Skipper Simon Bowen has urged his Whitchurch side to pick up the couple of wins they need to guarantee their place in next season’s Birmingham League second division as quickly as possible.
Bowen said he was looking forward to returning to Heath Road after two successive away defeats when Harborne head to north Shropshire on Saturday (noon).
And, boosted by the return of county paceman Dan Bowen, rested last weekend, and Simon Gregory, who was playing football for Market Drayton, he’s hopeful Whitchurch can kickstart their season once more.
“Our aim this season was always just to stay in this league as it’s our first in division two,” stressed the captain. “We just need a couple more wins, hopefully as soon as possible, to make sure of that.
“Harborne are a good batting side with Shiv Sundar Das, the former Indian international, and a good Sri Lankan, and we had a high scoring game against them at their place earlier in the season.”
Bowen felt last weekend’s five-wicket defeat at lowly Aston Manor, rather like the previous week’s reverse at Berkswell, hinged heavily on him losing the toss and seeing Whitchurch invited to bat first in tricky conditions.
Losing Pakistani ace Maisam Hasnain to an early duck was the worst possible start and, although Ian Gregory attempted to steady the ship by making 33, Whitchurch’s total of 131 all out was never likely to extend the hosts.
And so it proved as Aston Manor boosted their survival hopes by advancing to 132-5 inside 30 overs, despite Amjaad Ali Khan taking 2-43.
“They bowled well but I lost another important toss,” said Bowen.
“It was swinging around like a boomerang early on and their opening bowlers were a handful in those conditions.
“If we had won the toss for each of these last two away games, there’s every chance we would be sat here now with two wins under our belts, and that we haven’t knocks your confidence. We’ve now lost two games in a row and every game seems harder.”
WHITCHURCH II, meanwhile, were indebted to a batting masterclass from stalwart Dave Fowles for steering them to a four-wicket beating of Aston Manor II in reserve division three.
Fowles, at No 5, just ran out of time to reach three figures after ending unbeaten on 96 as Whitchurch, for whom Liam O’Neill and Simon Dimelow both made 24, made assured progress towards 196-6.
Pete Ridley, who took 3-33, and Dimelow (2-28) had earlier helped restrict Aston to 195-8.
Whitchurch II head to Studley II on Saturday.
by Stuart Dunn