DROITWICH Spa’s batting wilted on a sweltering afternoon in Eastnor as Jake Young’s side suffered a heavy 153-run defeat to their Worcestershire County League Division One relegation rivals.
An all-too-familiar early collapse saw the visitors bowled out for less than three figures once again with five ducks on the scorecard.
The defeat saw Spa slip into the drop zone following Pedmore’s victory at Burghill, Tillington & Weobley.
Only Jez Hanson looked in some form for Spa as he played some classical shots in his 18 before being dismissed by Shahid Ahmed who finished with 4-23.
A procession of wickets left Spa with little or no chance of victory before a little pride was salvaged between Carl Thomson (11) and Paul Bryan (34 not out).
The pair added 39 runs for the final wicket before the former was the last man out with the score on 96.
Earlier, Spa had the better of the early exchange as the home side made a cagey start in the face of accurate spells from Max Young and Jack Sealey.
Sealey bowled his ten overs straight through the heat and can consider himself desperately unlucky not to have picked up three or four wickets.
Crucially though, the visitors were unable to make great inroads into Eastnor’s batting line-up and the runs soon started to flow on a good wicket and fast outfield.
Skipper Young juggled his bowling resources but it was not until his second spell when the wickets started to tumble.
Eastnor were bowled out for 249 with one over left, with Young claiming five wickets for 49 runs to provide a bright spot on a dismal afternoon for Spa.
The Seconds tasted defeat for the first time this season but remain in the Division Two Second XI promotion places as they were bowled out for 130 by Chaddesley Corbett who claimed a seven-wicket victory.
The Thirds were beaten by Pershore by 26 runs in Division Five while in the reverse Division Five Second XI fixture, the Fourths won by six wickets.
Tom Goss hit 85 for the Fourths whose debutants included Paul Cowlard and Archie Fenn.
On Saturday the First host Hagley, the Seconds travel to Bromsgrove while the Thirds and Fourth meet Romsley.
