CANON Frome recorded their first win of the season in Division 4 South of the Crusader Worcestershire County League when they visited Hanley Castle and Upton, and returned with a narrow two-wicket success.

After losing an early wicket Hanley Castle looked to be taking a stranglehold on the game with a partnership of 102 for the second wicket, but when Chris Styles broke the stand with a diving catch at slip it changed the course of the game. Kit Smith (4-44) and Paul Andrews (3-30) got among the wickets and at the end of their innings the home side had accrued 197-9.

Styles (28) and Smith (10) gave the Frome reply a solid base, putting on 42 for the first wicket. Dan Watkins (35) and Andy Rogers (45) carried on the good work. A few wickets fell and a tense finish looked likely until Matt Richards (17 no) completed the job with consecutive boundaries in the 48th over to leave the final score 200-8. The 24 points moves Canon Frome off the bottom of the table.

Andrew Bevan scored an unbeaten 149 for Ross, but visiting Barnards Green held out for a draw in a run feast that produced more than 550 runs at the Park. Ross scored 313-3 but never looked like bowling the Green out, they finished on 242-6.

After losing an early wicket, Graham Howls (46) and Stuart Mair (40) set the platform for a big total by taking the score to 74 before the second wicket fell in the 20th over. This brought Bevan to the wicket and he blasted 17 fours and six sixes in an innings which lasted just 94 balls.

Alan Marfell (59 not out in 50 balls), playing his first game of the season, helped Bevan put on 181 during the final 20 overs of the innings.

The visitors reply got off to a steady start before a wicket apiece for Bevan and Chris Gage gave Ross a chance at 67-2 in the 18th over. C Hill (87 no) and S Beavan (69) made the most of lapses in the Ross fielding to post a third-wicket stand of 127 in 23 overs to make the draw almost inevitable.

Ross took three late wickets before the overs ran out. Bevan and Rob Kyle finished with two wickets each to their name.

Colwall moved up to third place in Division 3 with an emphatic 101-run victory at Old Halesonians. Put in to bat on a damp wicket, they batted sensibly to post a total of 240-7 and then completed the job by bowling the home side out for 139.

Tim Riley (22) and David Taylor gave Colwall a solid start to their innings, putting on a patient 50 for the first wicket. After three wickets went down in quick succession, Charlie Griffiths joined Taylor (57) and the pair took the score to three figures.

Griffiths went on to make 59 and with Darren Cooke (43), Gareth Brakewell (16) and Luke Ledbury (16) adding useful runs, Colwall were able to set the Old Boys a competitive target.

After a loose couple of overs, the opening attack of Damien Berry and Charlie Griffiths had the home batsmen struggling. Only Wasim (50 no), batting at number five, played with the required discipline to build an innings in the conditions, and their final wicket went down in the 41st over. Griffiths finished with 6-37 and Berry 4-67.