DROITWICH sit just three points above the Worcestershire County League Division One drop zone following their crushing 133-run defeat to fellow relegation battlers Bewdley.
Spa’s skipper Martyn Davies was given plenty of fuel for thought about his batting line-up for Saturday’s must-win match against basement side Oldswinford & Stourbridge Social as his side were shot out for just 161 in reply to Bewdley’s formidable 294-8.
Bewdley made the most of a flat wicket, capitalised on some poor bowling and ground fielding as Droitwich toiled in the field with Charlie Eastoe top scoring with a fine 98 and Simon Mauger chipping in with 67.
Gareth Lewis (37) and Rob Combes (34) also contributed well with the bat for Bewdley.
After taking 2-44 from his ten overs, Max Young was dismissed for a second ball duck as the Spa reply spluttered.
Undeterred, his fellow opener Ash Fearnall (52) produced a display full of classy shots in a useful partnership with Aussie Jordan Renau (19) as the visitors motored along at almost seven runs an over.
However their departures in quick succession soon exposed an all too familiar brittleness in the Droitwich batting line up as Spa slumped from 79-2 to 95-6.
Skipper Davies (17) and Jez Hanson (27) restored some pride by adding 45 for the seventh wicket before the innings eventually ran out of gas with more than 13 overs remaining.
At St Peter’s Fields, the Seconds delivered one of their best performances of the season as they thumped Division Two Second XI promotion hopefuls Harborne by 106 runs.
Dave Huntbatch hit 68 and Ash Walton weighed in with an unbeaten 83 as Droitwich rattled up 261-8.
Veteran Martin Woodward claimed three scalps as the visitors were dismissed for 155 with two wickets apiece for Rhys John and Chris Lester.
For the second weekend in succession, Spa’s Thirds were unable to chase down 198 as Old Hill triumphed by 13 runs in Division Five.
Nick Sankey grabbed three wickets and Carl Thomson returned an economical spell of 2-25 from 11 overs in an entertaining game, which also saw James King score 53.
However, Thomson was out-bowled by his father Dom who picked up 5-41 in the reverse Fourths fixture at Old Hill in Division Five Second XI.
Spa raced past their victory target of 122 in the 21st over with the help of 49 extras.
On Saturday, the Seconds also face Oldswinford while the Thirds and Fourths take on Redditch.
