BARNT Green CC finished the season on a high note with a confident five-wicket win over Harborne.

The victory ensured 18 points and a respectable mid-table position for the Cherry Hill Road outfit and also sent Harborne back down to Division One after Wolverhampton destroyed Smethwick.

But on a disappointing note, Barnt Green Second XI discovered on Monday their amazing win at home against Harborne Seconds was in vain, because the weather and three points docked for slow over rates resulted in their relegation.

Matt Dallaway was the hero for the first team with a well-deserved 101 not out to finish a good season after Harborne had won the toss and elected to bat in their search for enough bonus points to stay up.

The introduction of Richard Illingworth (1-47) and Ryan Driver (3-40) ensured Harborne reached 199-7 declared on a quick scoring, postage-stamp ground.

Barnt Green overcame the early loss of Driver (17) and Prabhu (0) to knock the runs off with plenty of time to spare. Matt Dallaway's knock was helped by solid support from Lupton (30) and Illingworth (31). The failure by Harborne to reach 200 was crucial - the extra batting points would have meant safety.

The victory left Barnt captain Lyndon Jones in reflective mood after an up and down season.

He said: "I'm pleased with the way we reacted to pressure after our poor league start, although I was confident we'd get results with a stronger team.

"The National Knockout was a great experience and I'm positive we would have gone all the way if we played anything like we did at Wroxeter.

"We now need to overcome the blow of the Second XI going down. It's vital the club as a whole react positively to get them back up again."

Jones also hoped his players will have learned a lot from adversity to mount a serious challenge for the Premier Division title next season.

"We need to sign a few players to add depth to our squad so there might be a few surprises over the winter," he added.