A DISMAL battling display cost Droitwich dearly as they lost their unbeaten start to the season and top spot in Division One of the Worcestershire County League.
Spa were shot out for just 113 by Bewdley at St Peter’s Playing Fields but then very nearly got themselves out of jail as they had the visitors at 90-8 in reply before the ninth-wicket pairing of Jack Mills and Joe Lucas scraped their side home.
Max Young grabbed four wickets for 49 and Mark Swanick picked up three for 36 as their team were left to rue a late batting collapse.
A quartet of LBW dismissals at the top of the order left Droitwich on 34-4 before Paul Bryan and Gary Cartwright appeared to come to the rescue as they made 28 and 21 respectively.
But Bewdley proved too strong as the hosts could only add another 22 runs once Bryan and Cartwright were removed. All Bewdley’s four bowlers took two wickets each.
Pershore’s win at Redditch means they now lead the table by three points. Tomorrow (Saturday), the top two meet at Pershore.
There was success for Droitwich Seconds, though, as an opening stand of 131 between Rhys John (94) and Tom Gregory (66) laid the foundations for a 36-run win at Avoncroft in Division Two.
An attacking unbeaten fifth-wicket stand between father and son Martin and Jonny Keen, who scored 26 and 24 not out respectively, boosted the Spa total to 256-4.
When captain Karl Goddard claimed the first of his five wickets in the opening over, Droitwich appeared to be in the box seat but a swashbuckling stand between Mark Whitehead (83) and Mark Wood (64) almost turned the game on its head.
They kept the home side in touch with their required run rate before their dismissals in quick succession to two superb Craig Hunt catches sparked their team’s demise.
Droitwich Thirds failed to defend a score of 290-3 as they went down by eight wickets at Stone.
James King crafted a superb 149 not out and was well supported by the in-form Ash Walton, who scored 53 on the ground where he hit a ton the previous weekend.
On Sunday, Max Young became Spa’s third centurion of the season as his unbeaten 136 guided Droitwich to an exciting two-wicket win over Worcester Nomads.
