Newport’s new Birmingham Cricket League season got off to a disappointing start when they went down to a five wicket defeat at Old Elizabethans.
Victory at Bridgnorth seven days earlier had seen Stuart Blount’s side set off in confident mood for what always looked a tricky task at Worcester.
And an indifferent batting performance that handed the initiative to the the home side made their fears come painfully true.
A typical early season wicket meant that the toss was always likely to play a significant part in the outcome of the game and when the Newport skipper called incorrectly, the odds were beginning to stack up.
Both openers were back in the pavilion with just 25 runs on the board, but then Mike Holliday and Rasika applied themselves, taking the score to 74 before Rasika was dismissed for 22 when trying to force the pace.
Cumbrian recruit Holliday continued to defy the determined home attack, but he found frustratingly little support from his partners.
From the relative foundation of 80-4 the latter half of the Newport innings collapsed in alarming style, the last six wickets falling for a paltry 21 runs.
Equally alarmingly, the last seven batsmen contributed just 16 runs towards Newport’s total of just 112, with 14 of the allotted 55 overs still remaining.
Holliday showed what was required before he was ninth out, somewhat harshly judged leg before on 49.
Batting had never been easy and when the home side were reduced to 49-4 it seemed that there was still a chance that Newport might snatch an improbable victory.
But a solid middle-order performance saw Old Elizabethans to victory with any amount overs in hand and five wickets still remaining.
Rasika, who bowled unchanged, finished with 2-28 from his 21 overs while Jon Prince took 2-28.
Newport will be without both top scorer Mike Holliday and bowler Rhys Davenport for tomorrow‘s first home fixture of the new season against Ombersley, 1pm start.
The Worcestershire side had a comfortable win on the opening day of the season with Shropshire’s Duncan Catterall in match winning form.
