Worcestershire duo Ed Barnard and Ollie Westbury were amongst the runs this weekend for Scarborough CC and Grafton United CC respectively in Australia and New Zealand.
All-rounder Barnard continued his excellent form with the bat on day one of Scarborough’s Western Australia Cricket Association first grade match with Mount Lawley.
He went in at number four and made an accomplished 60 – his fourth score of fifty or more in his last five first grade innings.
That run of form has realised contributions of 56, 103, 55, 11 and 60.
Barnard struck six fours in his 106 ball knock and, after coming in at 117-2, he put on 129 for the third wicket with opener Lochie Hardy (134).
He was third out at 246 and Scarborough were eventually dismissed for 309.
Barnard then bowled six overs with the new ball for 13 runs as Mount Lawley reached 42-1 by the close.
Batsman Westbury has also enjoyed a productive winter and he top-scored for Grafton with 71 in the Auckland Cricket Premier Men Jeff Crowe Cup 50 over competition against Eden Roskill CC.
He led a recovery during his 86 ball knock which included eight fours.
Grafton were 63-6 at one stage before Westbury and Nikkeil Bhana (64 not out) added 79 for the seventh wicket out of a total of 212-9.
But Westbury’s fine effort proved to be in vain as, in a thrilling finale, Eden Roskill won by one wicket after being 112-6.
Ben Twohig picked up two wickets and also had two catches dropped off his bowling as Southern Districts lost out in the battle for first innings points in the drawn South Australia Cricket Association first grade encounter.
Twohig enjoyed a lengthy bowl and ended with figures of 2-65 from 23.2 overs.
Austin Umpherston was dropped on nought off Twohig and went onto make 46 not out.
In addition Ben Cooper was put down on 39 from a delivery by Twohig and went onto make 97 before he finally fell to the Worcestershire spinner.
Port Adelaide closed on 261-4 after overhauling Southern Districts first day total of 237 in which Twohig made 23.
George Rhodes was dismissed for two and nought and did not bowl but his side Onslow CC (160 and 137-3) gained first innings points in the two-day Rothbury Capital City Premier Men’s Hazlett Trophy clash with Upper Hutt (138) in New Zealand.
*Ben Cox was dismissed for five off six balls batting at number five as Otago Vaults (210-8) went down by 12 runs to Wellington (221-3) in their latest Super Smash group match.