AN AMAZING finish at Avon Street on Saturday saw Evesham take the last four Fordhouses wickets for just two runs as the Birmingham League second division clash ended in a tie.

Neal and Luke Radford were the perpetrators of the tremendous escape act that earned the hosts 14 points when it looked like a third successive defeat was on the cards.

Chasing 174 for victory, Alan Warner and Gary Williams had steered the visitors to the brink of victory with a seventh wicket stand after the Radfords and Shahid Saeed had seemingly bowled Evesham back into the match after they had been dismissed for 173.

However, Williams was clean bowled by the former England and Worcestershire all-rounder who then shattered the stumps of Luke Willetts to leave the chasers on 171-8.

Son Luke then clean bowled Tom Fyfe and Warner was left stranded at the opposite end when dad Neal grabbed the final wicket with the sides level.

Fabulous

Radford senior's figures of 6-46 completed a fabulous effort with bat and ball by the veteran whose innings of 38 had bolstered a middle order and helped the home side total 173.

The top six batsmen all got set but none were able to take their innings on until Radford's top score gave the hosts something to bowl at.

Shahid Saeed gave Evesham an early boost but it was Radford senior and junior who grabbed eight wickets between them in a sensational climax.

Sunday's Worcestershire Clubs League clash was a real anti-climax as Evesham were dismissed for 120 - a score that would have been far worse had Jamie Anderson (35), James Cutler (13) and Chappell (19no) not mustered some late runs.

The latter pair both enjoyed success with the ball but Swindon coasted to a five-wicket win in the 28th over.

Five wickets for Stuart Langstone and half-centuries for Will Bailey and Gareth Howman helped the second team claim a winning draw at Coleshill who totalled 137-8 in reply to Evesham's impressive 260-8.

The third team settled for the same result against West Malvern with Sam Cheshire, 6-41 and 75, in fine form.

The fourth team battled back like their senior cou-nterparts to claim Haleso-wen's final five wickets for nine runs with seamer John Niblett taking six scalps.

Arnie Hyde had earlier given Evesham's innings a boost with a robust half-century.

l THE club's appeal against the result of the first team match at Can-nock on May 29 will be discussed at a Birming-ham League sub-committee meeting on Monday, June 19.

The umpires set Evesham a target of 111 for a winning draw that was achie-ved off the last ball. How- ever, a re-calculation after the game showed the target should have been 112 leaving the Staffordshire side claiming a winning draw!