BGCC’s comfortable win earlier in the season meant honours stood fairly even over the last three seasons. Brewood needed a win to have any hope of surviving relegation and the Green were seeking only their second win in the 50 over format of the game.

Captain Andy Ford won the toss and on an overcast afternoon unsurprisingly chose to field first. Brewood’s openers didn’t last long – Lewis Jelfs was caught behind by Brewer off Liam Smith for a duck then Luke Bird was trapped LBW by Mark Hardinges for 2. Brewood’s 8 for 2 became 19 for 3 when Richard Bradford edged one from Smith to Hardinges at first slip for 5. Bruce Thomason was joined by a hobbling Morne Heyneke as Tim Williams and Jon Dovey joined the attack. Heyneke had survived several strong appeals before his luck ran out – he fell LBW to Williams for 11.

Brewood captain Richard Rawlinson came to the crease in the 17th over with his team floundering on 54 for 4. BGCC turned to spin soon after, bringing on Blair Kingsland and this change had immediate impact. Thomason misjudged both the speed and flight of the ball to chip one up to be caught and bowled for 37. Kingsland and Dovey bowled several maidens and the latter was unlucky not to take a wicket. Kingsland took his second scalp as James Kidson skied one to be caught by Andy Ford at short extra cover.

With Brewood struggling on 83 for 6 Andy Ford brought himself on and again the change brought a wicket as Dave Wedge was trapped LBW for 0. He grabbed his second wicket 2 overs later when Rawlinson was clean bowled for 28, shouldering arms. New batsmen Lucas Evans and Tim Friend took the total past 100 in the 35th over but both were clean bowled soon after - Friend by Kingsland for 0 and Evans by Ford for a creditable 16. Brewood stumbled to 114 all out in the 43rd over with Kingsland and Ford grabbing 3 wickets a-piece.

Brewood clearly missed the injured Morne Heyneke as the unfamiliar pairing of Robbie Byrne and Dave Wedge opened the bowling. Green openers Adam Dovey and Mark Hooper batted confidently against their medium pace, so Brewood turned to the spin of James Kidson in the 10th over. Both batsmen found him hard to get away but the scoreboard ticked over as runs were flowed more freely the other end.

The BGCC opening pair had put on 45 when Byrne cleaned bowled Dovey for 19. Alex Hepburn joined Hooper and he too played Kidson carefully. Runs, and boundaries in particular, were easier to come by off Tim Friend. As the run rate accelerated the fight seemed to go out of Brewood and the Green passed 100 in the 28th over. Hooper was 36 not out and Hepburn 45 not out as BGCC reached their target of 115 in the 30th over. BGCC’s 20 points moves them into joint fourth with Wellington in the BDPCL. Whereas Brewood’s lack of points leaves them 45 points short of safety and all but relegates them to Division 2.