KINGTON bounced back from their heavy defeat at Brockhampton to claim their first win of the season in Division 3 of the Birmingham and District Premier League. After being bowled out for 175 in the 51st over, they held their nerve to beat Lichfield by just two runs in a thrilling finish at the Recreation Ground.

After an afternoon where fortunes had ebbed and flowed on a number of occasions, Kington appeared to be in with a good chance of winning when Lichfield were reduced to 153-7, still needing 23 to win. Their two batsmen eased their way to 173 without further loss, and defeat looked inevitable. Then two wickets for spinner Owen Price and a run out, without conceding a run, turned the game one final time, with ten balls of the 59 overs remaining. It was a similar story in the earlier part of the innings. The visitors posted 93 for the first wicket at a good rate, then both openers went to Price in consecutive balls. There was another flurry of wickets as Price and Vinnie Kay took control of the game. Price finished with 5-30 off 19.2 overs and seamer Kay (3-32 off 17).

When Kington batted, Owen Morgan (50) and skipper Dave Exall (34) steadied the innings after Lichfield had reduced them to 7-2. Then wickets tumbled before Duncan Morgan (17) and Owen Price (19) added crucial runs for the ninth wicket.

There was also a change of fortunes for Brockhampton when they travelled to Olton and West Warwicks and suffered a 76-run defeat. The visitors were bowled out for 158 in 52.1 overs after the home side had made 234-6 before tea.

The home side’s professional South African Adams was the difference between the two sides. He blasted a quickfire half century at the end of the Olton innings, and followed up with four wickets with his seamers when the visitors batted. Webb (76) and Hawkins (54) built the base for the Olton innings after Chris Boroughs and Shaun Cartright had removed the two openers. After they had fallen the rest of the innings belonged to Adams, who finished up unbeaten on 63, scored at well over a run a ball.

The Brockhampton innings got away to a shaky start, with Adam Hewlett and Boroughs both falling to Gavin without troubling the scorers. Webb chipped in to remove Nahorniak for 19. Skipper Jonny Walker joined Henry Langford to stabilise the innings.

After Langford departed for 31, Walker went on to make 62, but none of his colleagues was able to play a significant innings.