Skipper Morris set to return to boost Tenbury (From Ludlow Advertiser)

Skipper Morris set to return to boost Tenbury

1:00pm Thursday 14th June 2012 in Sport By Ian Morgan

Stourbridge Social 184 all out Tenbury 111 all out.

SKIPPER Aaron Morris is raring to return to action after Waqas Ahmed’s nine-wicket haul sentenced Tenbury to a 73-run home defeat.

Morris has missed Tenbury’s last two matches but will be making his return at Birlingham this Saturday.

He praised Alex Mason’s outstanding all-round contribution in last weekend’s disappointing Worcestershire County League Division Three reverse.

Jay Da Costa also had a fine day for Tenbury, making four stumpings and taking a catch.

“Alex took 4-53 and then scored 63 runs with the bat but no other batsman went with him,” said Morris, whose side have slipped from top to third in the table. “Tom Rawlings was tied up with the Test match at Edgbaston and Bruce Mason was away, so we had a few missing.

“Our side was depleted but that’s no excuse because the players who came in were capable of doing the job.”

Tenbury reduced Stourbridge to 20-4 but Richard Milner (42 not out) and Michael McDonogh (41) helped the visitors reach 184. Tenbury will be frustrated to have conceded 42 extras, including 38 wides.

In addition to Mason’s four-wicket haul, George Pearson (3-59) and vice-captain Ed Corfield (2-48) also bowled well.

However, Mason was the only Tenbury batsman to reach double figures as Ahmed’s remarkable 9-49 from 17 overs, shot out the hosts for 111.

“Stourbridge beat us away last year and we then got a draw in a rain-affected home game so they are a bit of a nemesis,” said left-arm spinner Morris.

“It’s still very close at the top of the table and the top four or five teams are separated by not many points.

“Hopefully, we can bounce back at Birlingham this Saturday and get more of a cushion.

“I will definitely be playing on Saturday. We will have a choice of about 14 or 15 players and perhaps the phonecalls won’t be as hard this week.

“We have not played Birlingham for seven years.

“To be top after seven matches, was a bonus for us. And I’m not disappointed with being in third place after eight matches.”