Sticky wicket as Pedmore all out for THREE runs

Pedmore Third XI were all out in 12 overs, with just three players troubling the scorers.

But skipper Paul Maley is refusing to be downbeat.

Instead, Maley claims they took more points than expected from last weekend's game against Harborne fourths, which they lost by 251 runs.

With a number of players called up to play for the club's seconds, the thirds fielded just nine players – including a host of youngsters, with Maley standing in as skipper.

And he is pleased with their achievement of bowling the hosts out, before the admittedly calamitous failing with the bat.

"We were really chuffed to bowl them out," he said. "We didn't really go expecting to get anything from the game so to take four points, we actually got more than we hoped for. I know it's a funny thing to say when you look at the scorecard and I know we have probably broken a few records.

"But the points we picked up may come in vital at the end of the season." Pedmore might have actually dismissed their hosts for considerably less than the 254 they managed, were it not for a sparkling 90 from Fareed Mohammed.

Maley was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4-51, while Ben Meakin claimed 3-54. But that was as good as it got as Pedmore were humiliated with the bat.

Openers Andrew Smith and Paul Newey were joint top scorers with a run apiece in an innings which lasted only 12.1 overs.

Harborne used only two bowlers, Faheem Mohammed finishing with figures of three wickets, for no runs. "I know I'm trying to put a good spin on it," added Maley. "But we can't get too downbeat.

"We had a lot of young lads at under-13 level who were playing cricket for the first time.

"Hopefully, by next week, we should be back to somewhere near full strength."

He added: "The worst thing of all, is the umpire missed a wide, so our score should have been four!"