TENBURY overcame a serious case of the batting jitters to continue their winning ways in Division Five of the Worcestershire County League.

From the ruins of a potentially embarrassing defeat, they came away from Old Elizabethans 3rd with a convincing 112-run victory under their belts.

Tenbury opted to bat on winning the toss but were shocked when they lost their first three wickets - recent centurions Aaron Morris and Andy Adams, and Zack Yarranton - without a single run on the board.

Morris gave a simple caught and bowled, Yarranton was run out and Adams clipped to square leg to leave Tenbury listing on 0-3.

When Tom Rawlings quickly followed for eight and Kier Sellars was bowled for seven, Tenbury were staring down both barrels of a humiliating afternoon at a disastrous 23-5.

But cometh the hour, cometh the men - or boy - and Tom Pugh and 15-year-old Henry Anton joined forces to avert a disaster in putting together a stunning sixth-wicket stand of 152. Anton hit six fours in making 56, Pugh struck 15 boundaries in his stylish 88 and with skipper Steve Giles also having a thrash to make an unbeaten 29, Tenbury recovered to such an extent they were able to post a more-than-decent 235-9 off their 50 overs.

Zack Yarranton (2-45) and Morris (4-30 off 10 overs) then made amends for their early failures with the bat by sharing six wickets, and Jack Farrar also weighed in with 2-24 as Old Elizabethans, their early euphoria now just a distant memory, were shot out for 123 in 36.5 overs.

Skipper Steve Giles said: “At one stage we thought we might be going home very early but it was always a case of us getting ourselves out with poor shots rather than good bowling from Old Elizabethans.

“We only needed someone to bat properly and Tom and Henry played really well and never offered a chance.

"We then bowled and fielded superbly. Aaron Morris bowled as well as he has all season and we took all our catches.”

Back at Penlu, Tenbury 2nd were always in control against Old Elizabethans 4th to complete a winning double.

They powered to 258-4 off their 45 overs, with opener Chris Giles, brother of Steve, unluckily falling for 99.

He was unaware he was one short of a century when he was dismissed, with Ian Taylor also carrying his bat for an unbeaten 87.

In the earlier fixture between the two teams this season, Taylor had also batted throughout the innings for 92 not out.

Old Elizabethans 4th were then restricted to 184-7 in reply as Tenbury 2nd maintained second place in the Division Five 2nd XI table behind leaders Stourport-on-Severn.