DROITWICH Spa CC slipped to a surprise seven-wicket defeat against Colwall in blow to the club’s promotion hopes.
Spa managed 111 all out in 44.4 overs as none of Droitwich’s batters managed to score more than 20 runs with the bat at Stowe Lane.
And Colwall comfortably reached the required target in 20.1 overs with seven wickets still in hand.
The result means Droitwich sit third in the Worcestershire County League Division One table, 26 points behind Barnards Green 2nds who occupy the last promotion spot.
Spa won the toss and elected to bat as openers Harry Butler (14) and Ash Fearnall (10) put on 25 runs for the first wicket.
However, Jonathan Miles (7), Flynn Taylor (2) and Jez Hanson (8) all departed for single figure scores while Sam Smith (12) followed shortly after to leave Droitwich in trouble on 65-6.
A seventh-wicket partnership between Sam Woolley (11) and Max Young (20) took Spa close to the 100-run mark only for the former to depart with Droitwich still nine runs short of a ton.
Captain Martyn Davies (6) batted down the order and lasted 37 balls at the crease before Young fell on 20 runs which proved Spa’s highest individual total with the bat in the game.
Colwall quickly accounted for Obaidullah Sherzad (3) with Spa all out for 111 as Rahul Katti (3-32), Jai Kurt (3-34) and Henry Hardinges (2-5) did the damage with the ball.
And the home side made light work of the reply as opener Hardinges (66) quickly reached a half-century after scoring at a rate of more than a run-a-ball.
Hardinges faced 63 deliveries and hit 13 boundaries in an 88-run first-wicket stand with Amaan Edavalath (23) before Ciaran Hession (2-21) struck to break up the partnership.
Sherzad (1-8) removed Edavalath soon after while Hession trapped Bruno Recordon (2) LBW with Colwall still 12 runs short of victory.
However, Kurt (10 not out) and Max Moor (4 not out) guided Colwall beyond the required target as Spa took just two points from the fixture.
