ASTWOOD BANK remain bottom of Birmingham League Division Two with just two wins to their name following Saturday’s 68-run defeat at home to title-chasing Attock.
The visitors made 261-9 before dismissing Bank for 193, leaving the Sambourne Lane side 15 points below second-bottom Streetly.
However, it could have been a completely different outcome but for a remarkable turnaround in the Attock innings.
Joel Haslam took 3-36 off 13 overs and Jake Price 3-48 off ten to leave the visitors reeling on 117-8, but numbers nine and ten Junaid Khan and Ehsan Adil made 75 not out and 84 respectively at better than a run a ball to put on 144 for the ninth wicket and lift their side to a total which had seemed way beyond expectation.
Bank, on the other hand, made a solid start to their innings only to collapse to a sorry defeat.
The hosts had reached 103-2 but, once captain Steve Adshead (41) and Sam Thomas (52) were dismissed, the innings subsided and they were dismissed well short of their target in the 52nd over. Zayn Hussain took 4-34 off 12 overs.
A visit to fifth-placed Harborne is next for Astwood Bank on Saturday.
THERE was also bad news for Bank 2nds who lost by 78 runs at Halesowen in Division One 2nd XI.
George Haslam with a fine 4-18, Daniel Brookes with 3-31 and Jon Summers with 3-56 all impressed with the ball to dismiss Halesowen for 165 in 42 overs.
However, only Mikey Desmond and Haslam with 23 and 28 respectively reached double figures in the visitors’ reply as Bank made just 87.
Seventh-placed Bank 2nds host leaders Bromsgrove on Saturday.
BANK Women were victorious, however, and in highly impressive fashion as they crushed hosts Five Ways Old Edwardians by ten wickets in Women’s Midlands League Premier West.
Clare Boycott took 5-8 off eight overs and Hannah Gallimore 2-23 to dismiss the hosts for 99 before Boycott (44no) and Charlotte Holtom (45no) eased the visitors home in just 12 overs.
Bank, who sit joint top of the pile with Walmley after two matches, host Worfield on Sunday.
THINGS get no easier for Studley who sit second-bottom of Warwickshire League Division One following a hard-fought six-wicket defeat at home to Solihull Blossomfield.
Wicketkeeper Jack Williams gave further indication of his talents with a magnificent 149 off 144 balls for the home side and Dale Edwards made 49 to help Studley to a highly competitive 277-7 off 50 overs.
At 120-4 in Blossomfield’s reply, the match hung in the balance, but Iain Morgan (67no) was joined by Ashton Wilson who made a blistering unbeaten 115 off just 72 balls including 19 fours and one six to lead the visitors home inside 44 overs.
Studley head to RMCC on Saturday.
A NARROW one-wicket defeat befell Studley 2nds at Shenley Fields SYS in Division Eight West.
Sam Fonyodi (50) and Daniel Taylor (45) helped Studley to 234-8 but the hosts then recovered from 90-5 to get home with two overs to spare despite the best efforts of Richard Lewis (4-46).
Mid-table Studley 2nds host Handsworth 3rds on Saturday.
