Cricket
Wilkinson impresses as Barnt Green draw

RICHARD Wilkinson top scored with 88 as Barnt Green, who entertain Wolverhampton tomorrow, picked up a Birmingham League Premier Division winning draw at Berkswell on Saturday.

In a match reduced to 38 overs per side, Berkswell were in trouble at 39-6 in response to Barnt Green’s 189-8 before Chris Cheslin (20no) and Jonathan Coleman (38no) guided their side to safety at 107-6.

Visiting skipper Dougie Brown, a former Warwickshire CCC team-mate of Berkswell captain Dominic Ostler, decided to bat having won the toss but the decision looked to have backfired when Ed Rainsford made it 12-2 with just three overs gone on his home debut.

A third wicket partnership of 44 between James Ord and Wilkinson put the brakes on the loss of wickets before Rainsford trapped the former lbw for 24 in the ninth over.

Wilkinson and Craig Crowe continued to defy the home attack for another ten overs until Dave Brignull (1-16) won an lbw appeal against the latter, dismissing him for 20.

The loss of Crowe with the score on 87 brought Brown to the crease and, in a spell of six overs, he and Wilkinson added another 24 before the captain was bowled by Babar Khan (2-29) for 16.

Keiran Rees joined Wilkinson in the middle and the pair added another 58 in nine overs before Rainsford (5-46), who had been brought back into the attack, claimed their wickets, Wilkinson well caught by Jack Cornick and Rees (9) bowled.

Brothers James and Phil Neale moved the score on to 19 as Berkswell’s reply got underway before Phil (5) was bowled by Nick Powell (2-20) in the eighth over.

He then removed Jack Cornick in the same over before Tom Milnes’ brief stay at the crease was ended when he was caught by Stephen Bevan off the bowling of Wilkinson (2-10).

When Ostler (4) and Mohammed Akhlaq (3) followed quickly the hosts were in a very vulnerable position at 37-5 in the 18th over.

Barnt Green struck again in the next over when James Neale, who had batted with grit and determination whilst wickets fell at the other end, was caught at slip off Bevan (1-23) for a well earned 17.

At this stage it appeared that last year’s champions would go on and register their first win of the season but Cheslin and Coleman produced a superb partnership given the situation they came together in, regaining the initiative for the Meeting House Lane side.

With the Berkswell duo keeping the visitors attack at bay, Brown kept changing his bowlers around in an attempt to break the stubborn resistance but the pairing held firm and gradually ran down the overs.

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