into the waiting hands of David Brignull at fine leg with the score on 50.
Meanwhile, Banton was riding his luck following a dropped catch with a series of aerial shots that somehow managed to avoid the Berkswell fielders.
In partnership with Lamb, who had also survived a dropped catch early in his innings, the pair advanced the total to 132 by the 32nd over.
With the loss of Lamb (30) caught behind by Liam Gately off the last ball of Brignull’s ten overs allocation, the whole momentum of the innings changed.
James Psarakis (1) risked a quick single only to be run out with a direct hit of the stumps from a Milnes throw, and Banton (106) was given out lbw from an Alex Hepburn delivery, to leave the hosts on 160 for 5 in the 40th over.
The remaining batsmen were only able to muster a further ten runs between them as the innings closed on 170 all out in the 46th over with Banton and Lamb being the only batsmen to make double figures.
Tom Milnes proved the best of the Berkswell bowlers with three wickets for 21 runs from 7.3 overs.
In reply, Berkswell also found it a challenge to make an impact with the bat as the Barnt Green bowlers reduced the visitors to 39/5 by the 13th over.
However, a consolidating partnership of 15 overs between Hepburn and James halted the loss of wickets and had added 58 runs before James (37) was trapped lbw in the 28th over.
Skipper Ostler then made his way to the crease and – after a cautious start to his innings – started to find the boundary.
Hepburn continued to guide Berkswell to the required score, and with Ostler the pair gradually steered the visitors to victory in the 47th over.
At the close of the innings Hepburn remained undefeated on 57, and Ostler 41*.
Berkswell are now one point clear at the top of the Birmingham Premier League table ahead of Ombersley – Shrewsbury follow in third.
On Saturday Berkswell return to Meeting House Lane and entertain Wolverhampton in a Premier league encounter.
The match starts at midday.
