Weekend of fun in store at Astwood Bank CC

ASTWOOD Bank Cricket Club is holding its second mini beer festival today (Friday) and over the weekend.

There will be eight real ales to sample, ranging from the Black Country ales from Bathams, Ma Pardoes and Enville to other local favourites such as Two Towers, Hobsons and Church End Brewery, to the resident real ale Purity Mad Goose.

The club is grateful to the Purity brewing company for its continued support and help with this event, for which the bar opens at 6pm and there will be also be a barbecue and hot pork rolls available.

Beers will also be available throughout Saturday's match at home to Pershore as the Worcestershire League Division One title-chasers go head to head.

The club is thriving at all levels, with junior teams run at all ages and four senior teams entered into the Worcestershire League.

It also has the only ladies and girls cricket in the Redditch area where the team plays in the Women's Midland League.

Friday nights are the regular training night, when the bar and barbecue always attract a large social gathering.

The beer festival is just one of many events run by the club to raise funds to enable it to continue to grow and provide the best possible sporting facilities for the junior and senior teams.

ASTWOOD BANK hung on for what could turn out to be a vital losing draw at home to Colwall in Worcestershire League Division One on Saturday.

Bank had to see out the closing stages of the contest with their final pair at the crease to salvage nine points, which means they relinquished top spot to Pershore, who will arrive for tomorrow's clash with a five-point lead over second placed Bank.

After a slow start to the season Colwall have been in resurgent form in recent weeks and continued this momentum with a solid effort with the bat which saw them post 228 all out in 49.4 overs.

Andrzej Jagielski was the pick of the home bowlers with 3-41 off 17 overs, whilst Michael Desmond took 3-63 off ten overs.

Bank openers Iain Morgan (45) and Sam Thomas (49) appeared to have set the perfect platform for the hosts to push on for victory but, after they had departed, nobody in the middle order could push on and Bank were grateful to Andy Alexander (18no) and Jagielski (34) for helping them close on 205-9.

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