Cricket
Crowle takes five as Spa triumph

ADAM Crowle's outstanding spell of swing bowling helped Droitwich continue their impressive start to the Worcestershire League Division One season with a 109-run victory at Coombs Wood on Saturday.

Crowle took 5-36 as Spa picked up their third victory in four starts by bowling out their hosts for 107 after making 216-7 earlier in the day.

The victory leaves Droitwich second in the table ahead of Saturday's home clash with Colwall.

Damp conditions meant a delayed start and the contest was reduced to 44 overs per side as a result.

Spa, having been put in, wasted little time in making a flying start though despite bowler friendly conditions with Stuart Bryan (26) and Jake Young (26) playing freely to put on 52 for the first wicket.

The hosts got back into the game with the introduction of Des Jones (3-44) and Stan Baker (2-19) as Spa's top order collapsed to 89-5.

The experienced duo of Ian Cottrill and Paul Bryan began to rebuild the innings, but when the dangerous looking Cottrill fell for 18 with the score at 120, it appeared Spa would struggle to reach 150.

However, Bryan started to take command of the situation and aided by the lower order, started to find the boundary with ease.

He smashed 37 off the final two overs to finish with an innings saving 66no and give Spa a decent total to defend.

The bowler friendly conditions were put into perspective by all the Spa bowlers as they found movement to go with disciplined line and length.

Mike Rogers bowled a superb opening spell (2-16) as Coombs Wood crashed to 11-3, a situation from which they never recovered.

Mohsin Khan rode his luck to score 64, but the rest of the batters had no answer to Crowle's fine spell and Jake Young's leg spin which picked up two wickets as the hosts fell for 107 in just 30 overs.

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