BROCKHAMPTON are now just six points from safety after thrashing Barnt Green by 186 runs at the Parks.

Danny Irvine hit a fine 91 runs to help the villagers secure the win that gives them a fighting chance of staying in the Premier Division of the Birmingham & District Premier Cricket League.

Brockhampton are still bottom of the division with 136 points but are just a point behind Wolverhampton, and more crucially, six behind Dorridge who are just above the relegation zone. The Herefordshire side are in action twice this Bank Holiday weekend with only four games left of the season.

But the matches are against top-three sides.

First up is Berkswell, who are second, before Brockhampton travel to Knowle & Dorridge on Monday.

The villagers then face a crucial away trip to Wolverhampton on the following Saturday.

Last Saturday, Brockhampton posted 263-6 off their 50 overs, with their top three batsman all posting useful runs.

As well as Irvine, Adam Hewlett made 41 off just 37 balls, while captain Chris Boroughs posted 40 off 42.

And despite middle-order batsmen Henry Langford, Joe Crichard and Nicholas Powell all going cheaply, Ian Bullock, coming in at number seven, smashed an unbeaten 55 off just 43 balls. Barnt Green struggled to get anywhere near their target and were eventually skittled out for just 77.

Nicholas Powell (3-7) was the pick of the Brockhampton bowlers, while Callum Stewart (3-11) also bowled extremely well.

Only Andrew Sutton, William Baker, Tom Brown and Ed Pollock, who scored a record-breaking unbeaten 227 for Herefordshire against Shropshire in June, were the only Barnt Green players who got into double figures, with five going for a duck.