Brockhampton suffer as Wellington hold out in Birmingham League Premier Division (From Hereford Times)

Brockhampton suffer as Wellington hold out in Birmingham League Premier Division

6:00pm Thursday 31st May 2012 in Sport

BROCKHAMPTON have continued their fine start to their Birmingham League Premier Division campaign although their latest outing was tinged with disappointment.

After their excellent success against Barnt Green, the reigning champions, in their first match, the Herefordshire side looked set for another comprehensive win against Wellington, another previous winner of the competition, only for the Shropshire side to hold on with nine wickets down.

After being invited to bat first, Brockhampton’s innings was dominated by opener Ben Stebbings who batted through the 55 overs for a fine unbeaten 131 from 158 balls with 12 fours and a six.

Stebbings and Adam Hewlett (28) gave the visitors a good start with an opening stand of 60 but there was a wobble in the middle-order when Chris Boroughs (10), Henry Langford, for a first-ball duck, and Dave Exall, six, departed in quick succession.

The innings rallied with a seventh-wicket stand of 90 between Stebbings and wicket-keeper Chris Powell (44 not out) who found the boundary regularly during the final 13 overs. Boroughs (1-30) and Callum Stewart (3-25) made early breakthroughs in the Wellington reply before Ross Aucott (30) and Joe Clarke (22) steadied the innings with a stand of 39 for the fourth wicket.

But after Clarke was stumped by Powell and Aucott caught at slip by Boroughs, both from the left-arm spin of Charlie Griffiths, whose 17 overs brought the excellent figures of 5-28, the momentum slowed considerably.

Skipper Owen Price conceded just 10 runs from his nine overs of off-spin as the home side set about their target of survival which brought them to 93-9 at the end of their allotted 35 overs.

Eastnor 2nd recorded their first win in Second Xl Division Two South in more than 12 months, and a memorable one, too, as they chased a target of 278 to win by three wickets at Ombersley.