BARNT Green were knocked out of the ECB National Club Championship by Bath on Sunday, after a comprehensive defeat by 113 runs.
It followed a 111-run defeat to West Bromwich Dartmouth the day before in Birmingham & District Premier Division One, much in part to half-centuries by Kadeer Ali (55) and Ian Stevenson (52).
In Sunday’s cup tie in Somerset, the hosts smashed their way to a 242 total before being dismissed in the 40th over, with Adam Hines (4-60) claiming a four-fer.
Greg Hay (27) and Ben Ackland (60) had their opening stand of 45 ended by Andrew Sutton (3-26), when Hay was caught behind by wicketkeeper Rheedyi Amin.
Ackland was next to go, but not before putting on a stand of 102 with number three Tim Rouse (72) to bolster Bath’s score.
Paul Muchall (0) was bowled by Jacques Banton (3-37) two balls later, before Sam Mount (33) put on 48 with Rouse to inch the hosts closer to the 200-run mark.
Rouse’s dismissal led to a collapse to the second half of the batting order, following a catch by Darrel Williams off a Banton delivery, with only Thomas Hankins (14) and Jack Scrivens (10) able to reach double figures.
The Green made a miserable start to their innings when slipping to 9-2 after Paul Muchall’s (5-24) dismissals of opener Peter Scott (6) and number three Banton (0).
George Hargrave (8) and Matthew Lamb (10) fared no better when also being dismissed by Muchall, leaving the visitors in a perilous position on a 26-4 score.
Dominic Harding (21) helped The Green recover somewhat when putting together a partnership of 47 alongside Amin (25), though that was the most by the way of a fightback that the visitors were able to muster.
William Baker (13) and Henry Marshall (18) were the only to reach double figures, as bowler Tim Rouse (3-41) picked off three of the final four wickets to send Bath through to the quarter-finals.
The defeat completed a miserable double-header weekend for The Green, after similarly falling well short at the crease at West Bromwich Dartmouth.
West Bromwich opened the afternoon with a fine batting display, hitting a total of 211 after 54 overs, despite a five-fer by Adam Hines (5-45).
Ali was the hosts’ stand-out player, but even after his dismissal at 156-9, tailenders Sultan Afsal (7no) and Stevenson formed a final-wicket partnership of 55 to take the total to 211.
In reply, Barnt Green lost Scott (0) and Banton (1) at 1-2, an early indicator of what was to come.
Harding (55) was again on hand to help the visitors pick themselves up, but only he and Amin (11) were able to reach double figures, as The Green were dismissed for 100.
Another tough task is on the cards on Saturday (noon), when Barnt Green visit leaders Berkswell.
