Tristan saves the day at Barnt Green

Posted by Tony Hutton

The final stop of our four day cricketing odyssey was to Barnt Green which is about as far north as you can get in Worcestershire and just south of the sprawling Birmingham conurbation. It's cricket ground is in a nice rural setting, surrounded by trees, and retains its attraction despite a large new housing development nearby. After some research I was able to establish that my last visit was back in 1996 for a Birmingham League game with Old Hill.

The Worcestershire and Barnt Green flags fluttering in the breeze at Cherry Hill Road.

Tuesday 22nd May was the first day of a three day Second XI county championship match between Worcestershire seconds and Lancashire seconds. The two sides had met in a one day Trophy match at the same venue yesterday. Lancashire had won this game by seven wickets with Haseeb Hameed scoring a century in the process. However today was at last back to proper cricket - played in whites, with a small select crowd so that we were not bothered by the bane of true cricket watchers - other people's conversations.

The umpires take the field at the start of day one.

Worcestershire fielded a team with several trialists from elsewhere which tested our memories and our reference books to the limit to trace their places of origin. Tristan Blackledge proved the most difficult to pin down, particularly as he is blessed with four initials T.W.M.H in fact. However we got a clue from the Worcestershire lady scorer who knew he was a club cricketer from Cambridge. We found him on the internet playing for Cambridge Granta. The reliable 2nd XI annual eventually gave us the stories of J.H. Barrett (MCC Young Cricketers), N.S. Oxley (Sussex) and T.G. Sturgess (Surrey).

Detective work completed so it's back to the cricket and Lancashire batted first with two Test players in the ranks, Hameed of England opening the batting and one Shriv Chanderpaul of the West Indies due in at number five. Jones and Lamb both went early, both caught off the lively Sturgess and Lancashire were soon 11-2. The two Boltonians Hameed and Bohannon steadied the ship for a while with a partnership of 48 before Hameed was caught at slip by Dell when a ball from Twohig turned and caught the outside edge.

One Test player, Hameed, leaves the field to be replaced by another, Chanderpaul.

Time for a short cameo from Chanderpaul who opened his account with a six over long on. He was caught by Ul-Hassan from the bowling of off spinner Malik, who was also getting a bit of turn. So it proved throughout the first innings, with the second left arm spinner Oxley getting the best return of the day with 4-34. Bohannon held the innings together and was on the verge of a century when he was ninth man out, lbw bowled Oxley for 93. Lancashire were soon all out for 194. It had been a pleasure to watch thirty three overs of spin bowled during the Lancashire innings.

Dell at the crease, Hameed in the field.

Worcester struggled initially against the pace attack of Lester and Lamb and were 67-4 before a partnership of 78 between Barrett and Dell, the tall England Under 19 batsman pushed them towards a first innings lead just before close of play on day one. Barrett was out for 60 but Dell looking increasingly confident, was still there on 71 not out at the close when Worcester were 204-6. A splendid day's cricket, several new faces, plenty of spin bowling and wall to wall sunshine.

The view from the pavilion at Barnt Green.

We were back again the following morning but only for one session as we needed to set off home at lunchtime. Dell duly completed a fine hundred, which he has been threatening for some time with several fifties. He had impressed us at Hartlepool last week and played a fine innings which lasted three and a quarter hours and included seventeen fours. The Worcester tail rather subsided around him with Toby Lester the best bowler with 5-45. There was also sight of another young left arm spinner Morley who is a Lancashire Academy player and he picked up two late wickets. Worcester were all out for 255 which was a first innings lead of 61.

Dell, batting on after completing his century.

Time to see Hameed, looking in fine form, together with Balderson make a good start to Lancashire's second innings before our early departure. Hameed, back to his best apparently, went on to score 140 together with Jones 105, so that Lancashire were able to declare at the end of the day on 386-4 setting Worcester a daunting target of 325 to win on day three. A century from skipper Westbury gave them a chance but a middle order collapse, again precipitated by Lester, led to them playing for a draw. This they did with a vengeance with Ul-Hassan and none other than number eleven T.W.M.H. Blackledge batting out the final 22 overs of the day for the last wicket to give Worcestershire a gallant draw.