REDDITCH skipper Neville Mason was left positively upbeat after his side stopped their recent Birmingham Senior League Division Two West slide.

Mason's men carved out a winning draw with Pelsall and claimed 11 points in what could turn out to be a crucial season.

Under league structuring, Redditch need to finish in the top half of the table to stop them being one of the teams that make up a new Division Three next season.

And Mason had Chris Gibson (79no) and Dan Friedrich (55) to thank after they stopped a increasingly perilously situation as Redditch slumped to 57-4 after being put into bat.

Gibson then went on to forge an unbroken 57 stand with Tim Piper as Redditch finished on 219-8 off 55 overs.

Pelsall lost two early wickets but a stand of 83 saw and a succession of dropped catches, saw them salvage something from the game as they finished on 181-6 from 28 overs.

Mason recorded bowling figures of 3-72.

The next two matches promise to be tough for Redditch with second-placed Shifnal arriving at Bromsgrove Road this Saturday (2pm) and then a clash against leaders Smethwick awaits next week.

Redditch Seconds beat their Pelsall counterparts by six wickets thanks to a solid all-round display.