Billy Cox and Zain Ul-Hassan impressed with ball and bat respectively for Worcestershire CCC Academy who went down by 34 runs to North Staffordshire and South Cheshire League (NSSCL) Under-25s at Leycett.
Cox took the new ball and picked up three early wickets – two of them for ducks – in reducing NSSCL to 15-3 after they had won the toss and opted to bat.
He then returned to pick up two late order wickets and finished with the excellent figures of 10-3-20-5.
But an unbeaten 104 by skipper R. Coates lifted NSSCL to 221-8 in their 50 overs. He hit two sixes and 12 fours in his 132 ball knock.
Despite the loss of two early wickets, the Academy were well placed at 119-2 in reply after Ul-Hassan and Will Wade added 111 for the third wicket.
Wade made a patient 33 off 77 balls and Ul-Hassan was finally out for 80 off just 72 deliveries with 14 fours at 129-5.
The last four wickets then fell for two runs as the Academy were dismissed for 187 with still 9.3 overs remaining.
NSSCPCL UNDER-25S
M Kelsall c AO Wiffen b BM Cox 0
M Taylor c BD Fitzmaurice b BM Cox 6
R Coates+ not out 104
L Allison c AO Wiffen b BM Cox 0
T Hope lbw b C Cross 23
J Hassall lbw b M Ahmed 21
M Arnold c BD Fitzmaurice b BM Cox 12
S Winnington c BD Fitzmaurice b BM Cox 8
R Williams* c Z Ul-Hassan b C Cross 23
D Gibbs not out 1
Extras 23
Total (for 8 wickets) 221 in 50 overs
FOW: 0, 15, 15, 51, 120, 152, 163, 217
Bowling
BM Cox 10-3-20-5
MC Davis 8-0-47-0
A Coates 6-1-21-0
C Cross 10-1-51-2
Z Ul-Hassan 8-1-22-0
J Johal 2-0-18-0
M Ahmed 6-0-31-1
—–
WORCESTERSHIRE ACADEMY
C Brandrick c R Coates b D Gibbs 0
AO Wiffen b S Winnington 4
WJ Wade c R Coates b M Kelsall 33
Z Ul-Hassan c M Arnold b D Gibbs 80
A Hinkley c R Coates b R Williams 0
J Johal c J Hassall b R Williams 20
M Ahmed run out(S Winnington) 14
MC Davis c M Taylor b T Hope 13
BD Fitzmaurice+ lbw b J Hassall 0
BM Cox* not out 0
A Coates lbw b T Hope 1
Extras 22
Total (all out) 187 in 40.3 overs
FOW: 0, 8, 119, 127, 129, 162, 185, 186, 186, 187
Bowling
D Gibbs 8-0-33-2
S Winnington 5-0-21-1
T Jones 3-0-19-0
T Hope 6.3-0-17-2
R Williams 10-0-53-2
M Kelsall 6-0-34-1
J Hassall 2-0-7-1
