STOURBRIDGE held on by the skin of their teeth to snatch a losing draw with powerful Coventry and North Warwicks in their Birmingham League Division Two contest at Amblecote last weekend.

Chasing a Coventry target of 187-5, bottom-of-the-table Stourbridge were left clinging on at the close of play with their last pair of batsmen at the crease having slumped to 91-9.

Stourbridge skipper Matt Bradley said: “The last pair only had to survive a couple of balls, but at least we showed a bit of fight.

“We’ve now gone four games without defeat, although admittedly three of them were losing draws while the other was rained off — but it might start giving us the confidence we need to turn the corner.”

Bradley admitted: “Everything seemed to conspire against us at the start of the season. I can’t bowl because I’ve damaged my hip and we’ve missed Josh Banks as a result of an injury he sustained late last season.

“It didn’t help that a number of lads also let us down at the start of the season with their availability, which gave us very little opportunity of orf recruiting any new players in time.

“Added to that, our overseas player Audy Alexander hasn’t hit the heights that he’s achieved in previous years and everybody at Stourbridge is just hoping he’ll come good in the second half of the season.

“As a result, we’re still looking for that elusive first win — but we’re taking increased confidence into each game.”

Stourbridge will look to get off the mark this Saturday when they make the short trip to local rivals Wombourne.

The Amblecote side can welcome back top-order batsman Josh Banks for his first appearance of the season couple of Second XI games unscathed.

They also include right arm seamer Umar Masala Khalid who is promoted into the First XI after picking five wickets for the Seconds last week, while James Wood and Mikesh Patel drop out.