SKIPPER Dougie Brown hailed an "exceptional" performance as his Barnt Green side topped the Birmingham and District Premier Division with a 57-run win over Kenilworth Wardens.
A blistering bowling display and some excellent fielding was enough to earn Green 24 points from Saturday's game, which put them top of the tree.
After posting 163-9 from their 55 overs, the Cherry Hill Road outfit ripped through the home side's middle order with former Northamptonshire all-rounder Paul Coverdale taking 4-25.
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Brown heaped praise on his players for restricting their opponents, after initial fears that their total may not have been enough.
He said: "I felt we were 20 runs short. "It wasn't a great wicket.
"We knew if we could save 20 runs in the first ten overs that would make up for it.
"Our fielding has been exceptional."
Brown has now called on his side to build bigger totals with the bat, as they head into this weekend's clash at Wolverhampton.
He added: "We can tweak one or two things on the batting side.
"They have been big totals relative to the wicket.
"But we have struggled to score consistent runs, but we have still scored more runs than the opposition."
Barnt Green will have a full squad available for Saturday's game.
Bromsgrove captain Mark Evenson believes a positive result at Sutton Coldfield on Saturday could ensure his side won't get dragged into a Division One relegation scrap.
In recent seasons, difficult starts have seen the Boars hovering around the drop zone, but the St Godwald's team are confident those days are behind them after getting some early points on the board.
The winning draw over Shrewsbury on Saturday took them to 21 points from two games, with a 13 point cushion over the bottom four.
Bromsgrove set the visitors a target of 215, and their spinners Dilawar Khan Orakzai and Lyndon Jones came to the fore with tight spells, restricting Shrewsbury to 170-6.
Evenson said: "We had a wobble in the middle when we were 140-6.
"It was almost a bit of complacency setting in in the top order thinking it was easy, but it is never easy in cricket.
"All in all it was a good result as they are a good team who are always there or thereabouts.
"Obviously we were without Nick Husbands who is a key strike bowler, but it was a day for spinners.
"Dilawar is a good bowler and is very difficult to get away.
"A good solid performance on Saturday and we can open up a bit of a gap, whereas it is normally us who are down in the bottom four.
Evenson will be boosted by the return of club chairman and key strike bowler Nick Husbands for this weekend's clash, while Valeed Butt is also available again.
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