Ombersley 269-6 (10pts)
Old Elizabethans 70-3 (7pts)
Match abandoned

THE weather was the only real winner when local rivals Ombersley visited Old Elizabethans at the Memorial Ground in Birmingham and District Premier League Division Two as the match was abandoned due to rain.

Ombersley skipper Joph Young won the toss and elected to bat first on a good-looking track, but with rain promised during the afternoon.

The visitors got off to a slow start as the OEs' attack bowled a tight line and length.

With the score on 30 off 10 overs, Phil Burdon was bowled by Stuart Lockwood (2-34) and, 21 runs later, the same bowler had Joe Robinson caught by Jamie Boyle.

However, Duncan Catterall (118 not out) started to play some expansive and well-judged shots as the scoring rate increased.

The introduction of Ollie Griffiths (3-91) slowed the scoring a little but, when ex-Worcestershire players Catterall and Matt Rawnsley (49) came together at the crease, the runs started to flow.

The home side struggled to stem the flow of runs, with the 200 mark reached in the 47th over.

Their cause was not helped by some poor out-fielding and at least five dropped catches.

Although the OEs' bowlers stuck to their task, the lack of support in the field saw the final total reach 269 in the 55 overs available, with 21 runs coming off the final two overs.

In reply, OEs got off to a brisk and positive start as Ben Donaldson (nine) and Simon Macey (36) compiled 22 in seven overs before Donaldson pulled a catch straight to square-leg.

David Phillips (seven) helped push the score along to 63 before he too was caught.

Having lost 22 minutes to rain at the start of their innings, the players came off the field again at 6.40pm and never returned.

The game was abandoned with less than 20 overs of the second innings being bowled.