GREG Chinn proved that practice does make perfect after taking a stunning nine-wicket haul for Bromsgrove seconds.

The 23-year-old’s dedication to improving his bowling paid off in spades as he recorded figures of 9-38 from 15 overs, including six maidens, as his side defeated Evesham by eight wickets in Birmingham League Division Two South.

Having struggled for form in claiming 20 wickets this season, Chinn spent the last fortnight staying behind for an extra 90 minutes on training nights to hone his technique.

Not only did it reap rewards in the St Godwalds Park match, the right-arm medium-quick’s efforts have earned him our player-of-the-week award — a £30 Fearnley Factory Shop voucher.

“I didn’t really realise what I had done until Monday when someone said I had almost bowled out a whole team, then I realised I had taken nine wickets,” said Chinn, whose previous best haul was six wickets while at school.

“My team-mates were taking the mick out of me a bit because it was only three or four weeks ago that I was struggling to bowl through lack of practice.

“At the beginning of the season I was not bowling as well as I thought I could.

“So, in the last couple of weeks, I have been netting on a Tuesday and Thursday and then doing an extra hour and-a-half bowling at stumps.

“I was just trying to get some of my rhythm back and it has helped me a lot.

“I don’t know if I will ever get nine wickets again, it will probably be the highlight of my career.”

Ironically, having devoted so much attention to detail, Chinn missed the first over of the Evesham encounter through work commitments.

At that stage, William Bowen had removed opener Gary Lewis for a duck but the wickets began to tumble when Chinn took over, bowling in tandem with Ryan Pedley.

He clean bowled five of his victims, including two without scoring, on his way to taking the rest of the wickets and dismissing the visitors for 131 in 49 overs.

That laid the foundations for success and third-placed Bromsgrove eased home in 29.3 overs against the basement boys for the loss of two wickets with Michael Bennison leading the way unbeaten on 53.

Chinn, who has been with the club all his career, added: “I came on as first-change bowler because I came straight from work and didn’t get there until the first over had been bowled.

“My first over was the 14th so I had a few overs to warm-up in the field.

“When you bowl well, you get more confident and get better and that’s what happened.”