Barnt Green 297-6 Whitchurch 125 all out

Barnt Green won by 172 runs

A CENTURY by Gavin Shephard made sure that Barnt Green CC forgot their league woes and booked their place in the West Midlands final of the Cockspur National Knockout Cup on Sunday.

Shephard's 134 and a fine knock by Richard Hall made sure that Green are just one win away from the competition's national stages.

Green will now meet Birmingham and District League Premier Division rivals Moseley in the regional decider on July 2, at the team's Cherry Hill Road ground.

In recent weeks Barnt Green have struggled in the league but they wiped away the memory of poor batting performances against Walsall and West Bromwich Dartmouth with an emphatic performance.

Captain Simon Froggatt won the toss and decided boldly to bat at Whitchurch's Heath Road ground.

It was an inspired decision by the captain as openers Richard Hall and Shephard started notching up the runs.

Even when Hall was ran out on 63 Shephard's influential 134 made sure Green were also set to record a big score.

Former captain Lyndon Jones was trapped on 19 by Whitchurch's Alex Huxley (3-46).

The bowler also dismissed Gavin's brother, Stuart, for three runs.

But Richard Wilkinson, who hit 38 not out, made sure that Green increased the run rate, even when Huxley had Gavin Shephard caught by Mark Tooze.

Teenager Nathan Newport (2) was bowled by Saroop and Frogggatt was caught by Simon Bowden off James Cornford's delivery, as Green finished on 297-6 in 45 overs.

Shephard was also a hero with the ball for Green as he took the first Whitchurch wicket, when he had opener Dave Fowles (6) caught by Matt Rawnsley.

He struck again when he trapped Bowden lbw on two runs, while pace man Miraj Ahmed dismissed Huxley for 18.

Good bowling by Green made sure that Whitchurch's batting order were unable to put together any partnerships.

Cornford threated with the willow before Rawnsley had him caught by G Shephard on 20.

Spinner Lyndon Jones removed Ifran Saroop, while Kieran Rees removed Nick Archibald for nine.

Rawnsley dismissed Mark Goldsmith (23) and Mark Tooze (14), before Richard Hall ended Whitchurch's resistance by bowling Ian Hancocks for a duck.

Rawnsley had Green's best bowling figures of the day with 26-3, while Jones and Shephard took two each.