Stay on top after draw (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Stay on top after draw

DECIMATED by unavailability, Evesham showed their title winning potential when taking 15 points from Saturday's drawn clash with Worcester.

The result leaves the Avon Street side 11 points clear at the top of Birmingham League Division Three ahead of this weekend's crucial clash with in-form Redditch.

Missing a handful of regulars, youth was given a chance and 17-year-old Chris Weaver took his opportunity with both hands when given the openers' role alongside Mark Penter.

Zimbabwean Mwayenga bowled with pace and fire but the Evesham openers withstood the onslaught and the Australian was disappointed then to fall to an ambitious shot off the slower McKay.

Weaver continued to bat beautifully and had reached 47 when he was tragically run-out.

Skipper Barry Clements had been an earlier casualty leaving the burden squarely on the shoulders of Stuart Berry who rose to the occasion in stupendous fashion.

Francois Nel and Will Bailey both provided solid support in the middle order and not even the Zimbabwean's return could halt Berry's progress as the Evesham man twice smashed him over the ropes in bringing up his first three-figure score for two seasons.

At tea, a thoroughly confident Evesham side had posted an impressive 55-over total of 244-7 and responsibility with the ball was then entrusted to Penter and Nel on the dry wicket.

Neither spinner nor seamer could make the brea-kthrough and it was only when experienced left-armer Stuart Langstone and 15-year-old leg-spinner Jamie Anderson joined forces that wickets began to fall.

Anderson bowled beautifully repeatedly beating the bat and bagging the important scalp of Gardner while Langstone chipped away at the other end claiming three wickets with the most important the one of Mason who fell for 71.

The latter's departure ended any hopes of a Worcester win but the batsmen felt that attack was the best form of defence and Mwayenga blasted a quickfire half-century to complete a fine all-round display as the reply closed on 196-7.

The second team, hindered by senior call-ups, lost by seven wickets in the reverse fixture after being dismissed for 128.

Birmingham League Division Three

P W D L A BP Pts

Evesham 11 6 2 3 0 23 175

Aston Manor 11 6 0 2 2 25 164

Redditch 11 5 0 2 4 26 152

St George's 11 4 0 2 4 35 148

Beacon 11 3 0 4 3 40 141

Coleshill 11 4 0 2 5 35 139

Whitchurch 11 4 0 3 3 29 130

Pershore 11 4 0 3 3 26 127

Moseley Ashfield 11 4 0 1 6 18 112

Penkridge 11 3 0 1 6 32 109

Worcester 11 3 0 4 4 32 104

Lichfield 11 1 0 6 4 43 81

Second XI Division Three

P W D L A BP Pts

Penn 11 8 0 1 1 11 196

Lichfield 11 6 0 1 2 15 173

St George's 11 6 0 1 3 18 159

Aston Manor 11 6 0 1 2 11 157

Old Elizabethans 11 4 0 5 1 30 155

Pershore 11 4 0 4 2 22 121

Evesham 11 3 0 2 6 38 120

Beacon 11 3 0 4 3 31 116

Studley 11 2 0 2 5 26 80

Solihull Bloss 11 1 0 4 6 40 80

Whitchurch 11 1 0 3 6 37 68

Coleshill 11 0 0 2 7 29 55