The Worcestershire Academy lost to the North Staffordshire & South Cheshire League Development XI by three wickets at Audley CC, near Stoke-on-Trent today (Sunday).
The hosts put the Academy into bat and, after being reduced to 112-4 in the 29th over, Ollie Westbury and Nick Hammond put on 76 for the fifth wicket until Westbury was dismissed for 83 off 103 balls, with 10 fours and one six.
Eleven runs later Hammond was out for 49 off 50 balls, with five fours and one six, and then the Academy collapsed to 221 all out off 47.4 overs, with Ben Smith taking 3-42 for the Development XI.
In reply the hosts got off to a slow start and after 32 overs were on 113-4.
But then a fifth wicket partnership of 81 between Chris Beech and Ryan Hassett swung the game in favour of the League Development XI until Brown was out for 82 off 93 balls, with 11 fours and one six.
Two more wickets fell but, thanks to Hassett's unbeaten 48 off 50 balls, with five fours and one six, the home side reached their target of 222, with three balls to spare.
Tom Hope was the leading wicket-taker for the Academy, with 2-34 off 10 overs.
The other wicket-takers were Josh Tongue (1-26 off 7.3 overs), Aadil Rashid (1-26 off five overs), Dan Lloyd (1-34 off seven overs) and Darrel Williams (1-50 off 10 overs).
